An outcast of the islands vs The mirror of the sea: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Seafaring life, Classic Literature, Fiction
An outcast of the islands
Conrad’s Second novel (An Outcast of the Islands) is about the colonial enterprise and their faults while they take a region. The characters are complex and deep. It makes for a great read.Please Note: This book is…
1 film adaptation
vs
The mirror of the sea
The Mirror of the Sea is a collection of autobiographical essays first published in various magazines 1904-6 (Summary by Wikipedia). Conrad early in his life earned his bread as a Master Mariner in sailing ships. In his…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The mirror of the sea is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 6 for An outcast of the islands.
- The mirror of the sea has the widest readership — 105 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| An outcast of the islands | The mirror of the sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (93) | 3.9 (105) |
| Hardcover | — | 3.0 (2) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (12) | 4.0 (7) |
Reception
| An outcast of the islands | The mirror of the sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 93 | 105 |
| Editions | 67 | 61 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Want to read | 1372 | 1470 |
| Written reviews | 93 | 105 |
| Wikipedia attention | 661 | — |
| Pages | 375 | 175 |