How Fast Do You Read?

A while back, when we applauded people with the ability to read two books at the same time, we were shocked to learn from the comments that many of you tackle five or more books at once!

Now we're turning out attention to speed instead of quantity. Are you a fast reader? Does it take you weeks to finish a single paragraph? (If so, you might need glasses, or a translator.) Below, we've categorized several types of readers. How long does it take you to finish a typical novel? Find your time frame in the list below, and we'll tell you your type.

One Afternoon
You are a robot. On the plus side, you can rip through an entire series of books in a weekend. On the down side, by the time you turn 35, there will be nothing left for you to read. (Well, you could always read Silas Marner, but no one wants to read Silas Marner.) Also, your eyes will probably pop out of your head from excessive flicking back and forth across the page. So wear a scuba mask, for easy cleanup. Your fingers are riddled with paper cuts caused by flipping the pages too swiftly. And you are such a speedy reader that you're already at the bottom of this article and writing, "Firsties!" in the comments section.

One Day
You are not a bookworm. You are a book python. You are addicted to words, and devour them as if they provided the very air you need to breath. The idea of making a book last by reading in small chunks makes no sense to you. Why eat just a sliver of cake, when you can eat the whole cake now?! To you, the only thing more satisfying than finishing a novel in a single sitting is telling your friends, "Dude, you're still reading that? I read that, like, three weeks ago. Want my autograph?" Sadly, very few people will actually want your autograph, and your grandma will say she wants one only because she likes it when you talk to her.

One Week
Chances are, most of your reading is done at night, and if you enjoy the story, those nights quickly turn into early mornings. It's not your intention to read fast, but you can't help yourself. Or you're so fearful of hearing a spoiler that you race through the book to find out what happens. The only thing stopping you from reading the novel in a single day is that you take breaks to eat, drink, and use your legs. You also try to slow down because your wallet gets mad when you go through a $20 book like it was an issue of People Magazine.

Two Weeks
Reading a 300-page novel in two weeks means plowing through 21.42857 pages a day. That's doable for most people, even for those who read at a slow pace. But if you are burdened with homework and activities, your reading speed might be delayed not because you're a slow reader, but because you're too busy to sit down and focus. If you have trouble maintaining this pace, here's a tip: Read 21 pages first thing in the morning, and then you'll only need to read 0.42857 pages at night.

One Month
Judging by our unscientific research, this seems to be the sweet spot in terms of reading speed. You're sipping the story instead of gulping it down. You enjoy reading a few books a year, instead of the hundreds of books that the speed readers go through. This way, the stories don't blur together, and you'll never say, "Which Harry Potter book was about that Southern kid who tricks people into whitewashing his fence?"

Two Months
Now we're entering casual reader territory. So what if you're a slower reader than your friends? At least you're getting your money's worth from the book. If you read a great book too fast, when it's over, you'll feel a bit bummed out because you've become attached to characters that you will never hear from again. (Then you're just a hop, skip, and click away from reading awful, horrible, scream-inducing fan fiction to fill the void.) Spend more time with a book, and you'll feel more satisfied when it's over. Beside, taking your time is not a bad thing, unless you drive an ambulance or you're in front of us at the deli counter.

Three Months
It's pretty obvious that you're not a big fan of the story, though you still feel obligated to finish the book, even if it takes you an entire season. If the book doesn't get any better, three months will quickly become four months. Then the unfinished book will sit by your bed for a year before you decide to put it back on your shelf…along with your copy of Silas Marner. At the three-month mark, we recommend either reading the rest of the book as fast as possible, or giving up and never look back. (BTW: It may also take you three months to read a book if you are blogging about that book for a fantastic website…and the book is about vampires, not jetpacks.)

Four Months or Longer
So, you thought Atlas Shrugged would be a fun read, huh? How's that working out for you? Well, you should get back to it. You're almost to the part of the book that is one long, 70-page speech. Enjoy.

How fast do you read? How long does it take you to finish a novel?

Related post: Can You Read Two Books at Once?