How fast do you read?
Moderator: Orlion
- Farm Ur-Ted
- <i>Haruchai</i>
- Posts: 674
- Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:40 am
- Location: Colorado
How fast do you read?
So, how many pages per hour can you get through in the typical novel? I guess when I'm really cruising, I can do about 30 p/h (obviously it depends on the page/text size), although I probably average more in the 20-25 p/h range. I knew a woman in college who could do over 100 p/h. It was really annoying, because she'd borrow one of your books, and come back 3 hours later having read the whole damn thing. She also talked way too fast, but that's another story. Frankly, I don't really know what the point of reading that fast is; it seems like you hardly have time to enjoy things. Maybe I'm just a bit slow in other areas, too.
- Loredoctor
- Lord
- Posts: 18609
- Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2002 11:35 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Victoria
- Contact:
- Loredoctor
- Lord
- Posts: 18609
- Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2002 11:35 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Victoria
- Contact:
Phantasm wrote:My accent can be difficult to pick up at first, you'll get used to it.Loremaster wrote:An hour to read yours.Phantasm wrote:It's taken me 6 minutes to read your post

You bloody scots!
Waddley wrote:your Highness Sir Dr. Loredoctor, PhD, Esq, the Magnificent, First of his name, Second Cousin of Dragons, White-Gold-Plate Wielder!
- Phantasm
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 1720
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2005 10:52 pm
- Location: Cumbernauld, Scotland
A serious answer to the original question is around 30 - 60 pages an hour, depending on the level of distraction I have around me.
Ideally, I'd prefer to read with no interruptions, but in reality, I've often got the TV on in the background, and sort of hovver between the book and the telly. And then there's the kids, have you tried reading with a 3 year old and a 2 year old running about in the room?
Ideally, I'd prefer to read with no interruptions, but in reality, I've often got the TV on in the background, and sort of hovver between the book and the telly. And then there's the kids, have you tried reading with a 3 year old and a 2 year old running about in the room?
Quote - John Smeaton (Terrorists take note)
"This is Glasgow- we'll just set aboot ye"

"This is Glasgow- we'll just set aboot ye"

- Cameraman Jenn
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 13280
- Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2006 11:33 pm
- Location: Albuquerque NM (The Land of Enchantment)
I know I read exceedingly fast but I never bothered to time myself. Maybe I will try to time myself tonight.
Now if I could just find a way to wear live bees as jewelry all the time.....
www.fantasybedtimehour.com
www.fantasybedtimehour.com
- Farm Ur-Ted
- <i>Haruchai</i>
- Posts: 674
- Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:40 am
- Location: Colorado
Phantasm and Lore...you crack me up!!!!
Me. Um. I read REALLY slowly! I probably only get through about 8 to 10 pages an hour (small typeset ones). When I'm reading SRD I'm REALLY slow...but that might have to deal with the content as well. When I read the last Harry Potter book (which I consider easy reading) it took me over a week (and I was reading it in bed every night for hours and hours!).
Me. Um. I read REALLY slowly! I probably only get through about 8 to 10 pages an hour (small typeset ones). When I'm reading SRD I'm REALLY slow...but that might have to deal with the content as well. When I read the last Harry Potter book (which I consider easy reading) it took me over a week (and I was reading it in bed every night for hours and hours!).

- Loredoctor
- Lord
- Posts: 18609
- Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2002 11:35 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Victoria
- Contact:
- A Gunslinger
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 8890
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 6:48 pm
- Location: Southern WI (Madison area)
-
- Elohim
- Posts: 204
- Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2007 1:52 am
- Location: This is bat country!
Depends on the author and the content. With most books, I can usually read 45 or 50 pages an hour without feeling like I'm rushing myself. SRD, on the other hand... the Gap series went by pretty quickly, but I can usually only do about 30 pages an hour in the Chronicles. I've never read them in paperback, though. I don't know whether it would make a difference.
“...The conversations had a nightmare flatness, talking dice spilled in the tube metal chairs, human aggregates disintegrating in cosmic inanity, random events in a dying universe where everything is exactly what it appears to be and no other relation than juxtaposition is possible.”
“There are two kinds of sufferers in this world: those who suffer from a lack of life, and those who suffer from an overabundance.”
"Meantime we shall express our darker purpose."
“There are two kinds of sufferers in this world: those who suffer from a lack of life, and those who suffer from an overabundance.”
"Meantime we shall express our darker purpose."
- Farm Ur-Ted
- <i>Haruchai</i>
- Posts: 674
- Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:40 am
- Location: Colorado
Depending on the book, I average a page a minute, and yes, I can actually retain what I'm reading.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
- Farm Ur-Ted
- <i>Haruchai</i>
- Posts: 674
- Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:40 am
- Location: Colorado
- Loredoctor
- Lord
- Posts: 18609
- Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2002 11:35 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Victoria
- Contact:

Honestly, it's a bad habit that I think started sometime in pharmacy school. We had SO MUCH to read that I just developed an ability to scan for context and content. So when I read something that's dialogue heavy, like Harry Potter for example, I get into speed reading mode, realize I've missed something important, and have to go back to whatever it was that I missed.
- Loredoctor
- Lord
- Posts: 18609
- Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2002 11:35 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Victoria
- Contact:
As far as I know, that sort of skimming is encouraged in universities - at least for text books.dlbpharmd wrote:![]()
Honestly, it's a bad habit that I think started sometime in pharmacy school. We had SO MUCH to read that I just developed an ability to scan for context and content. So when I read something that's dialogue heavy, like Harry Potter for example, I get into speed reading mode, realize I've missed something important, and have to go back to whatever it was that I missed.
Waddley wrote:your Highness Sir Dr. Loredoctor, PhD, Esq, the Magnificent, First of his name, Second Cousin of Dragons, White-Gold-Plate Wielder!