The Ballad of Reading Gaol vs The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Classic Literature, Fiction
The Ballad of Reading Gaol
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The Ballad of Reading Gaol is a poem by Oscar Wilde, written in exile in Berneval-le-Grand and Naples, after his release from HM Prison Reading on 19 May 1897. Wilde had been incarcerated in Reading after being…
The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents
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The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents was H. G. Wells' first collection of short stories, published in 1895. These fantasy and science fiction tales were all written between 1893 and 1895 and published in various…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Ballad of Reading Gaol highest: The Ballad of Reading Gaol 4.3 · The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents 3.6.
- The Ballad of Reading Gaol has the widest readership — 7984 ratings behind its score.
- The Ballad of Reading Gaol runs the darker storyline; The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Ballad of Reading Gaol | The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.3 (7984) | 3.5 (450) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (14) | — |
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Reception
| The Ballad of Reading Gaol | The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 7984 | 450 |
| Editions | 241 | 33 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 7377 | 451 |
| Reading it now | 255 | 53 |
| Written reviews | 760 | 42 |
| Wikipedia attention | 3158 | 163 |
| Pages | 49 | 156 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Ballad of Reading Gaol or The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents?
The Ballad of Reading Gaol has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Ballad of Reading Gaol 4.3/5, The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents 3.6/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Ballad of Reading Gaol or The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents?
The Ballad of Reading Gaol is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Ballad of Reading Gaol (49 pages, ≈ 54 min); The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents (156 pages, ≈ 2 h 53 m).
Which is harder to read: The Ballad of Reading Gaol or The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Ballad of Reading Gaol: Demanding; The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents: Demanding.