In the South Seas vs The Cruise of the Snark: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Oceania, Voyages and travels, 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 Cruise of the Snark
“IT began in the swimming pool at Glen Ellen.”
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In April 1907 Jack London set out to sail around the world in the 45-foot ship The Snark, accompanied by his wife and a small crew. Although suffering from seasickness and tropical disease, London wrote prolifically,…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Cruise of the Snark is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 6 for In the South Seas.
- The Cruise of the Snark has the widest readership — 1151 ratings behind its score.
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Scores by source
| In the South Seas | The Cruise of the Snark | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.6 (329) | 3.7 (1151) |
| Hardcover | — | 4.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (14) | 4.0 (27) |
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Reception
| In the South Seas | The Cruise of the Snark | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 329 | 1151 |
| Editions | 44 | 50 |
| Citations | 27 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 624 | 1156 |
| Reading it now | 166 | 118 |
| Written reviews | 32 | 108 |
| Wikipedia attention | 17 | 436 |
| Pages | 375 | 180 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: In the South Seas or The Cruise of the Snark?
The Cruise of the Snark has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Cruise of the Snark 3.7/5, In the South Seas 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: In the South Seas or The Cruise of the Snark?
The Cruise of the Snark is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Cruise of the Snark (180 pages, ≈ 3 h 20 m); In the South Seas (375 pages, ≈ 6 h 57 m).
Which is harder to read: In the South Seas or The Cruise of the Snark?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — In the South Seas: Challenging; The Cruise of the Snark: Challenging.