In the South Seas vs The Aran Islands: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Descriptions et voyages, Journeys, Description and travel, Travel, Biography & Memoir
In the South Seas
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IN THE SOUTH SEAS records Stevenson's travels with his wife Fanny and their family in the Marquesas, the Paumotus and the Gilbert Islands during 1888-9. Originally drafted in journal form while Stevenson travelled, it…
The Aran Islands
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"In the late 1890s, John M. Synge, in his middle twenties and unsure of his vocations made his way to Paris intending to study French literature and become a literary critic. There he met William Butler Yeats. The…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Aran Islands is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 6 for In the South Seas.
- The Aran Islands has the widest readership — 1144 ratings behind its score.
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Scores by source
| In the South Seas | The Aran Islands | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.6 (329) | 3.8 (1144) |
| Hardcover | — | 4.0 (2) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (14) | — |
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Reception
| In the South Seas | The Aran Islands | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 329 | 1144 |
| Editions | 44 | 49 |
| Citations | 27 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 624 | 1364 |
| Reading it now | 166 | 102 |
| Written reviews | 32 | 116 |
| Wikipedia attention | 17 | 9720 |
| Pages | 375 | 112 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: In the South Seas or The Aran Islands?
The Aran Islands has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Aran Islands 3.8/5, In the South Seas 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: In the South Seas or The Aran Islands?
The Aran Islands is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Aran Islands (112 pages, ≈ 2 h 04 m); In the South Seas (375 pages, ≈ 6 h 57 m).
Which is harder to read: In the South Seas or The Aran Islands?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — In the South Seas: Challenging; The Aran Islands: Challenging.