Quote:
Originally Posted by afa
    
I'm flabbergasted. Just plain stunned stupid. So stunned that I just used the word flabbergasted. This is unbelievable.
300??? 400??? My God, how on Earth do you guys manage that?? I love reading books, and any month in which I read 2 novels is a good month. Some of you read twice that in a week! |
Reading speed, time spent reading, and priorities. My reading speed has been measured several times over the years, with varying results. I've tested out anywhere from 500 to 1200 words per minute (for straight-forward fiction), with 95%+ comprehension. The 1200 was a test in high-school just after I'd spent a solid month doing almost nothing other than reading. The 500 was in the middle of a period when I read very little, due to other demands on my time. Other tests have been around 800wpm.
Days when I read for
less than two hours are rare; three hours is more typical. I watch very little television.
Quote:
Originally Posted by afa
I understand that some people are fast readers, but quick enough to read an entire novel in a few hours? I honestly wouldn't have thought that was even possible. Like BenLee, I can't help but wonder if you quickies actually even remember what you read. Do you find you've forgotten most of the details in a short span of time? Do you frequently experience something like,
- "Hey, you've read Book X, right? I was thinking of getting it. Is it any good?"
- "I don't really remember. It's been a long time since I read it..."
- "Really? When?"
- "6 hours ago."
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Nope. I'm more likely to be the person who responds to a vague description of a plot (or a memorable incident from a book), by saying "That's
Obscure Novel by A. Midlist Author. I particularly liked the part where..."
Quote:
Originally Posted by afa
[SNIP a paragraph]
Seriously, though, that is flat-out amazing. As someone who pretty much tops out at 15-20 books a year (and that's far more than anyone I know personally), I truly cannot fathom how you do it. For my own sanity, I'm going to tell myself you're lying. At least that I can handle...
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I should note that my reading speed is
much slower in textbooks and journal articles. Still pretty fast, but way slower than for fiction. It's even slower than that for books I really dislike... assuming, that is, that the book doesn't just bounce off the wall rather than have me finish reading it.
Xenophon