How long does it take to read a book?
It depends on two things: the book's word count and your reading speed. At the average adult pace of 238 words per minute, here's how long some of the most-read books take — from novellas you can finish in an afternoon to door-stoppers worth a reading plan.
| Book | Words | Avg. reading time |
|---|---|---|
| Animal FarmGeorge Orwell | 29,966 | 2 hr 6 min |
| The AlchemistPaulo Coelho | 39,000 | 2 hr 44 min |
| The Great GatsbyF. Scott Fitzgerald | 47,094 | 3 hr 18 min |
| Lord of the FliesWilliam Golding | 59,900 | 4 hr 12 min |
| Atomic HabitsJames Clear | 72,000 | 5 hr 3 min |
| The Catcher in the RyeJ.D. Salinger | 73,404 | 5 hr 8 min |
| Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's StoneJ.K. Rowling | 76,944 | 5 hr 23 min |
| 1984George Orwell | 88,942 | 6 hr 14 min |
| The HobbitJ.R.R. Tolkien | 95,022 | 6 hr 39 min |
| To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee | 100,388 | 7 hr 2 min |
| Pride and PrejudiceJane Austen | 122,685 | 8 hr 35 min |
| Sapiens: A Brief History of HumankindYuval Noah Harari | 132,000 | 9 hr 15 min |
How these times are worked out
Each estimate divides the book's approximate word count by 238 words per minute — the average adult silent reading speed from the research we cite on our sources & methodology page. Word counts vary by edition, and your own pace matters just as much: a slow reader at 150 WPM and a fast one at 400 WPM can differ by more than double on the same book.
Want a number for a book that isn't listed? Find its word count and paste it — or any text — into the reading time calculator, or measure your own speed first with the words-per-minute test. For the difference between reading and listening, see our guide on why reading aloud is slower.