Shooting an Elephant and other essays vs Walden: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: English essays, Essays, Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
Shooting an Elephant and other essays
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'Shooting an Elephant' is Orwell's searing and painfully honest account of his experience as a police officer in imperial Burma; killing an escaped elephant in front of a crowd 'solely to avoid looking a fool'. The…
Walden
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Walden first published in 1854 as Walden; or, Life in the Woods) is a book by American transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau. The text is a reflection upon the author's simple living in natural surroundings. The…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Shooting an Elephant and other essays is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 5 for Walden.
- Walden has the widest readership — 39600 ratings behind its score.
- Shooting an Elephant and other essays runs the darker storyline; Walden stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Shooting an Elephant and other essays | Walden | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (12697) | 3.9 (39600) |
| Hardcover | 4.2 (19) | 3.6 (336) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.0 (554) |
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Reception
| Shooting an Elephant and other essays | Walden | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 12697 | 39600 |
| Editions | 10 | 1139 |
| Citations | — | 27 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | 16529 | 304495 |
| Reading it now | 358 | 3309 |
| Written reviews | 843 | 9703 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 25300 |
| Pages | 206 | 320 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Shooting an Elephant and other essays or Walden?
Shooting an Elephant and other essays has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Shooting an Elephant and other essays 4.0/5, Walden 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: Shooting an Elephant and other essays or Walden?
Shooting an Elephant and other essays is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Shooting an Elephant and other essays (206 pages, ≈ 3 h 49 m); Walden (320 pages, ≈ 5 h 56 m).
Which is harder to read: Shooting an Elephant and other essays or Walden?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Shooting an Elephant and other essays: Moderate; Walden: Demanding.