Reading Speed

Poems sometimes are so dense in the presentation of the material that you have to read slowly to understand what the author is saying. Books that are a bore will take longer to read just because the reader's interest isn't there, which is clearly understandable. Fiction lends itself to faster reads if the material is interesting and the author is able to have a clear, engaging style.

If a book is good, a person may be unable to sleep for wishing to know what will happen next. A bad book can take time to finish simply because the reading process is so arduous; an author may have a bad sense of style or quite possibly not researched the material very well, making the reader have to exert unnecessary effort with the book.

Yeah, exactly. If I am reading a really good book I find it hard to put it down! I even stayed up really late once because I wanted to finish a book before I went to sleep. If it's a bad book I have to really force myself to pick it up and read! lol

I have found that I'm an incredibly fast reader. No matter if I think Book A is better than Book B. The only exception I've found where I'm a slow reader is when I'm trying to take in a Thomas Pynchon novel. ;-) I can get through Entertainment Weekly, cover to cover, in 9 minutes. Wired, in 20. The only time I take my time (and I have to force myself) is when I'm reading poetry or an art book.

Reading multiple books a week can either help or hinder a person's reading speed simply because of how interesting a book may or may not be. A lot of people have reading lists and never complete them, but if one is able to pace oneself for a while, then usually the reading list can be completed within a few weeks or months. It is good to read, simply because it keeps the mind vigorous.

People who have the time to read a high number of books can often do very well, simply because they are able to make the time in their schedules for reading. Others who are very busy may not be able to dedicate as much time and thus won't read as much, but it is also possible that with a fast reading speed, those people who are busy can also develop the opportunity to read more books within a certain time period. Generally one to two books per week can be good (and of course the reading experience varies whether the material is fiction, non-fiction, poetry, etc). It is also important to ensure that comprehension occurs with the reading too, not just a reading of said materials, but that one can find a way to examine the material and understand it.

I read multiple books a week because one book doesn't last me the whole week! I can finish a 200-300 page novel in 2 days. And a 300-500 pages novel only takes me 3-5 days. That's why I read multiple books in a week, because I'm always reading and one book does not last me through the week. I always complete my reading lists too, and the reason I always have a stack of books waiting for me is because I read so much and I need to keep myself supplied with books.

It's interesting how for some readers if a book is boring or not very good how they do tend to speed through those books, mainly in the effort of just getting the reading completed, but for a better book or a book the reader enjoys, then the pace can be slowed down and the reader will try to savor the words and expand the reading experience.