The Middle Kingdom vs The travelling bachelor: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Mœurs et coutumes, Descriptions et voyages, Manners and customs, Description and travel, Travel, Social life and customs
The Middle Kingdom
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First published in 2009. This work by S. Wells Williams is a complete look at the Chinese Empire during the mid-nineteenth century. Subjects include the divisions of the Empire, geographical descriptions, religion and…
The travelling bachelor
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Notions of the Americans in considered Cooper's first work of non-fiction despite a thin overlay of character and plot. Written in the form of a travel narrative, it addresses the widespread ignorance he encountered in…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Middle Kingdom highest: The Middle Kingdom 3.9 · The travelling bachelor 3.5.
- The travelling bachelor is the quickest read — about 9 hours vs 15 for The Middle Kingdom.
- The Middle Kingdom has the widest readership — 1622 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Middle Kingdom | The travelling bachelor | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.9 (1622) | 2.6 (8) |
| Hardcover | 3.4 (8) | — |
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Reception
| The Middle Kingdom | The travelling bachelor | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1622 | 8 |
| Editions | 47 | 64 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Want to read | 1651 | 15 |
| Reading it now | 25 | — |
| Written reviews | 83 | 2 |
| Wikipedia attention | 1042 | — |
| Pages | 810 | 486 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Middle Kingdom or The travelling bachelor?
The Middle Kingdom has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Middle Kingdom 3.9/5, The travelling bachelor 3.5/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Middle Kingdom or The travelling bachelor?
The travelling bachelor is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The travelling bachelor (486 pages, ≈ 9 h 00 m); The Middle Kingdom (810 pages, ≈ 15 h 00 m).
Which is harder to read: The Middle Kingdom or The travelling bachelor?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Middle Kingdom: Demanding; The travelling bachelor: Challenging.