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Quick answer: If you loved Twelfth Night, try As You Like It, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, The Comedy of Errors, The Importance of Being Earnest and She Stoops to Conquer. Each one offers disguises, mistaken identities, love triangles and witty comedy.
Shakespeare's comedy begins with a shipwreck that separates the twins Viola and Sebastian. Viola disguises herself as a young man named Cesario and serves Duke Orsino, who loves the Countess Olivia. Olivia falls for Cesario, while Viola falls for Orsino. Meanwhile the steward Malvolio is tricked into making a fool of himself. Readers love its wit, its music and its tangled loves. These works share its disguises and its romantic comedy.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Format | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| As You Like It | William Shakespeare | Play | readers who want another cross-dressing heroine |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | William Shakespeare | Play | readers who like mixed-up lovers |
| Much Ado About Nothing | William Shakespeare | Play | readers who love witty banter |
| The Comedy of Errors | William Shakespeare | Play | readers who like twins |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | Oscar Wilde | Play | readers who like double lives |
| She Stoops to Conquer | Oliver Goldsmith | Play | readers who like classic farce |
| Emma | Jane Austen | Novel | readers who like romantic misunderstandings |
| Tipping the Velvet | Sarah Waters | Novel | readers who like cross-dressing heroines |
| The Princess Bride | William Goldman | Novel | readers who like playful romance |
| Ella Enchanted | Gail Carson Levine | Novel | younger readers |
| Much Ado About You | Samantha Young | Novel | readers who want a Shakespeare-inspired romance |
| Tom Jones | Henry Fielding | Novel | readers who like comic adventures |
| The Rosie Project | Graeme Simsion | Novel | readers who like modern romantic comedy |
| Austenland | Shannon Hale | Novel | readers who like playful pretending |
| Cold Comfort Farm | Stella Gibbons | Novel | readers who like comic chaos |
1. As You Like It by William Shakespeare
Rosalind disguises herself as a man in the Forest of Arden.
Best for: readers who want another cross-dressing heroine.
2. A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
Lovers and fairies get tangled in a forest.
Best for: readers who like mixed-up lovers.
3. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Rivals are tricked into falling in love.
Best for: readers who love witty banter.
4. The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
Two sets of twins cause chaos.
Best for: readers who like twins.
5. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Two men invent identities to escape their duties.
Best for: readers who like double lives.
6. She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith
A young woman pretends to be a barmaid.
Best for: readers who like classic farce.
7. Emma by Jane Austen
A young woman meddles in love lives.
Best for: readers who like romantic misunderstandings.
8. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
A young woman performs as a male impersonator in Victorian London.
Best for: readers who like cross-dressing heroines.
9. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
True love faces swordfights and schemes.
Best for: readers who like playful romance.
10. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
A girl cursed with obedience fights for freedom.
Best for: younger readers.
11. Much Ado About You by Samantha Young
A woman's trip to an English village leads to love.
Best for: readers who want a Shakespeare-inspired romance.
12. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding
A foundling has bawdy adventures on his way to love.
Best for: readers who like comic adventures.
13. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
A professor designs a survey to find a wife.
Best for: readers who like modern romantic comedy.
14. Austenland by Shannon Hale
A woman visits a Regency role-play resort.
Best for: readers who like playful pretending.
15. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
A sensible woman tidies up gloomy relatives.
Best for: readers who like comic chaos.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Twelfth Night: 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 Twelfth Night. 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 more Shakespeare comedy, As You Like It has the closest heroine, and The Comedy of Errors doubles the twins. The Importance of Being Earnest is the funniest choice for readers who love disguise. If you prefer novels, Emma and The Princess Bride have the same mix of love and laughs. Tipping the Velvet is a fresh look at a woman playing a man.
Related: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Twelfth Night about?
A shipwrecked woman disguises herself as a man and gets caught in a love triangle.
Why is it called Twelfth Night?
It was likely written for the festive twelfth night after Christmas.
Who is Malvolio?
Olivia's proud steward, tricked into believing she loves him.
Is She's the Man based on Twelfth Night?
Yes. The 2006 film is a modern teen version.
Is Twelfth Night a comedy?
Yes. It is one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies.