The master of Ballantrae vs Treasure Island: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Historical Fiction, Adventure, History, Fiction
The master of Ballantrae
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The Master of Ballantrae: A Winter's Tale is one of Stevenson's darker, more political novels. Two brothers are brought into conflict by the Jacobite rising of 1745, which tears their family apart.
Treasure Island
“SQUIRE TRELAWNEY, Dr Livesey, and the rest of these gentlemen having asked me to write down the whole particulars about Treasure Island, from the beginning to the end, keeping nothing back but the bearings of the island, and that only because there is still treasure not yet lifted, I take up my pen in the year of grace 17-, and go back to the time when my father kept the 'Admiral Bendow' inn, and”
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Traditionally considered a coming-of-age story, Treasure Island is an adventure tale known for its atmosphere, characters and action, and also as a wry commentary on the ambiguity of morality — as seen in Long John…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Treasure Island has the widest readership — 553957 ratings behind its score.
- The master of Ballantrae runs the darker storyline; Treasure Island stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The master of Ballantrae | Treasure Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (6649) | 3.9 (553957) |
| Hardcover | 3.0 (5) | 3.8 (928) |
| Google Books | — | 4.0 (2) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (24) | 4.0 (170) |
| LiveLib | — | 4.4 (15919) |
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Reception
| The master of Ballantrae | Treasure Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 6649 | 553957 |
| Editions | 205 | 1988 |
| Citations | — | 17 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 7381 | 269573 |
| Reading it now | 252 | 34537 |
| Written reviews | 462 | 20696 |
| Wikipedia attention | 2062 | 53914 |
| Pages | 354 | 320 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The master of Ballantrae or Treasure Island?
Treasure Island has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Treasure Island 3.9/5, The master of Ballantrae 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: The master of Ballantrae or Treasure Island?
Treasure Island is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Treasure Island (320 pages, ≈ 5 h 56 m); The master of Ballantrae (354 pages, ≈ 6 h 33 m).
Which is harder to read: The master of Ballantrae or Treasure Island?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The master of Ballantrae: Challenging; Treasure Island: Challenging.
Have both books been made into films?
The master of Ballantrae: 1 film adaptation; Treasure Island: 5 film adaptations.