Ben-Hur vs The Big Fisherman: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: History of Biblical events, Bible, Christian Fiction, Fiction
Ben-Hur
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Ben-Hur is a heroic story of a fictional hero named Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish nobleman in Jerusalem.  Because of an unfortunate accident, Ben-Hur is sent to slave in the mines while his family is sent to leprosy…
The Big Fisherman
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The story traces Peter's journey from self-sufficient fisherman to his dependency on a risen Christ. It also presents another story of redemption and forgiveness, as he takes in a young Arab/Jewish girl, Fara. As they…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Ben-Hur is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 10 for The Big Fisherman.
- The Big Fisherman has the widest readership — 1969 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Ben-Hur | The Big Fisherman | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (1703) | 4.1 (1969) |
| Hardcover | 3.8 (6) | 3.2 (4) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (205) | 4.5 (16) |
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Reception
| Ben-Hur | The Big Fisherman | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1703 | 1969 |
| Editions | 65 | 5 |
| Citations | — | 1 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 29404 | — |
| Written reviews | 1703 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 18350 | 307 |
| Pages | 208 | 581 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Ben-Hur or The Big Fisherman?
The Big Fisherman has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Big Fisherman 4.1/5, Ben-Hur 4.1/5).
Which is shorter to read: Ben-Hur or The Big Fisherman?
Ben-Hur is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Ben-Hur (208 pages, ≈ 3 h 51 m); The Big Fisherman (581 pages, ≈ 10 h 46 m).
Which is harder to read: Ben-Hur or The Big Fisherman?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Ben-Hur: Moderate; The Big Fisherman: Challenging.
Have both books been made into films?
Ben-Hur: no film adaptation on record; The Big Fisherman: 1 film adaptation.