Plays (36) vs The Tempest: Which Should You Read?
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The Tempest
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The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Tempest is the quickest read — about 9 hours vs 17 for Plays (36).
- The Tempest has the widest readership — 234109 ratings behind its score.
- The Tempest runs the darker storyline; Plays (36) stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Plays (36) | The Tempest | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.8 (234109) |
| Hardcover | — | 3.7 (331) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.0 (32) |
Reception
| Plays (36) | The Tempest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 21 | 234109 |
| Editions | 256 | 804 |
| Citations | — | 35 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 101027 |
| Reading it now | — | 4472 |
| Written reviews | — | 9036 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 37534 |
| Pages | 928 | 518 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Plays (36) or The Tempest?
The Tempest has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Tempest 3.8/5, Plays (36) 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: Plays (36) or The Tempest?
The Tempest is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Tempest (518 pages, ≈ 9 h 36 m); Plays (36) (928 pages, ≈ 17 h 11 m).
Which is harder to read: Plays (36) or The Tempest?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Plays (36): Demanding; The Tempest: Demanding.
Have both books been made into films?
Plays (36): no film adaptation on record; The Tempest: 5 film adaptations.