The Comedy of Errors vs The Taming of the Shrew: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: English Young adult drama, Juvenile drama, Problems, Criticism and interpretation, Drama, History
The Comedy of Errors
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"I feel that I have spent half my career with one or another Pelican Shakespeare in my back pocket. Convenience, however, is the least important aspect of the new Pelican Shakespeare series. Here is an elegant and clear…
The Taming of the Shrew
“CHRISTOPHER SLY for a range of sly's manifestations, see Introduction pp. 51-64.”
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This play within a play is a delightful farce about a fortune hunter who marries and tames" the town shrew. The comedy, often produced today because of its accessibility, is one of the plays Shakespeare intended for the…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Taming of the Shrew has the widest readership — 183652 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Comedy of Errors | The Taming of the Shrew | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (35574) | 3.7 (183652) |
| Hardcover | 3.7 (68) | 3.6 (212) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (33) | 4.0 (47) |
| LiveLib | — | 4.2 (3552) |
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Reception
| The Comedy of Errors | The Taming of the Shrew | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 35574 | 183652 |
| Editions | 715 | 1126 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 25821 | 76789 |
| Reading it now | 1064 | 3123 |
| Written reviews | 2490 | 6441 |
| Wikipedia attention | 15472 | 29172 |
| Pages | 78 | 120 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Comedy of Errors or The Taming of the Shrew?
The Taming of the Shrew has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Taming of the Shrew 3.7/5, The Comedy of Errors 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Comedy of Errors or The Taming of the Shrew?
The Comedy of Errors is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Comedy of Errors (78 pages, ≈ 1 h 27 m); The Taming of the Shrew (120 pages, ≈ 2 h 13 m).
Which is harder to read: The Comedy of Errors or The Taming of the Shrew?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Comedy of Errors: Demanding; The Taming of the Shrew: Demanding.
Have both books been made into films?
The Comedy of Errors: 1 film adaptation; The Taming of the Shrew: 5 film adaptations.