Big Sur vs Factotum: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Beats, Beat generation, Fiction
Big Sur
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Big Sur is a novel written by Jack Kerouac, that was published in 1962. The books perspective is told from Kerouac's alter ego Jack Dulouz. The novel describes Kerouac's frustration that he has with his fame of being a…
Factotum
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One of Charles Bukowski's best, this beer-soaked, deliciously degenerate novel follows the wanderings of aspiring writer Henry Chinaski across World War II-era America. Deferred from military service, Chinaski travels…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Big Sur has the widest readership — 38930 ratings behind its score.
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Scores by source
| Big Sur | Factotum | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.8 (38930) | — |
| Hardcover | 3.6 (57) | 3.8 (151) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (57) | 4.0 (207) |
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Reception
| Big Sur | Factotum | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 38930 | 207 |
| Editions | 38 | 9 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Wikipedia attention | 3031 | 335 |
| Pages | 210 | 205 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Big Sur or Factotum?
Factotum has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Factotum 3.9/5, Big Sur 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: Big Sur or Factotum?
Factotum is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Factotum (205 pages, ≈ 3 h 48 m); Big Sur (210 pages, ≈ 3 h 53 m).
Which is harder to read: Big Sur or Factotum?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Big Sur: Challenging; Factotum: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
Big Sur: 1 film adaptation; Factotum: no film adaptation on record.