Billy Budd vs The Sea-Wolf: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Sailors, Ship captains, Sea Stories, Fiction
Billy Budd
“In the time before steamships, or then more frequently than now, a stroller along the docks of any considerable seaport would occasionally have his attention arrested by a group of bronzed mariners, man-of-war's men or merchant sailors in holiday attire, ashore on liberty.”
TRIALS OF THE HANDSOME SAILOR Aboard the warship Bellipotent, the young orphan Billy Budd was called the Handsome Sailor. Billy was tall, athletic, noble looking; he was friendly, innocent, helpful and ever-cheerful. He…
1 film adaptation
vs
The Sea-Wolf
Jack London's novel The Sea Wolf became an instant bestseller on its release in 1904. Ambrose Bierce wrote "The great thing - and it is among the greatest of things - is that tremendous creation, Wolf Larsen...the…
1 film adaptation
The verdict
- Readers rate The Sea-Wolf highest: The Sea-Wolf 4.1 · Billy Budd 3.2.
- Billy Budd is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 6 for The Sea-Wolf.
- The Sea-Wolf has the widest readership — 34617 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Billy Budd | The Sea-Wolf | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.2 (20170) | 4.1 (34617) |
| Hardcover | 3.2 (42) | 4.7 (3) |
| Google Books | 1.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (25) | 4.5 (31) |
Reception
| Billy Budd | The Sea-Wolf | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 20170 | 34617 |
| Editions | 90 | 283 |
| Citations | 10 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 12067 | 24269 |
| Reading it now | 706 | 2268 |
| Written reviews | 1640 | 2319 |
| Wikipedia attention | 10221 | 4161 |
| Pages | 208 | 356 |