Home Page › Forums › Fiction Writing › General Writing Discussions › How fast do you read?
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February 28, 2016 at 10:44 pm #9427
Not a very deep question, but I’m curious. How fast do you read? I’m wondering because, while I know you can technically breeze through a book at 100mph and remember all the important details, I’m wondering if there might be something the people who do that miss – something more than details, things more like meaning, connections, the skill of the writer. If anyone would pick up on these equally important companions to story details, I would expect it to be writers. Therefore, if you all mainly read slowly, it would support my theory, but otherwise not at all.
So, I’ll start with myself. I read very slowly. How about you?
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February 29, 2016 at 12:13 am #9428Well for me, I read fast. Way too fast! I end up thinking I’ve read everything in the book and then I reread it and find a part that I didn’t know was in there. And then I read the book for the third time and find a completely new part that I managed to miss twice. It can get a bit creepy when I reread a book for the tenth (or hundredth) time and go “Wow! I didn’t know that happened. Oh, that makes much more sense.” I know it is a really bad way to read a book, but if I look at the glass half full, at least when I run out of books that I’m allowed to read, I can go back over them again and still get enjoyment out of them. 😀 It would be really bad if I read that fast and go everything in one go!!!! :O That isn’t even worth thinking about.
If I am reading out loud, though, I’m much slower. Especially as my eyesight is not the best, so I really have to slow down so that I read the small words – a, is, it, the, an, I, am, of, off, for and so forth.February 29, 2016 at 12:57 am #9430Everybody says I read fast, and I don’t think I miss anything major. But, despite my high aspirations, I’m not yet much of a writer. So don’t let me mess up your theory. 🙂
February 29, 2016 at 9:07 am #9431Sorry to debunk your theory @Daeus, but I read the Count of Monte Cristo in a week, total, and I could spend five hours right now going over it with you point by point, twist by twist, arc by arc, concept by concept. 😀
I’ve always been this way— well, ever since I learned how to read, which was pretty late due to some vision complications. I read fast when I first really started, and even when I began writing (and thus analyzing what I read) I don’t think I slowed down at all.February 29, 2016 at 9:44 am #9432I read relatively fast…a least compared to my sisters. I don’t know if I read fast compared to the rest of the world. 😛
@bluejay, yeah, I’m the same way. I read fast in my head, but when I’m reading aloud, I always have to slow down. 😉February 29, 2016 at 11:13 am #9442Well well well. That was fun. Obviously wrong.
How-how-Cout-Cristo-week?????????
For comparison, it took me several months to finish The Count of Monte Cristo. I read silently only just barely faster than I read aloud (though I do read aloud pretty fast.)
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February 29, 2016 at 1:15 pm #9444@Daeus, when I first saw the title of this topic, the first thing that came into my mind was, “Not fast enough.” 🙂
In reality, I read pretty fast. My mom taught me to read at 3 and at age 5 I was reading Little House on the Prairie by myself. Though I’m not proud of this, I have a terribly short attention span and can’t sit still for long. I guess I just learned that if I read faster, I didn’t get bored with the book and I could get up and wiggle around every chapter or so.
When I started analyzing what I was reading (about 4 years ago), I did find myself slowing down a bit. But after consciously analyzing 2 or 3 books, I was back up to speed and still able to analyze.
Truth be told, my reading speed greatly depends on the book. For example, it took me about 2 weeks to read The Hobbit. No offense to Tolkin, but that kind of fantasy just isn’t my favorite. On the other hand, I read a 120,000 word novel (about 500 pages) in 14 hours. I LOVED that book, and had the time to read it in one sitting.
SOO…that was a really long answer to a really easy question. 🙂
February 29, 2016 at 3:00 pm #9447I actually read too fast. I pick up all the details and everything, but I usually want books to last longer than I make them by reading so fast. I have to rein myself in and be sparing, usually. XD My family nickname is “the reading cheetah”. My brother and sister were dubbed the reading snail and moose, respectively.
February 29, 2016 at 3:10 pm #9449This is funny. Anyone like me?
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February 29, 2016 at 3:42 pm #9452Well, my brother (reading snail) picks up on the nuances pretty well. But he’s nothing close to being a writer. 😛
February 29, 2016 at 7:54 pm #9463I think I’ll have to relate with @ivy-rose. My reading speed greatly depends on the book as well. I read way faster when it’s something I enjoy, and I guess that would make sense because you’re more interested to what happens next (obviously). Sorry about your theory, @Daeus 😛 Still, it was a good one…very well thought out. 🙂 …and just because some of us writers on the forum read fast, doesn’t mean the theory isn’t accurate when applied to all the writers in the world. 😉 You never know…
February 29, 2016 at 7:56 pm #9464Anonymous- Rank: Loyal Sidekick
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I’m going to have to agree with most everyone else, @Daeus. I read really fast, unless I am editing or critiquing. I really should read slower than I do, because I do miss things sometimes.(and I go through books entirely too fast 🙂 )
February 29, 2016 at 8:01 pm #9466Perhaps I should reverse my theory. Na, that would leave me out. I hereby vote the matter (in most cases) inconsequential.
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February 29, 2016 at 8:02 pm #9468Perfect. 😉
February 29, 2016 at 8:10 pm #9470Two in favor. Motion passes. Virtual ice cream for everyone.
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