When the Going Was Good vs Wild Wales: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: English Authors, Journeys, Description and travel, Travel, Biography & Memoir
When the Going Was Good
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With the publication of When the Going Was Good Little, Brown takes great pleasure in returning to print a classic of travel journalism. Between 1928 and 1935 Evelyn Waugh wrote four travel books: Labels, Remote People,…
Wild Wales
“WALES is a country interesting in many respects, and deserving of more attention than it has hitherto met with.”
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Wild Wales: Its People, Language and Scenery is a travel book by the English Victorian gentleman writer George Borrow (1803–1881), first published in 1862.
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- When the Going Was Good is the quickest read — about 5 hours vs 11 for Wild Wales.
- When the Going Was Good has the widest readership — 499 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| When the Going Was Good | Wild Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.8 (499) | 3.9 (171) |
Reception
| When the Going Was Good | Wild Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 499 | 171 |
| Editions | 39 | 126 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 378 |
| Reading it now | — | 42 |
| Written reviews | — | 28 |
| Wikipedia attention | 138 | 243 |
| Pages | 316 | 608 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: When the Going Was Good or Wild Wales?
Wild Wales has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Wild Wales 3.9/5, When the Going Was Good 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: When the Going Was Good or Wild Wales?
When the Going Was Good is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: When the Going Was Good (316 pages, ≈ 5 h 51 m); Wild Wales (608 pages, ≈ 11 h 16 m).
Which is harder to read: When the Going Was Good or Wild Wales?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — When the Going Was Good: Challenging; Wild Wales: Demanding.