As You Like It
by William Shakespeare
As You Like It by William Shakespeare holds a well received rating of 3.83 out of 5, based on 56.4K reader ratings. First published in 1599. The book spans 263 pages.
About As You Like It
Readers and audiences have long greeted As You Like It with delight. Its characters are brilliant conversationalists, including the princesses Rosalind and Celia and their Fool, Touchstone. Soon after Rosalind and Orlando meet and fall in love, the princesses and Touchstone go into exile in the Forest of Arden, where they find new conversational partners. Duke Frederick, younger brother to Duke Senior, has overthrown his brother and forced him to live homeless in the forest with his courtiers, including the cynical Jaques. Orlando, whose older brother Oliver plotted his death, has fled there, too.Recent scholars have also grounded the play in the issues of its time. These include primogeniture, passing property from a father to his oldest son. As You Like It depicts intense conflict between brothers, exposing the human suffering that primogeniture entails. Another perspective concerns cross-dressing. Most of Orlando’s courtship of Rosalind takes place while Rosalind is disguised as a man, “Ganymede.” At her urging, Orlando pretends that Ganymede is his beloved Rosalind. But as the epilogue reveals, the sixteenth-century actor playing Rosalind was male, following the practice of the time. In other words, a boy played a girl playing a boy pretending to be a girl.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | William Shakespeare |
| Published | 1599 |
| Pages | 263 |
| Genres | Classics, Fiction, Romance, Poetry |
| Average Rating | 3.83 / 5.00 |
| Total Ratings | 56,395 |
Reader Ratings & Analysis
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Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is As You Like It?
As You Like It is categorized as Classics, Fiction, Romance, Poetry. Its primary genre classification is Romance.
Is As You Like It worth reading?
Based on 56.4K reader ratings, As You Like It has an average score of 3.83 out of 5.00, which is considered "Well Received." Its large number of reviews suggests broad reader appeal.
How many pages is As You Like It?
As You Like It has 263 pages.
Who wrote As You Like It?
As You Like It was written by William Shakespeare. It was first published in 1599.
What is the ISBN for As You Like It?
The ISBN-13 for As You Like It is 9780743484860.0.
Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 15, 2026
