The Alchemist, 1612 vs The Rivals: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Comedies, British and irish drama, English drama, Drama
The Alchemist, 1612
More
Samuel Taylor Coleridge said of Ben Jonson's _The Alchemist_ that it had one out of the three most perfect plots in literature. This play, with its sharp portrayal of human folly, is considered by many to be Jonson's…
The Rivals
More
A comedy of manners revolving around false identities, romantic entanglements, and parental disapproval satirizes the pretentiousness and sentimentality of 18th-century society.
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Rivals highest: The Rivals 3.7 · The Alchemist, 1612 3.5.
- The Rivals is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 4 for The Alchemist, 1612.
- The Rivals has the widest readership — 2840 ratings behind its score.
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission on purchases.
Scores by source
| The Alchemist, 1612 | The Rivals | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.7 (2840) |
| Hardcover | — | 4.0 (1) |
| Google Books | — | 5.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 3.0 (81) | — |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Reception
| The Alchemist, 1612 | The Rivals | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 81 | 2840 |
| Editions | 200 | 122 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 1860 |
| Reading it now | — | 95 |
| Written reviews | — | 139 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 2598 |
| Pages | 254 | 85 |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Alchemist, 1612 or The Rivals?
The Rivals has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Rivals 3.7/5, The Alchemist, 1612 3.5/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Alchemist, 1612 or The Rivals?
The Rivals is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Rivals (85 pages, ≈ 1 h 34 m); The Alchemist, 1612 (254 pages, ≈ 4 h 42 m).
Which is harder to read: The Alchemist, 1612 or The Rivals?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Alchemist, 1612: Demanding; The Rivals: Demanding.