The Last of the Mohicans vs Water for Elephants: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Novela histórica, Ficción, Historical Fiction, History, Fiction
The Last of the Mohicans
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The classic tale of Hawkeye—Natty Bumppo—the frontier scout who turned his back on "civilization," and his friendship with a Mohican warrior as they escort two sisters through the dangerous wilderness of Indian country…
Water for Elephants
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As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Water for Elephants highest: Water for Elephants 4.1 · The Last of the Mohicans 3.7.
- Water for Elephants has the widest readership — 1724103 ratings behind its score.
- The Last of the Mohicans runs the darker storyline; Water for Elephants stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Last of the Mohicans | Water for Elephants | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (104057) | 4.1 (1724103) |
| Hardcover | 3.2 (95) | 3.9 (749) |
| Google Books | — | 4.0 (70) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (29) | 4.5 (129) |
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Reception
| The Last of the Mohicans | Water for Elephants | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 104057 | 1724103 |
| Editions | 864 | 36 |
| Citations | 14 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 68326 | 5 |
| Reading it now | 6265 | — |
| Written reviews | 3808 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 92529 | 4448 |
| Pages | 400 | 418 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Last of the Mohicans or Water for Elephants?
Water for Elephants has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Water for Elephants 4.1/5, The Last of the Mohicans 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Last of the Mohicans or Water for Elephants?
The Last of the Mohicans is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Last of the Mohicans (400 pages, ≈ 7 h 24 m); Water for Elephants (418 pages, ≈ 7 h 44 m).
Which is harder to read: The Last of the Mohicans or Water for Elephants?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Last of the Mohicans: Challenging; Water for Elephants: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
The Last of the Mohicans: no film adaptation on record; Water for Elephants: 1 film adaptation.