How to read faster?

[ShellShock]

"So many books to read" but also so many books to buy. The more books I read the more I end up buying, so I prefer not being a speed reader, as it would cost me more money.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by arturg

Thank you all for your responses. I tried spreeder and I was comfortable with about 190 wpm. I made my wife do the test and she was able to read comfortably at 550 wpm which I see as amazing.

It's not that I'm having a race, it's more like "So many book to read, such a slow reader..."

190 WPM is not that slow. 550 WPM is really fast The average adult reads 300WPM and you are not that far behind Sub vocalization seems to be your problem. Add some distraction. Read while the news or your favorite TV show is on, You won't read much this way but it will kill the sub vocalization in time.

And read more often. Practice helps and soon you will be reading a book a week

Helen

[SY Lee]

In past, I used to search for some informations to read faster. I recommend this website: http://www.readspeeder.com/. I hope that can help you.

[4691mls]

You may want to try some different authors with different writing styles and see if some of them go faster for you.

If you are reading on an ereader or tablet (as opposed to a paper book), you might experiment with changing the font size, contrast, color, etc.

Also, if you're just reading for fun, remember that you don't have to read every single word - you're not being tested on it! For me, long descriptive passages go more slowly than conversation or action. If I enjoy the writer's style, I will take the time to read it all. However, if I'm not enjoying the author's scenery descriptions and they aren't essential to following the plot, I skim over them.

[Antoinekamel]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I think that vocalisation is a problem, in that it's forcing the OP to read at the speed he can talk at. Try to force yourself not to "read out loud", and see if that helps.

As with anything else, reading is a skill that improves with practice. The only way to read more quickly is to read more. It won't happen overnight.

I must agree with you that vocalisation kills out not only speed, but comprehension too. Reading only mentally increases the quantity and specially quality of reading.

I disagree altough, Harry, in that it does not come overnight. I attended many years ago an workshop with James Bauer, fastest reader in Portuguese, that promissed three times the current reading speed in three hours of workshop. Well, the totally skeptic I was, it work. I already read a lot at that time, but it was only a matter of technique. Reading more does not necessary makes a better reader, like driving a lot without technique makes a hard-to -change bad driver. Basically, train your eyes to go up and down very quickly and side to side too, 20 seconds of each exercise, like crazy. Then use a slowly progressed metronome (no need to buy one, there are software to do it) in which each "tick" you read a line, with no going back, even if you don't understand the line, forcing yourself to go on.

As I said, I was skeptical, but in three hours many years ago I, an avid reader, got my reading life changed for much, much better.

[jbjb]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I'm kinda with you there....I've taken a speed reading course (ages ago) and know the techniques, but feel like I'm missing something if I read that fast without taking time to savor and absorb it.

Now I fully expect objections to the above so go ahead.

No objections from me. :-)

I find I sub-vocalise on some books but not others - it depends on the nature of the book and what I want to get from it.

For technical books and most non-fiction I won't subvocalise, as the aim is usually to absorb what the book has to say as quickly and accurately as possible.

For much fiction, particularly well-written fiction, I will sub-vocalise. It does slow me down a bit, but it allows me to savour the language and immerse myself in the flow of the writing. For example, speed-reading Wodehouse would (IMHO, of course) be completely missing the point. The joy isn't in the plot (they're all mostly the same), it's in the language.

/JB

[Waylander]

I think I subvocalise, but I can read a 400 page book in around 2-3 days reading around a couple of hours a day, so maybe it also depends on how fast you subvocalise, as I definitely read out loud slower than I do just reading normally.

[llcj]

I pretty much agree with jbjb (and others) on this. I often can't settle into a book until I get the voice right. I also don't do this with technical or non-fiction books and read these much faster.

The OP mentions having a strong emotional response to works he has read. I wonder if he would have the same strong response if he sped through the work. From casual observation, it seems to me that speed readers tend to favour plot driven fiction. For example, my SO is a fast reader and favours non-fiction (his latest bedtime read is a book on hand-planes.) When he does read fiction, it is generally plot driven material. I could be way off- base with this generalisation though.

[Yolina]

Originally Posted by llcj

From casual observation, it seems to me that speed readers tend to favour plot driven fiction. For example, my SO is a fast reader and favours non-fiction (his latest bedtime read is a book on hand-planes.) When he does read fiction, it is generally plot driven material. I could be way off- base with this generalisation though.

See that's where it really shows that we're all different

I've never subvocalised and I'm a fast reader, but not a speed reader as such (as in I've never tried to find ways to read faster; I don't skim-read or anything like that).

I read mostly fiction, where I much prefer what's classified as the "literary" type to plot-driven which generally speaking tends to just bore me incredibly quickly. I also read fiction faster than non-fiction.

[crich70]

I think I have always subvocalized when reading or typing for that matter. It doesn't necessarily slow a person down I don't think. Each person is different. Also are you reading books in your native tongue or translations into a second language when you read? I note you are from Finland and I would imagine that reading in a second language might seem slower than reading in your mother tongue so I wonder if that might be part of the problem. I mean I can't read German for example but if I had a passing knowledge of the written language and was trying to read a book in German rather than my native tongue of English I think I'd feel that I was reading slower due to that fact. Another trick you might try is starting out with shorter works and gradually working your way up to longer ones. A collection of short stories for example and then later a novella and eventually a novel. 400 pages is a fairly long book overall (though not the longest certainly) and you might just be feeling a bit overwhelmed at how thick the book is. ebooks have an advantage over paper books there in that you can remove the stumbling block of how thick the text is since all ebooks weigh the same amount on an ereader and are the same thickness (that of the reader itself).

[llcj]

Originally Posted by Yolina

See that's where it really shows that we're all different

I've never subvocalised and I'm a fast reader, but not a speed reader as such (as in I've never tried to find ways to read faster; I don't skim-read or anything like that).

I read mostly fiction, where I much prefer what's classified as the "literary" type to plot-driven which generally speaking tends to just bore me incredibly quickly. I also read fiction faster than non-fiction.

This is really interesting and an interesting topic. I think that this points to the idea that reading is actually a pretty complicated process.

[exscentric]

I used to mouth all words to myself just to get the meaning of things. Over the years that has minimized though find myself making little twitches in my mouth when trying to read very carefully. I blame dyslexia but do not know for positive. Even now (in my 70's) I still vocalize in my mind or I cannot remember the meaning when I end the sentence. I often have to return and reread a sentence to get what was said. Might be partly the old age thing too :-)

As I've said before I had not read for pleasure - ever - because it was so difficult. When in school (all levels) I took forever in my homework/reading. An ereader crossed my path three years ago and to date have read 100 books for enjoyment - do not spend that much time reading either.

I might add, my speed reading course in college did nothing but mess with my brain. I still try and usually come back for a word by word reading to understand what I had just skimmed. I find myself at times kicking into speed reading and it is always a waste of time.

[Victoria]

Originally Posted by Billi

Hi Artur, welcome to MR!

I'm only answering to show you that you're not alone, that there are other slow readers around.

Sometimes I envy other members here who seem to fly through the books but I learned to accept that this is not me. I become too superficial if I increase my reading speed. And at the moment I'm glad if I can steal one hour each day for reading. I want to enjoy this time, not make it a competition.

I read quite slowly as well - as long as I'm enjoying the book, I don't mind at all. I do hear the dialogue, when reading fiction, in different voices. It does slow a person down, but for me, it just means I'm completely immersed in the book.

The OP did not say what he was reading on, but I wonder if it was a multifunction device - which many people have reported as distracting. I found reading on my iPad unsatisfying. - I find it hard to settle down and concentrate, with email and all kinds of distractions. I slowed me down, but more importantly, prevented me from getting into the book. That never happens on my kindle - it becomes a portal to the other world.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Victoria

I read quite slowly as well - as long as I'm enjoying the book, I don't mind at all. I do hear the dialogue, when reading fiction, in different voices. It does slow a person down, but for me, it just means I'm completely immersed in the book.

The OP did not say what he was reading on, but I wonder if it was a multifunction device - which many people have reported as distracting. I found reading on my iPad unsatisfying. - I find it hard to settle down and concentrate, with email and all kinds of distractions. I slowed me down, but more importantly, prevented me from getting into the book. That never happens on my kindle - it becomes a portal to the other world.

I assumed he was reading paper books as opposed to on a device as he didn't list any devices under his user name on the left.

[arturg]

crich70:

I am from Finland, but I am as comfortable with Finnish literature as English one since I spent 6 years in the US in high school and college and use English daily at work.

Victoria:

Last two weeks I spent on reading a paper version of The Hunger Games first episode, finnished it up yesterday. Right after I finnished the book I went to public library to get Cybook Opus reader for one week and purchased my first ebook ever, Wool by Hugh Howey. I have experience with reading on iPad since I have one at home, but I leave that device to reading email and surfing, watching Youtube videos and such.

Anyways, it seems that perhaps my biggest issue was jealousy toward my wive's reading speed. I finished a 400 page book in 12 days which I am proud of and enjoyed it immensely and now I started reading another book. I value the time spent on a good book so much that I don't really care anymore if it takes me one or ten weeks to complete it.

Thank you all for your comments on my thoughts, keep them coming. Really good opinions and interesting stuff.