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Quick answer: If you loved The Taming of the Shrew, try 10 Things I Hate About You, Vinegar Girl, Much Ado About Nothing, Pride and Prejudice, The Hating Game and Kiss Me, Kate. Each one offers sparring couples, battles of wills or retellings that question old gender roles.
Shakespeare's comedy follows Petruchio, who marries the fiery Katherina for her dowry and sets out to “tame” her, while suitors compete for her gentle sister Bianca. Its ending, with Kate's speech on obedience, makes it one of Shakespeare's most debated plays. Readers enjoy its battles of wit and argue about its message. These works share its sparring romance, and several rework its story for today.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Format | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Things I Hate About You | David Levithan | Novel | readers who want the teen movie story |
| Vinegar Girl | Anne Tyler | Novel | readers who want a modern retelling |
| Much Ado About Nothing | William Shakespeare | Play | readers who want better banter |
| Pride and Prejudice | Jane Austen | Novel | readers who love enemies to lovers |
| The Hating Game | Sally Thorne | Novel | readers who like modern rivals |
| Kiss Me, Kate | Cole Porter and Sam and Bella Spewack | Musical | readers who like musicals |
| Twelfth Night | William Shakespeare | Play | readers who like romantic mix-ups |
| Jane Eyre | Charlotte Brontë | Novel | readers who like strong women |
| The Wife of Bath's Tale | Geoffrey Chaucer | Poem | readers who want a medieval take |
| Bringing Down the Duke | Evie Dunmore | Novel | readers who like historical sparring |
| The Viscount Who Loved Me | Julia Quinn | Novel | readers who like Regency sparring |
| Beauty and the Beast | Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont | Fairy tale | readers who like taming tales |
| Get a Life, Chloe Brown | Talia Hibbert | Novel | readers who like prickly couples |
| Emma | Jane Austen | Novel | readers who like a heroine humbled by love |
| Beatrice and Benedick | Marina Fiorato | Novel | readers who want a Shakespeare prequel |
1. 10 Things I Hate About You by David Levithan
The novelization of the 1999 film retelling.
Best for: readers who want the teen movie story.
2. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler
A Baltimore woman is pressured into a green-card marriage.
Best for: readers who want a modern retelling.
3. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Rivals are tricked into falling in love.
Best for: readers who want better banter.
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Elizabeth and Darcy overcome pride.
Best for: readers who love enemies to lovers.
5. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Office rivals fall in love.
Best for: readers who like modern rivals.
6. Kiss Me, Kate by Cole Porter and Sam and Bella Spewack
Feuding actors stage the play.
Best for: readers who like musicals.
7. Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
A disguised heroine falls in love.
Best for: readers who like romantic mix-ups.
8. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
A governess refuses to give up herself.
Best for: readers who like strong women.
9. The Wife of Bath's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer
A tale about what women most desire.
Best for: readers who want a medieval take.
10. Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
A suffragist and a duke clash.
Best for: readers who like historical sparring.
11. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
A rake and a sharp older sister clash.
Best for: readers who like Regency sparring.
12. Beauty and the Beast by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont
A young woman learns the truth about a beast.
Best for: readers who like taming tales.
13. Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
A web designer and her landlord spar.
Best for: readers who like prickly couples.
14. Emma by Jane Austen
A clever young woman meddles in love lives.
Best for: readers who like a heroine humbled by love.
15. Beatrice and Benedick by Marina Fiorato
The love story before Much Ado About Nothing.
Best for: readers who want a Shakespeare prequel.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Taming of the Shrew: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to The Taming of the Shrew. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
For modern retellings, Vinegar Girl and 10 Things I Hate About You are the most popular. Much Ado About Nothing has Shakespeare's best sparring couple, while Kiss Me, Kate is a fun musical take. For romance with strong-willed heroines, Pride and Prejudice and Bringing Down the Duke are great picks.
Related: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Taming of the Shrew about?
Petruchio marries the fiery Katherina and tries to “tame” her, while others court her sister.
Why is it controversial?
Its ending seems to endorse women's obedience, though some productions play it ironically.
Is 10 Things I Hate About You based on it?
Yes. The 1999 film is a modern high school retelling.
What is the frame story?
The play is staged for a drunk tinker, Christopher Sly, who is tricked into thinking he is a lord.
Is it a comedy?
Yes. It is one of Shakespeare's early comedies.
Who is Bianca?
Katherina's younger sister, courted by several suitors.