Coriolanus vs King Lear: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Shakespeare, British and irish drama, Drama
Coriolanus
“The Roman citizens are threatening rebellion.”
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A proud Roman general conquers the Volscians, leads them against Rome in revenge for his banishment, and is killed by the Volscian general when Coriolanus is persuaded to spare the city.
King Lear
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Shakespeare’s King Lear challenges us with the magnitude, intensity, and sheer duration of the pain that it represents. Its figures harden their hearts, engage in violence, or try to alleviate the suffering of others.…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- King Lear has the widest readership — 243107 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Coriolanus | King Lear | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (20126) | 3.9 (243107) |
| Hardcover | 3.8 (39) | 3.9 (340) |
| Google Books | — | 5.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 5.0 (6) | 4.5 (46) |
Reception
| Coriolanus | King Lear | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 20126 | 243107 |
| Editions | 780 | 113 |
| Citations | — | 10 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 13748 | 119609 |
| Reading it now | 548 | — |
| Written reviews | 1634 | 9325 |
| Wikipedia attention | 12194 | 36748 |
| Pages | 198 | 188 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Coriolanus or King Lear?
King Lear has the higher combined reader rating across sources (King Lear 3.9/5, Coriolanus 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: Coriolanus or King Lear?
King Lear is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: King Lear (188 pages, ≈ 3 h 29 m); Coriolanus (198 pages, ≈ 3 h 40 m).
Which is harder to read: Coriolanus or King Lear?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Coriolanus: Challenging; King Lear: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
Coriolanus: 2 film adaptations; King Lear: 5 film adaptations.