The Cruise of the Snark vs The Sheltering Sky: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: American Authors, Voyages and travels, Americans, Description and travel, Travel
The Cruise of the Snark
“IT began in the swimming pool at Glen Ellen.”
In April 1907 Jack London set out to sail around the world in the 45-foot ship The Snark, accompanied by his wife and a small crew. Although suffering from seasickness and tropical disease, London wrote prolifically,…
vs
The Sheltering Sky
'The Sheltering Sky is a book about people on the edge of an alien space; somewhere where, curiously, they are never alone' Michael Hoffman. Port and Kit Moresbury, a sophisticated American couple, are finding it more…
1 film adaptation
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Cruise of the Snark is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 6 for The Sheltering Sky.
- The Sheltering Sky has the widest readership — 31639 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Cruise of the Snark | The Sheltering Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (1151) | 3.9 (31639) |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (1) | 4.2 (5) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (27) | 4.0 (86) |
Reception
| The Cruise of the Snark | The Sheltering Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1151 | 31639 |
| Editions | 50 | 52 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 1156 | — |
| Reading it now | 118 | — |
| Written reviews | 108 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 436 | 4155 |
| Pages | 180 | 342 |