The Bad Seed vs The Cat in the Hat: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fiction
The Bad Seed
“LATER THAT SUMMER, when Mrs. Penmark looked back and remembered, when she was caught up in despair so deep that she knew there was no way out, no solution whatever for the circumstances that encompassed her, it seemed to her that June seventh, the day of the Fern Grammar School picnic, was the day of her last happiness, for never since then had she known contentment or felt peace.”
The Bad Seed is a 1954 horror novel by American writer William March, the last of his major works published before his death.
1 film adaptation
vs
The Cat in the Hat
Two children sitting at home on a rainy day are visited by the Cat in the Hat, who shows them some tricks and games. Includes a Latin-English glossary and a note on the verse form and rhythm.
1 film adaptation
The verdict
- Readers rate The Cat in the Hat highest: The Cat in the Hat 4.2 · The Bad Seed 4.0.
- The Cat in the Hat is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 4 for The Bad Seed.
- The Bad Seed has the widest readership — 20616 ratings behind its score.
- The Bad Seed runs the darker storyline; The Cat in the Hat stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Bad Seed | The Cat in the Hat | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (20616) | — |
| Hardcover | 3.7 (20) | 4.0 (461) |
| Google Books | — | 5.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (61) | 4.5 (488) |
Reception
| The Bad Seed | The Cat in the Hat | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 20616 | 488 |
| Editions | 17 | 85 |
| Citations | 27 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 31467 | — |
| Reading it now | 559 | — |
| Written reviews | 1363 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 3346 | 25899 |
| Pages | 247 | 63 |