― Fred (Fred), Friday, 30 July 2004 11:31 (nineteen years ago) link
― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Friday, 30 July 2004 14:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― Mark Klobas, Friday, 30 July 2004 15:17 (nineteen years ago) link
― SRH (Skrik), Friday, 30 July 2004 16:38 (nineteen years ago) link
― SRH (Skrik), Friday, 30 July 2004 16:40 (nineteen years ago) link
― Rabin the Cat (Rabin the Cat), Friday, 30 July 2004 18:14 (nineteen years ago) link
It really depends. If we're talking about The Davinci Code, maybe 750-900 wpm. However, when I read Absalom, Absalom!, I may have bene in teh double digits at the beginning.
― Phastbuck, Friday, 30 July 2004 18:20 (nineteen years ago) link
Obviously speed varies - you can't read Ed McBain and Proust at the same speed.
This speed will be welcome: I am starting Infinite Jest today.
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 31 July 2004 08:54 (nineteen years ago) link
― Fred (Fred), Saturday, 31 July 2004 09:17 (nineteen years ago) link
I actually read a lot slower than that, re-reading large sections at a time. there's no way I took that all in.
― cºzen (Cozen), Saturday, 31 July 2004 17:43 (nineteen years ago) link
― melissag (mjgaul), Sunday, 1 August 2004 01:36 (nineteen years ago) link
― pepektheassassin (pepektheassassin), Sunday, 1 August 2004 01:52 (nineteen years ago) link
It generally takes about 2 hours or so to finish a novel.
― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Monday, 2 August 2004 22:50 (nineteen years ago) link
― misshajim (strand), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 08:21 (nineteen years ago) link
Very slowly.
― the pomefox, Tuesday, 3 August 2004 08:33 (nineteen years ago) link
― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 08:57 (nineteen years ago) link
I can only manage 2-3 books per month, if I'm lucky. I read about 40-50 pages per hour.
― Vic, Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― Rabin the Cat (Rabin the Cat), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 19:29 (nineteen years ago) link
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 19:59 (nineteen years ago) link
― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 20:58 (nineteen years ago) link
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 21:12 (nineteen years ago) link
20-30 books a month?!?! That's insane. Are you talking 20-30 children's books, like Beatrix Potter's "A Tale of Two Bad Mice," or are you reading substantial novels (300-500 pages)?
Do you think you're missing anything when reading that fast? Do you get a chance to savour the prose?
I wonder if those with photographic memories are also much faster readers.
― Vic, Tuesday, 3 August 2004 21:52 (nineteen years ago) link
I don't read quickly, nor do I retain information particularly well. I'm not saying I'm thick or anything, but I am a bit of a plodder compared to the high end people I hang around with. Yeah, that's right, I've had to work for all my knowledge. So all you fast readers, you appreciate it.
― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Wednesday, 4 August 2004 16:02 (nineteen years ago) link
― Joe Kay (feethurt), Wednesday, 4 August 2004 17:04 (nineteen years ago) link
― Caenis (Caenis), Wednesday, 4 August 2004 22:19 (nineteen years ago) link
― Caenis (Caenis), Wednesday, 4 August 2004 22:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 5 August 2004 09:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 6 August 2004 14:48 (nineteen years ago) link
― Rabin the Cat (Rabin the Cat), Saturday, 7 August 2004 18:32 (nineteen years ago) link
― SRH (Skrik), Saturday, 7 August 2004 19:19 (nineteen years ago) link
― Rabin the Cat (Rabin the Cat), Saturday, 7 August 2004 19:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― Joe Kay (feethurt), Sunday, 8 August 2004 19:02 (nineteen years ago) link
― Rabin the Cat (Rabin the Cat), Monday, 9 August 2004 04:46 (nineteen years ago) link
I can remember what one was, but remember no text and no point from either of them. So it doesn't even matter that I read them "slowly", I still didn't glean any actual info from them.
― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Monday, 9 August 2004 06:59 (nineteen years ago) link
― Joe Kay (feethurt), Monday, 9 August 2004 15:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 9 August 2004 19:31 (nineteen years ago) link
― Marcello Sacco, Thursday, 12 August 2004 07:07 (nineteen years ago) link
― derrick (derrick), Sunday, 15 August 2004 08:33 (nineteen years ago) link
― aimurchie, Monday, 16 August 2004 09:52 (nineteen years ago) link
750-800 words per minute.
I wonder how it coordinates to typing speed, as well, because I can type unbelievably fast, too.
― Super-Masonic Black Hole (kate), Monday, 16 August 2004 11:52 (nineteen years ago) link
― Fred (Fred), Monday, 16 August 2004 14:44 (nineteen years ago) link
I got 600-650 on the Kennedy address, but I usually read slower than that, since I have a tendency to brood and get lost in thoughts (associations, mainly), not to mention when I want to either learn something by heart or cherish the language.
Ahh, Typingtest.comIf anyone else bothers with these, I'm curious... Do you Touch type, or have some curious finger-brew of your own? I'm in the latter camp, not having heard of Touch until it was far too late to consider switching.
― Øystein H-O (Øystein H-O), Monday, 16 August 2004 16:34 (nineteen years ago) link
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 16 August 2004 17:01 (nineteen years ago) link
― Fred (Fred), Friday, 21 October 2005 12:20 (eighteen years ago) link
― Eva van Rein (Gaia1981), Saturday, 22 October 2005 15:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― Are You Nomar? (miloaukerman), Saturday, 22 October 2005 16:38 (eighteen years ago) link
― Fred (Fred), Saturday, 22 October 2005 20:57 (eighteen years ago) link
I feel similar to Nomar, I feel I am getting worse at devouring novels, and sometimes get distracted when I'm trying to concentrate on reading.
― Navek Rednam (Navek Rednam), Saturday, 22 October 2005 22:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― Mädchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 10:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 25 October 2005 12:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― frankiemachine, Tuesday, 25 October 2005 13:12 (eighteen years ago) link
Those of you reading at 800 plus, were you always that fast or have you just gotten gradually faster and faster because you read a ton? Also, can you really absorb what you're reading at that rate?
― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:32 (eighteen years ago) link
But I sometimes come across books where the prose acts like a speed ramp. For example, Updike's 'Seek My Face' completely jarred my usual reading spead because of its incredibly long sentences.
Recently I've also been experimenting with reading aloud to try to strengthen my voice, which makes my reading speed really slow.
― Bob Six (bobbysix), Thursday, 27 October 2005 11:15 (eighteen years ago) link
Just heard that people who visualize what they read more are more slower than readers with strong aphantasia. Maybe that's an additional reason why I'm so slow.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 20 March 2021 22:17 (three years ago) link
I cannot visualise anything and I read too fast, so I dunno
― Bastard Lakes (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 20 March 2021 22:19 (three years ago) link
the times on the kobo website always feel very optimistic to me
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/bleak-house-46
1200+ pages in 30 hours?
― koogs, Saturday, 20 March 2021 22:40 (three years ago) link
I'm a moderately slow reader, or I assume so. I've never measured my rate or compared it to the median rate so that's just my impression.
― Judge Roi Behan (Aimless), Saturday, 20 March 2021 22:48 (three years ago) link
It really depends on what I'm reading. The slower the better ime.
― pomenitul, Saturday, 20 March 2021 22:50 (three years ago) link
soooooooo slow.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 20 March 2021 22:57 (three years ago) link
wish I could slow down and retain more, just too impatient
― Bastard Lakes (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 20 March 2021 23:00 (three years ago) link
have pretty much never been able to read more than abt 35 pages/hour and it truly drives me up fuckin the wall. used to try different tricks and techniques to speed up but nothing ever sat well, gave up trying years ago.
― nobody like my rap (One Eye Open), Sunday, 21 March 2021 17:05 (three years ago) link
i'm a subvocalizer, which i always thought was how everyone read but apparently not. i've tried to break the habit but reading without 'hearing' the words is very strange to me, and it feels like i'm not absorbing anything or even reading at all.
― ✖, Sunday, 21 March 2021 18:43 (three years ago) link
Until about 1800 or thereabouts silent reading was almost unknown.
― Judge Roi Behan (Aimless), Sunday, 21 March 2021 18:47 (three years ago) link
About 80-100 pages an hour, faster itf it's a bio and other non-fic.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 21 March 2021 18:50 (three years ago) link
About the same,
― Ignore the neighsayers: grow a lemon tree (ledge), Sunday, 21 March 2021 18:58 (three years ago) link
(oops)... don't think I'm faster for non fic though. I subvocalise (wouldn't know how to stop) and visualise.
― Ignore the neighsayers: grow a lemon tree (ledge), Sunday, 21 March 2021 18:59 (three years ago) link
I probably don't achieve the giddy heights of 80wpm with e.g. Henry James.
― Ignore the neighsayers: grow a lemon tree (ledge), Sunday, 21 March 2021 19:19 (three years ago) link
wpm? ppm.
― Ignore the neighsayers: grow a lemon tree (ledge), Sunday, 21 March 2021 19:22 (three years ago) link
Yes that's 80 posts per minute trying to correct my own idiotic mistakes. Pph.
― Ignore the neighsayers: grow a lemon tree (ledge), Sunday, 21 March 2021 19:24 (three years ago) link
I thinkit was comfortably about a page a minute if I was relaxing. Did get a bit faster overa summer in 2003 when I was just reading books at top speed. about a book a day. Not sure what i retained from it, think I read acouple of thigs a couple of times. Was just working through a whole load of books from teh University library.Could possibly do with rereading a couple of them. I remember reading a book on Rimbaud and his time in Africa which I wish i could remember teh contenst of better. Also I think KIng Leopold's Ghost was taht summer.Did I read Korzibski then too?
Anyway think about a page a minute comfortably .
― Stevolende, Sunday, 21 March 2021 20:01 (three years ago) link
I've been stuck at 6 pages per hour for YEARS, it's fucking hell
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 21 March 2021 21:15 (three years ago) link
― eatandoph (Neue Jesse Schule), Sunday, 21 March 2021 21:26 (three years ago) link
I cannot visualise anything and I read too fast, so I dunno― Bastard Lakes (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 20 March 2021 22:19 (two days ago) bookmarkflaglink
― Bastard Lakes (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 20 March 2021 22:19 (two days ago) bookmarkflaglink
Same. I used to think it was cool to read 2-3 books in a day and now I think it sucks.
― Bignefs Proportionable (seandalai), Monday, 22 March 2021 22:48 (three years ago) link
I'm increasingly slow and it pains me - probably 40 pages an hour, but I genuinely can't remember the last time I had an unbroken hour of reading.
― Vanishing Point (Chinaski), Tuesday, 23 March 2021 10:54 (three years ago) link