From Here to Eternity vs Gravity's Rainbow: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: National Book Award Winner, Soldiers, World War II, World War, Fiction
From Here to Eternity
Diamond Head, Hawaii, 1941. Pvt. Robert E. Lee Prewitt is a champion welterweight and a fine bugler. But when he refuses to join the company's boxing team, he gets "the treatment" that may break him or kill him. First…
1 film adaptation
vs
Gravity's Rainbow
Winner of the National Book Award"The most profound and accomplished American novel since the end of World War II." —The New Republic“A screaming comes across the sky. . .” A few months after the Germans’ secret V-2…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- From Here to Eternity is the quickest read — about 15 hours vs 21 for Gravity's Rainbow.
- Gravity's Rainbow has the widest readership — 49955 ratings behind its score.
- From Here to Eternity runs the darker storyline; Gravity's Rainbow stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
From Here to Eternity
≈ 15h vs 21h for Gravity's Rainbow
New to the genre?
From Here to Eternity
Moderate vs Challenging for Gravity's Rainbow
In the mood for something dark?
From Here to Eternity
a darker storyline than Gravity's Rainbow
Want something lighter?
Gravity's Rainbow
an easier tone than From Here to Eternity
Scores by source
| From Here to Eternity | Gravity's Rainbow | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (18331) | 4.0 (49955) |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (17) | 3.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (83) | 4.0 (175) |
Reception
| From Here to Eternity | Gravity's Rainbow | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 18331 | 49955 |
| Editions | 60 | 44 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 26476 | 137 |
| Reading it now | 1636 | 2 |
| Written reviews | 707 | 3 |
| Wikipedia attention | 3030 | 31785 |
| Pages | 841 | 1160 |