The Last Man vs The Purple Cloud: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: End of the world, Science Fiction, Fiction

Cover of The Last Man

The Last Man Mary Shelley · 1826 ★★★☆☆ 3.4 452 pages · ≈ 8 h 22 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of The Purple Cloud

The Purple Cloud M. P. Shiel · 1901 ★★★☆☆ 3.4 162 pages · ≈ 3 h 00 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.4 vs 3.4 — either is a safe pick by score.
The Purple Cloud is the quicker read — about 3 hours vs 8 for The Last Man.

Side by side