56 pages • 1 hour read
Love's Labour's Lost
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Book Brief
250
Play • Fiction
Navarre, Spain • Late 1500s
1598
Adult
14+ years
Super Short Summary
Love's Labour's Lost by William Shakespeare is a comedy about four Lords, led by the King of Navarre, who vow to study and avoid women for three years but soon fall in love with the Princess of France and her three attendant ladies. Their attempts to woo the women, amidst humorous subplots and mistaken identities, explore the folly of their oath and the complexities of love. The text includes period-typical stereotyping around ethnicity, cultural origins, and misogynistic attitudes.
Romantic
Humorous
Playful
Bittersweet
Contemplative
Reviews & Readership
15,080 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Love's Labour's Lost by William Shakespeare is celebrated for its wit, wordplay, and intricate language. Critics admire its clever dialogue and the playful examination of romantic courtship. However, some find the plot meandering and the ending anticlimactic. Overall, it's an engaging, intellectually stimulating comedy, though not universally accessible.
Who Should Read Love's Labour's Lost?
A reader who enjoys witty wordplay, complex character interactions, and themes of love and folly would appreciate William Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost. Fans of Shakespeare's comedies such as A Midsummer Night's Dream and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice will find similar delights in this play.
15,080 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
250
Play • Fiction
Navarre, Spain • Late 1500s
1598
Adult
14+ years
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