Don Juan vs Paradise Lost: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: English poetry, Poetry
Don Juan
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Byron's exuberant masterpiece tells of the adventures of Don Juan, beginning with his illicit love affair at the age of sixteen in his native Spain and his subsequent exile to Italy. Following a dramatic shipwreck, his…
Paradise Lost
“The world was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide : They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way.”
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John Milton's Paradise Lost is one of the greatest epic poems in the English language. It tells the story of the Fall of Man, a tale of immense drama and excitement, of rebellion and treachery, of innocence pitted…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Paradise Lost highest: Paradise Lost 3.9 · Don Juan 3.6.
- Don Juan is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 5 for Paradise Lost.
- Paradise Lost has the widest readership — 187740 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Don Juan | Paradise Lost | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.5 (18716) | 3.9 (187740) |
| Hardcover | 2.0 (1) | 5.0 (1) |
| Google Books | — | 5.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (14) | 4.0 (315) |
Reception
| Don Juan | Paradise Lost | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 18716 | 187740 |
| Editions | 69 | 396 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 20311 | 397249 |
| Reading it now | 652 | 23997 |
| Written reviews | 442 | 7908 |
| Wikipedia attention | 6709 | 1212 |
| Pages | 193 | 311 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Don Juan or Paradise Lost?
Paradise Lost has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Paradise Lost 3.9/5, Don Juan 3.6/5).
Which is shorter to read: Don Juan or Paradise Lost?
Don Juan is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Don Juan (193 pages, ≈ 3 h 34 m); Paradise Lost (311 pages, ≈ 5 h 46 m).
Which is harder to read: Don Juan or Paradise Lost?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Don Juan: Demanding; Paradise Lost: Demanding.
Have both books been made into films?
Don Juan: 3 film adaptations; Paradise Lost: no film adaptation on record.