Pharsalia vs The Red Badge of Courage: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Literature and the War, Facsimiles, Criticism and interpretation, History, Fiction

Cover of Pharsalia

Pharsalia Lucan · 1486 ★★★★☆ 3.9 424 pages · ≈ 7 h 51 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

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Cover of The Red Badge of Courage

The Red Badge of Courage Stephen Crane · 1855 ★★★☆☆ 3.3 184 pages · ≈ 3 h 24 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

The verdict

Readers rate Pharsalia higher: 3.9 vs 3.3 from 1705 votes.
The Red Badge of Courage is the quicker read — about 3 hours vs 7 for Pharsalia.

Side by side