Old Man and the Sea vs The water-witch: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: American Sea stories, Sea Stories, Fiction

Cover of Old Man and the Sea

Old Man and the Sea Ernest Hemingway · 1952 ★★★★☆ 3.8 87 pages · ≈ 1 h 37 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of The water-witch

The water-witch James Fenimore Cooper · 1830 ★★★★☆ 3.7 429 pages · ≈ 7 h 57 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.8 vs 3.7 — either is a safe pick by score.
Old Man and the Sea is the quicker read — about 1 hours vs 7 for The water-witch.
Old Man and the Sea is the easier read (Moderate), The water-witch more demanding (Challenging).

Side by side