A Wizard of Earthsea vs King Lear: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fiction
A Wizard of Earthsea
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The first novel of Ursula K. Le Guin's must-read Earthsea Cycle. "The magic of Earthsea is primal; the lessons of Earthsea remain as potent, as wise, and as necessary as anyone could dream." (Neil Gaiman) Ged was the…
King Lear
“King Lear is widely regarded as Shakespeare's most intense, profound and powerful tragedy.”
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King Lear divides his kingdom among the two daughters who flatter him and banishes the third one who loves him. His eldest daughters both then reject him at their homes, so Lear goes mad and wanders through a storm. His…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- A Wizard of Earthsea has the widest readership — 374862 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| A Wizard of Earthsea | King Lear | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (374862) | 3.9 (243115) |
| Hardcover | 3.9 (1535) | 3.9 (340) |
| Google Books | 1.0 (1) | 1.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (216) | 4.5 (47) |
Reception
| A Wizard of Earthsea | King Lear | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 374862 | 243115 |
| Editions | 87 | 1614 |
| Citations | — | 10 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 342214 | 119559 |
| Written reviews | 22239 | 9312 |
| Wikipedia attention | 18721 | 42705 |
| Pages | 191 | 183 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: A Wizard of Earthsea or King Lear?
A Wizard of Earthsea has the higher combined reader rating across sources (A Wizard of Earthsea 4.0/5, King Lear 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: A Wizard of Earthsea or King Lear?
King Lear is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: King Lear (183 pages, ≈ 3 h 23 m); A Wizard of Earthsea (191 pages, ≈ 3 h 32 m).
Which is harder to read: A Wizard of Earthsea or King Lear?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — A Wizard of Earthsea: Light; King Lear: Demanding.
Have both books been made into films?
A Wizard of Earthsea: no film adaptation on record; King Lear: 5 film adaptations.