The Sea-Wolf vs The water-witch: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: American Sea stories, Sea Stories, Fiction
The Sea-Wolf
More
Jack London's novel The Sea Wolf became an instant bestseller on its release in 1904. Ambrose Bierce wrote "The great thing - and it is among the greatest of things - is that tremendous creation, Wolf Larsen...the…
The water-witch
More
James Fenimore Cooper’s 1830 novel set in colonial New York follows seafaring smugglers and merchants as they evade the corrupt British government.
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Sea-Wolf highest: The Sea-Wolf 4.1 · The water-witch 3.7.
- The Sea-Wolf has the widest readership — 34617 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| The Sea-Wolf | The water-witch | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (34617) | 3.7 (82) |
| Hardcover | 4.7 (3) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (31) | — |
Reception
| The Sea-Wolf | The water-witch | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 34617 | 82 |
| Editions | 283 | 90 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 24269 | 247 |
| Reading it now | 2268 | 38 |
| Written reviews | 2319 | 4 |
| Wikipedia attention | 4161 | 231 |
| Pages | 356 | 429 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Sea-Wolf or The water-witch?
The Sea-Wolf has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Sea-Wolf 4.1/5, The water-witch 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Sea-Wolf or The water-witch?
The Sea-Wolf is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Sea-Wolf (356 pages, ≈ 6 h 36 m); The water-witch (429 pages, ≈ 7 h 57 m).
Which is harder to read: The Sea-Wolf or The water-witch?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Sea-Wolf: Challenging; The water-witch: Challenging.
Have both books been made into films?
The Sea-Wolf: 5 film adaptations; The water-witch: no film adaptation on record.