The Tempest vs Works (38 plays, 5 poems, sonnets): Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: English literature: Shakespeare texts, Tragicomedy, Performing Arts, Survival after airplane accidents, Magicians, English drama
The Tempest
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The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the…
Side by side
The verdict
- The Tempest is the quickest read — about 9 hours vs 25 for Works (38 plays, 5 poems, sonnets).
- The Tempest runs the darker storyline; Works (38 plays, 5 poems, sonnets) stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Tempest | Works (38 plays, 5 poems, sonnets) | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.8 (234109) | — |
| Hardcover | 3.7 (331) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (32) | — |
Reception
| The Tempest | Works (38 plays, 5 poems, sonnets) | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 234109 | — |
| Editions | 804 | 40 |
| Citations | 35 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Want to read | 101027 | — |
| Reading it now | 4472 | — |
| Written reviews | 9036 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 37534 | — |
| Pages | 518 | 1353 |
Questions readers ask
Which is shorter to read: The Tempest or Works (38 plays, 5 poems, sonnets)?
The Tempest is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Tempest (518 pages, ≈ 9 h 36 m); Works (38 plays, 5 poems, sonnets) (1353 pages, ≈ 25 h 03 m).
Which is harder to read: The Tempest or Works (38 plays, 5 poems, sonnets)?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Tempest: Demanding; Works (38 plays, 5 poems, sonnets): Demanding.
Have both books been made into films?
The Tempest: 5 film adaptations; Works (38 plays, 5 poems, sonnets): no film adaptation on record.