King Henry VI. Part 2 vs King Lear: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Shakespeare, British and irish drama, Drama
King Lear
More
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
- Readers rate King Lear highest: King Lear 3.9 · King Henry VI. Part 2 3.6.
- King Lear has the widest readership — 243107 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| King Henry VI. Part 2 | King Lear | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.6 (8690) | 3.9 (243107) |
| Hardcover | — | 3.9 (340) |
| Google Books | — | 5.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (46) |
Reception
| King Henry VI. Part 2 | King Lear | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 8690 | 243107 |
| Editions | 315 | 113 |
| Citations | — | 10 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 119609 |
| Written reviews | — | 9325 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 36748 |
| Pages | 158 | 188 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: King Henry VI. Part 2 or King Lear?
King Lear has the higher combined reader rating across sources (King Lear 3.9/5, King Henry VI. Part 2 3.6/5).
Which is shorter to read: King Henry VI. Part 2 or King Lear?
King Henry VI. Part 2 is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: King Henry VI. Part 2 (158 pages, ≈ 2 h 56 m); King Lear (188 pages, ≈ 3 h 29 m).
Which is harder to read: King Henry VI. Part 2 or King Lear?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — King Henry VI. Part 2: Demanding; King Lear: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
King Henry VI. Part 2: no film adaptation on record; King Lear: 5 film adaptations.