Henry IV, Part 2 vs King John: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: English Historical drama, English Young adult drama, English drama, Kings and rulers, Drama, History

Henry IV, Part 2 William Shakespeare · 1600 ★★★★☆ 3.8 158 pages · ≈ 2 h 56 m · Demanding

Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Summer festival, June 27th to September 10th, 1932. "The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, containing his death, and the coronation of King Henry the Fifth," by William…

1 film adaptation

Historical drama Quartos In literature Sources

Find on Amazon More like this →

King John William Shakespeare · 1700 ★★★☆☆ 3.4 117 pages · ≈ 2 h 10 m · Demanding

“King John was first printed in the 1623 Folio, where it was placed at the head of the histories, and since that text is the only authority for the play, all modern editions are based upon it.”

Complexities of power and loyalty in King John, a historical play by William Shakespeare. Set against the backdrop of England’s turbulent politics, this gripping narrative explores the reign of King John, who faces…

1 film adaptation

Restoration Concordances Shakespeare Problems

Find on Amazon More like this →

Side by side

The verdict

Readers rate Henry IV, Part 2 highest: Henry IV, Part 2 3.8 · King John 3.4.
Henry IV, Part 2 has the widest readership — 21790 ratings behind its score.

How to choose

Just want the better-reviewed one? Henry IV, Part 2 3.8 vs 3.4 from readers

Scores by source

	Henry IV, Part 2	King John
Goodreads	3.8 (21790)	3.4 (8409)
Hardcover	3.6 (28)	3.1 (10)
Apple Books	4.0 (9)	3.5 (7)

Reception

	Henry IV, Part 2	King John
Ratings	21790	8409
Editions	480	330
Citations	—	21
Film adaptations	1	1
Want to read	13845	6527
Reading it now	297	—
Written reviews	1023	852
Wikipedia attention	3344	3778
Pages	158	117

Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: Henry IV, Part 2 or King John?

Henry IV, Part 2 has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Henry IV, Part 2 3.8/5, King John 3.4/5).

Which is shorter to read: Henry IV, Part 2 or King John?

King John is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: King John (117 pages, ≈ 2 h 10 m); Henry IV, Part 2 (158 pages, ≈ 2 h 56 m).

Which is harder to read: Henry IV, Part 2 or King John?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Henry IV, Part 2: Demanding; King John: Demanding.

Have both books been made into films?

Henry IV, Part 2: 5 film adaptations; King John: 1 film adaptation.