Reading speed

[ST-One]

Originally Posted by FinancialWar

How does one read at 1000 wpm, that's amazin...

What ever it is, it certainly isn't enjoying the reading of a good story/book. The people who claim they can read an entire book in a day can't enjoy that process, nor get the little subtleties of the language, the word-plays, IMO.
Getting the gist of a story isn't quite the same as actually reading that story.

[missimpossible]

Originally Posted by ST-One

What ever it is, it certainly isn't enjoying the reading of a good story/book. The people who claim they can read an entire book in a day can't enjoy that process, nor get the little subtleties of the language, the word-plays, IMO.
Getting the gist of a story isn't quite the same as actually reading that story.

I think that's a little unfair. There are some books that I can easily read within the span of a day with the same level of comprehension that I have of a book that takes me a few days or a week to read. And I do enjoy it - I enjoy spending a few hours a day in a completely different world. I'm just as immersed as I would be if I took longer over it. I've always been a very quick reader - it's my natural speed. And of course it depends on the book. I understand that you couldn't enjoy that process, but it's unfair to suggest that people just "claim" to be able to read books at that speed and to enjoy them.

[Witty Username]

Thank you for providing this opportunity to repeat my favourite quote:

I took a speed-reading course and read War and Peace in twenty minutes. It involves Russia.

Woody Allen

[ST-One]

Originally Posted by Witty Username

Thank you for providing this opportunity to repeat my favourite quote:

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by ST-One

What ever it is, it certainly isn't enjoying the reading of a good story/book. The people who claim they can read an entire book in a day can't enjoy that process, nor get the little subtleties of the language, the word-plays, IMO.
Getting the gist of a story isn't quite the same as actually reading that story.

I wouldn't claim to be a particularly fast reader, but some books (eg Agatha Christie detective novels) I can easily read in a day (perhaps 3-4h actual reading time).

[Yapyap]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I wouldn't claim to be a particularly fast reader, but some books (eg Agatha Christie detective novels) I can easily read in a day (perhaps 3-4h actual reading time).

Indeed. My reading speed in English (for most fiction) is about 60 pages an hour, based on an average adult hardback with not very small print, so if I have a day off or a particularly engrossing book (on which I'll happily spend the entire evening), reading a 300-400 page novel in one day isn't what I'd consider a particularly amazing feat.

As far as I can tell, reading an entire book on one weekend day as opposed to reading a similar book over 2-3 workday evenings doesn't make me lose anything and I get just as much enjoyment out of it.

[missimpossible]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

Indeed. My reading speed in English (for most fiction) is about 60 pages an hour, based on an average adult hardback with not very small print, so if I have a day off or a particularly engrossing book (on which I'll happily spend the entire evening), reading a 300-400 page novel in one day isn't what I'd consider a particularly amazing feat.

As far as I can tell, reading an entire book on one weekend day as opposed to reading a similar book over 2-3 workday evenings doesn't make me lose anything and I get just as much enjoyment out of it.

Yeah, this is a really good way of putting it

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

As far as I can tell, reading an entire book on one weekend day as opposed to reading a similar book over 2-3 workday evenings doesn't make me lose anything and I get just as much enjoyment out of it.

Absolutely. I see from my "Reading Challenge" thread that I've read 87 books so far this year (ie in 206 days), so that's an average of 2.4 days per book. Given that I read for perhaps an average of 1.5h a day, that means that I get through the average book in about 3.6h reading time.

[speakingtohe]

Generally the more I am enjoying a book the faster I read it. Certainly not intentionally. I sometimes put off reading a book I know I will love, kind of hoarding the pleasure.

With many books, the words flow so smoothly, and the plot is so interesting and the characters so enjoyable in their actions, interactions, thoughts and speech, that I almost feel I am living the book. I don't want to finish those books quickly, but I cannot put them down without a pretty good reason.

Helen

[faithbw]

But isn't being engrossed in a book and hence reading more often and a little more quickly different than "I need to read this x amount of words per minute no matter what" ? How can you really enjoy a book thinking about how many words you're reading? I've tried to increase my reading speed and in the process used a book I read previously. It was the worst reading experience. If I hadn't read the book previously, I wouldn't have known what the book was about because I was so focused on reading the words quickly instead of understanding and enjoying the book.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by faithbw

But isn't being engrossed in a book and hence reading more often and a little more quickly different than "I need to read this x amount of words per minute no matter what" ? How can you really enjoy a book thinking about how many words you're reading? I've tried to increase my reading speed and in the process used a book I read previously. It was the worst reading experience. If I hadn't read the book previously, I wouldn't have known what the book was about because I was so focused on reading the words quickly instead of understanding and enjoying the book.

Of course it is. How many people think about the number of words they are reading unless they wish they read faster or are feeling it is a contest or justifying their slightly lower reading skills by pompously explaining what superior readers they are.

And yes, reading to improve your reading speed will do that. Just like eating hotdogs to win a contest might not let you enjoy each hot dog. I think that trying to read faster for short periods will result in a person being able to comfortably read faster with the same retention and understanding, but I am not advocating it or even doing it.

Lots of people read 500 WPM and have good enjoyment and retention. Average reading speed for college graduates statistically I believe so many must read faster. There are lots of independent articles on the subject. Just because I can't doesn't mean no one can.

I'd like to read faster, because there are a lot of books I want to read and I will not live long enough. But I don't try to read faster. I have read 600 pages in a day but generally take 1-3 days to read 300 pages. Depends on time, and how much I am into a particular book.

Helen

[ST-One]

Originally Posted by faithbw

But isn't being engrossed in a book and hence reading more often and a little more quickly different than "I need to read this x amount of words per minute no matter what" ? How can you really enjoy a book thinking about how many words you're reading? I've tried to increase my reading speed and in the process used a book I read previously. It was the worst reading experience. If I hadn't read the book previously, I wouldn't have known what the book was about because I was so focused on reading the words quickly instead of understanding and enjoying the book.

My reading speed is the same whether I read to/for myself or I read aloud to others; I "act out", if you will, the words on the page in my head. The narrator has a different voice that the various characters (well, it's always my voice, but you know what I mean).
I love reading good dialogues (or a really good monologue), and I just can't imagine enjoying reading them at a speed at which they couldn't possibly be spoken aloud.

But, good for all of you who can get immersed in the world of a book by reading at the speed of sound.

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Of course it is. How many people think about the number of words they are reading unless they wish they read faster or are feeling it is a contest or justifying their slightly lower reading skills by pompously explaining what superior readers they are.

And yes, reading to improve your reading speed will do that. Just like eating hotdogs to win a contest might not let you enjoy each hot dog. I think that trying to read faster for short periods will result in a person being able to comfortably read faster with the same retention and understanding, but I am not advocating it or even doing it.

Lots of people read 500 WPM and have good enjoyment and retention. Average reading speed for college graduates statistically I believe so many must read faster. There are lots of independent articles on the subject. Just because I can't doesn't mean no one can.

I'd like to read faster, because there are a lot of books I want to read and I will not live long enough. But I don't try to read faster. I have read 600 pages in a day but generally take 1-3 days to read 300 pages. Depends on time, and how much I am into a particular book.

Helen

I agree that some people can read 500 wpm and enjoy a book. Reading 500 wpm isn't much faster than average of 200-400 wpm. That's not my issue. I think some people will just naturally read faster than others. My husband reads much faster than me. He retains just as much as I do but it just takes him less time to do so.

What I got from the OP is that he wanted some type of method for learning to read faster for the sake of reading words faster than he already does (maybe I misunderstood...apologies if I did). Methods for getting people to read 1000 wpm don't have any scientific support to back up claims of success and some studies have shown that people reading at that speed don't comprehend what they're reading. So yes, your eyes are going over more words but what's the point if you're not retaining what you're reading? If you're not retaining what you're reading then how can you enjoy it?

http://lifehacker.com/the-truth-abou...ing-1542508398

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/ar...ssible/284326/

[Katsunami]

Yesterday I've read part of a paper book, comparing it to reading on the Kindle, and I noticed that I was faster than on the Kindle. Weirdly enough, the issue seems to be that the Kindle's lines are shorter, and I have set the font bigger. After I downsized the font to the size of the one used in the book (Palatino 2), the lines obviously got longer, and I started to read faster on the Kindle.

I have vision problems (being extremely near-sighted, among them), but peculiarly enough, it doesn't matter how large a font is. If I read without glasses and the font is sharp, then I can read it. I can even read Baskerville size 1 (the smallest font on the Kindle) without any problems; I must try it. Maybe I'm going to get faster still, with even longer lines, but I assume there is a point of diminishing returns.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by faithbw

I agree that some people can read 500 wpm and enjoy a book. Reading 500 wpm isn't much faster than average of 200-400 wpm. That's not my issue. I think some people will just naturally read faster than others. My husband reads much faster than me. He retains just as much as I do but it just takes him less time to do so.

What I got from the OP is that he wanted some type of method for learning to read faster for the sake of reading words faster than he already does (maybe I misunderstood...apologies if I did). Methods for getting people to read 1000 wpm don't have any scientific support to back up claims of success and some studies have shown that people reading at that speed don't comprehend what they're reading. So yes, your eyes are going over more words but what's the point if you're not retaining what you're reading? If you're not retaining what you're reading then how can you enjoy it?

http://lifehacker.com/the-truth-abou...ing-1542508398

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/ar...ssible/284326/

Faster is not always better I agree. But I have found in many areas that trying to do things better or faster or more efficiently for short periods has increased both my ability and enjoyment. Or in some areas decreased my dislike of certain things.

Some things I will never do well, and many things I just don't want to do.

Probably the only way I increase my speed is by reading a fair amount (practice) but I have been doing that for about 60 years so don't see a big chance of improvement

I also do as Katsunami mentions and with fonts and line length, but this more of a comfort thing and I have no idea if it makes me read faster or slower.

I think you are right about the OP wanting to read faster, and I see no reason trying various methods would be harmful unless one became fanatical about it.

I also see no reason to worry about it or feel one should read faster except for studying perhaps and retention is even more important there.

As I mentioned there are thousands of books I would like to read, and more being written all the time. But even if I read 10 times as fast I would never get to read them all, so it is in the vague wish list category for when I finally find Aladdin's lamp, not something I even think about unless I see the topic mentioned.

Helen