The Merry Wives of Windsor vs Troilus and Cressida: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Korean, Concordances, Dictionaries, English drama, English language, Drama
The Merry Wives of Windsor
When Falstaff meets Mistresses Page and Ford, two married women said to control their own financial affairs, he writes identical love letters to each of them, never imagining that they will compare notes. When they do,…
vs
Troilus and Cressida
“Eternal reader, you have here a new play, never staled with the stage, never clapperclawed with the palms of the vulgar, and yet passing full of the palm comical; for it is a birth of your brain that never undertook anything comical vainly.”
With new editors who have incorporated the most up-to-date scholarship, this revised Pelican Shakespeare series will be the premiere choice for students, professors, and general readers well into the twenty-first…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Merry Wives of Windsor is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 10 for Troilus and Cressida.
- The Merry Wives of Windsor has the widest readership — 15008 ratings behind its score.
- Troilus and Cressida runs the darker storyline; The Merry Wives of Windsor stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | Troilus and Cressida | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.5 (15008) | 3.4 (13063) |
| Hardcover | 3.1 (27) | 3.2 (26) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (18) | — |
Reception
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | Troilus and Cressida | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 15008 | 13063 |
| Editions | 290 | 992 |
| Citations | — | 9 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 13896 | 10895 |
| Reading it now | — | 361 |
| Written reviews | 1178 | 1127 |
| Wikipedia attention | 10541 | 11977 |
| Pages | 158 | 544 |