18 books like King Lear

What to read after King Lear — books similar to it, matched on shared themes.

A Wizard of Earthsea Ursula K. Le Guin · 1968 · ★ 4.0 · 191p · ≈ 6h · Moderate The first novel of Ursula K. Le Guin's must-read Earthsea Cycle. "The magic of Earthsea is primal; the lessons of Earthsea remain as potent, as wise, and as necessary as anyone could dream." (Neil Gaiman) Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible… Shares: Community pick

Pinocchio Carlo Collodi · 2002 · ★ 3.8 · 61p · ≈ 2h · Moderate In a little town somewhere in Italy lived a friendly old carpenter called Geppetto. And this is the story of that good man and his son - Pinocchio. Now in the town all the girls and boys knew that old Geppetto had a way with toys. With his clever hands he made wonderful things like dolls and trains and birds with wings, for the people who know how to make the best toys are the ones who really… Shares: Community pick

The Iliad Gillian Cross · 2001 · 188p · ≈ 6h · Moderate A strikingly illustrated retelling of Homer’s classic from the team who brought us The Odyssey—Carnegie Medalist Gillian Cross and illustrator Neil Packer. After nine years of war between the Greeks and Trojans, tensions are heating up among men of the same faction as well as those on opposing sides. Two proud and powerful Greeks, King Agamemnon and legendary warrior Achilles, quarrel over a… Shares: Community pick

Works Robert Louis Stevenson · 1800 · 10p · ≈ 20m · Challenging This book is a collection of works of this Swanston Edition in Twenty five Volumes of the Works of Robert Louis Stevenson. This literary contribution of works by Stevenson offers the tales and work written by him throughout his lifetime. Shares: Britons, Kings and rulers, English literature, Poetry

Henry V William Shakespeare · 1600 · ★ 3.8 · 162p · ≈ 5h · Demanding Introducing this edition, Gary Taylor shows how Shakespeare shaped his historical material, examines controversial critical interpretations, discusses the play's fluctuating fortunes in performance, and analyses the range and variety of Shakespeare's characterization. The first Folio text is radically rethought, making original use of the First Quarto (1600). Shares: English Young adult drama, Stage history, Kings and rulers, Drama

As You Like It William Shakespeare · 1734 · ★ 3.8 · 82p · ≈ 2h · Demanding This play has two principal settings: the court that Frederick has usurped from his brother, the rightful Duke, and the Forest of Arden, where the Duke and his followers (including the disgruntled Lord Jaques and the jester Touchstone) are living. Shares: Stage history, Textual Criticism, Fathers and daughters, Drama

A Midsummer Night's Dream William Shakespeare · 1600 · ★ 3.9 · 87p · ≈ 2h · Demanding One night two young couples run into an enchanted forest in an attempt to escape their problems. But these four humans do not realize that the forest is filled with fairies and hobgoblins who love making mischief. When Oberon, the Fairy King, and his loyal hobgoblin servant, Puck, intervene in human affairs, the fate of these young couples is magically and hilariously transformed. Like a classic… Shares: Stage history, Textual Criticism, Poetry, Drama

Richard III William Shakespeare · 1597 · ★ 3.9 · 65p · ≈ 2h · Demanding "containing his treacherous plots against his brother Clarence, the pittiefull murther of his innocent nephewes, his tyrannicall usurpation, with the whole course of his detested life and most deserved death" (Subtitle of the 1597 edition.) Shares: Stage history, Textual Criticism, Kings and rulers, Drama

The Taming of the Shrew William Shakespeare · 1631 · ★ 3.7 · 120p · ≈ 4h · Demanding 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 general public rather than for the nobility. CliffsComplete combines the full original text of The Taming of the Shrew with a helpful glossary and CliffsNotes-quality commentary… Shares: English Young adult drama, Stage history, Drama

Henry V William Shakespeare · 1800 · 130p · ≈ 4h · Challenging Written by William Shakespeare around 1599, The Life of Henry the Fifth, more commonly known as Henry V, chronicles the later history of King Henry the Fifth of England and his efforts during Hundred Years’ War to reclaim disputed territories in France. The play starts with Henry’s claims to be the rightful heir to the French throne and, after his invasion of France, culminates with his famous… Shares: Stage history, Kings and rulers, English literature, Drama

Cymbeline William Shakespeare · 1734 · ★ 3.6 · 178p · ≈ 5h · Demanding Cymbeline, King of Britain is one of the best-known works of William Shakespeare. It is a romantic play interwoven with war and tragedy. It revolves around Cymbeline and his daughter, Imogen. Imogen does not abide by her father's wishes and marries a lowborn gentleman, Posthumous. After their marriage, Posthumous is banished from Britain, and Imogen is held as a prisoner in the palace. As the… Shares: Britons, Fathers and daughters, Kings and rulers, Drama

Measure for Measure William Shakespeare · 1700 · ★ 3.7 · 222p · ≈ 7h · Demanding This play examines the nature of mercy and justice, proposing that a good government is one that is flexible and based on common sense. Shares: English Young adult drama, English literature, Drama

The Crimson Chalice Victor Canning · 1976 · 179p · ≈ 5h · Moderate When a party of marauding Saxons destroy her father's villa, young Roman girl Gratia, 'Tia' escapes. She comes upon the body of the heir to the chieftanship of a British tribe in the west. Baradoc, a prisoner of Phoenician traders, was sold as a slave and is also escaping the Saxons. However, after being attacked he was left for dead by his cousin, the next heir. Tia nurses him back to health,… Shares: Britons, Kings and rulers

Arthur Rex Thomas Berger · 1978 · ★ 3.9 · 499p · ≈ 16h · Moderate King Arthur, Merlin, and the knights of the Round Table live in ancient Britain but have contemporary concerns because Guinevere and the other women act liberated. Shares: Britons, Kings and rulers

Henry IV, Part 2 William Shakespeare · 1600 · ★ 3.8 · 158p · ≈ 5h · 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 Shakespeare. The prologue will be spoken by Eugene Wellesley and the epilogue by Hilda Coxhead. Shares: English Young adult drama, Kings and rulers, English literature, Drama

In winter's shadow Gillian Bradshaw · 1982 · ★ 4.0 · 415p · ≈ 13h · Moderate Praise for Gillian Bradshaw:"A welcome new light on the horizon of popular Arthurian legend." – Book listVows broken. . .Friendships betrayed. . . The fate of heroes finally revealed. . .As powerful enemies attack the throne from inside the kingdom, Arthur, his queen, and his greatest warrior Gwalchmai will be put to the ultimate test. Never faltering in her loyalty to the king, Gwynhwyfar has… Shares: Britons, Kings and rulers

Taliessin through Logress Charles Williams · 1938 · 96p · ≈ 3h · Challenging Shares: Britons, Kings and rulers, Poetry

The region of the summer stars Charles Williams · 1944 · 61p · ≈ 2h · Challenging When Taliessin through Logres was published in 1938, it received widespread critical acclaim. Alongside its partner companion The Region of the Summer Stars, it stands as one of the most profound and challenging works in Williams' body of work--and one of the most important to understanding him fully. In this new edition, both Taliessin through Logres and The Region of the Summer Stars are found… Shares: Britons, Kings and rulers, Poetry

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