After London vs Kraken: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: London, England, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction
vs
Kraken
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Kraken is a fantasy novel by British author China Miéville. It is published in the UK by Macmillan, and in the US by Del Rey Books. The book bears the subtitle "An Anatomy" on the title page. It was the winner for the…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Kraken highest: Kraken 3.6 · After London 3.1.
- After London is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 9 for Kraken.
- Kraken has the widest readership — 29271 ratings behind its score.
- After London runs the darker storyline; Kraken stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
After London
≈ 3h vs 9h for Kraken
Just want the better-reviewed one?
Kraken
3.6 vs 3.1 from readers
New to the genre?
Kraken
Moderate vs Challenging for After London
In the mood for something dark?
After London
a darker storyline than Kraken
Want something lighter?
Kraken
an easier tone than After London
Scores by source
| After London | Kraken | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.1 (917) | 3.6 (29271) |
| Hardcover | 3.2 (9) | 3.6 (180) |
| Google Books | — | 3.5 (9) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.0 (75) |
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Reception
| After London | Kraken | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 917 | 29271 |
| Editions | 280 | 16 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 2285 | — |
| Reading it now | 181 | — |
| Written reviews | 158 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 628 | 1436 |
| Pages | 198 | 509 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: After London or Kraken?
Kraken has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Kraken 3.6/5, After London 3.1/5).
Which is shorter to read: After London or Kraken?
After London is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: After London (198 pages, ≈ 3 h 40 m); Kraken (509 pages, ≈ 9 h 26 m).
Which is harder to read: After London or Kraken?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — After London: Challenging; Kraken: Moderate.