King Richard II vs Pericles: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Quartos, Bibliography, English drama, English literature, Drama, Fiction
King Richard II
“Richard. Old John of Gaunt, time-honored Lancaster, Hast thou according to thy oath and band Brought hither Henry Hereford, thy bold son, Here to make good the boist'rous late appeal, Which then our leisure would not let us hear, Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray?”
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"Richard is King. A monarch ordained by God to lead his people. But he is also a man of very human weakness. A man whose vanity threatens to divide the great houses of England and drag his people into a dynastic civil…
Pericles
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This book includes a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a seperate introduction to Pericles, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate King Richard II highest: King Richard II 3.8 · Pericles 3.5.
- King Richard II has the widest readership — 28837 ratings behind its score.
- King Richard II reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 55 times.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| King Richard II | Pericles | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.8 (28837) | 3.5 (9392) |
| Hardcover | 3.9 (46) | 3.3 (15) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (7) | 4.5 (10) |
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Reception
| King Richard II | Pericles | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 28837 | 9392 |
| Editions | 840 | 490 |
| Citations | 55 | 3 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 14544 | 8010 |
| Reading it now | 660 | 198 |
| Written reviews | 2156 | 925 |
| Wikipedia attention | 94025 | 23171 |
| Pages | 88 | 87 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: King Richard II or Pericles?
King Richard II has the higher combined reader rating across sources (King Richard II 3.8/5, Pericles 3.5/5).
Which is shorter to read: King Richard II or Pericles?
Pericles is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Pericles (87 pages, ≈ 1 h 37 m); King Richard II (88 pages, ≈ 1 h 38 m).
Which is harder to read: King Richard II or Pericles?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — King Richard II: Challenging; Pericles: Demanding.