A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man vs Martin Eden: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Autobiographical fiction, Young men, Classic Literature, Fiction
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
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Stephen Dedalus grows up in Dublin, feeling different from the other boys. His childhood and adolescence are shaped by bullying, his father's weaknesses and the growing realization that in order to make his way in the…
Martin Eden
“The one opened the door with a latch-key and went in, followed by a young fellow who awkwardly removed his cap.”
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Jack London's Martin Eden was first published in 1909 and is the story of a young writer's quest for celebrity and love. Much loved by writers who identify with Martin's belief that when he posted a manuscript, 'there…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Martin Eden highest: Martin Eden 4.5 · A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man 3.6.
- A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 6 for Martin Eden.
- A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man has the widest readership — 167858 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Martin Eden | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.6 (167858) | 4.5 (59067) |
| Hardcover | 3.6 (300) | 4.4 (90) |
| Google Books | 3.5 (3) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (31) | 4.5 (11) |
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Reception
| A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Martin Eden | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 167858 | 59067 |
| Editions | 765 | 168 |
| Citations | 256 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 178390 | 52050 |
| Reading it now | — | 3865 |
| Written reviews | 9911 | 4446 |
| Wikipedia attention | 17085 | 4308 |
| Pages | 216 | 374 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man or Martin Eden?
Martin Eden has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Martin Eden 4.5/5, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man 3.6/5).
Which is shorter to read: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man or Martin Eden?
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (216 pages, ≈ 4 h 00 m); Martin Eden (374 pages, ≈ 6 h 56 m).
Which is harder to read: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man or Martin Eden?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: Demanding; Martin Eden: Challenging.
Have both books been made into films?
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: 1 film adaptation; Martin Eden: 5 film adaptations.