Romeo and Juliet vs The Great Gatsby: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Drama, Fiction
Romeo and Juliet
“Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.”
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Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young Italian star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most…
The Great Gatsby
“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.”
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Here is a novel, glamorous, ironical, compassionate – a marvelous fusion into unity of the curious incongruities of the life of the period – which reveals a hero like no other – one who could live at no other time and…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Romeo and Juliet is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 7 for The Great Gatsby.
- The Great Gatsby has the widest readership — 6120259 ratings behind its score.
- The Great Gatsby reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 24 times.
- Romeo and Juliet runs the darker storyline; The Great Gatsby stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Romeo and Juliet | The Great Gatsby | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (2884790) | 3.9 (6120259) |
| Hardcover | 3.5 (2139) | 4.5 (2) |
| Google Books | — | 5.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (762) | 4.5 (806) |
| LiveLib | — | 4.0 (5) |
Reception
| Romeo and Juliet | The Great Gatsby | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 2884790 | 6120259 |
| Editions | 985 | 1179 |
| Citations | 15 | 24 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 761934 | 2127185 |
| Reading it now | 69919 | 85180 |
| Written reviews | 40404 | 138625 |
| Wikipedia attention | 97193 | 94574 |
| Pages | 108 | 431 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Romeo and Juliet or The Great Gatsby?
The Great Gatsby has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Great Gatsby 3.9/5, Romeo and Juliet 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: Romeo and Juliet or The Great Gatsby?
Romeo and Juliet is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Romeo and Juliet (108 pages, ≈ 2 h 00 m); The Great Gatsby (431 pages, ≈ 7 h 59 m).
Which is harder to read: Romeo and Juliet or The Great Gatsby?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Romeo and Juliet: Demanding; The Great Gatsby: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
Romeo and Juliet: 5 film adaptations; The Great Gatsby: 5 film adaptations.