"... and the best of me is diligence"

If you’re like a lot of people, you may be curious about the giant King Lear statue in Courthouse Square. Naturally the Dayton Metro Library can help you find the play (check in the Classics Collection first, where it will be shelved next to copies of the Cliff Notes), but we also have other resources that can introduce you to the story, if not necessarily explain the sculpture.

The newest DVD of King Lear stars Sir Ian McKellen, best known in America for the Lord of the Rings and X-Men movies. Filmed for PBS Great Performances, it isn’t at Dayton Metro yet, but requests can be placed. PBS provides video and articles about the production on their website.

If you like a visual introduction but you’d rather not jump into watching the performance, try William Shakespeare’s King Lear: A Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds.


Or if you’re already familiar with the story but you’re interested in a new twist, try Fool by Christopher Moore, a parody from the perspective of (of course) King Lear’s Fool.


-- Kristen, Main Library