“I read it in one sitting” ...really?!

[Offred2]

I often see claims like this in the blurb on the cover of books or in book reviews. And every time I wonder - is this the truth? Is it even possible?

I’d say I’m an average speed reader and I read approx 25 pages an hour. So let’s be very generous and say someone can read twice as fast as me, so 50 pages an hour. I saw this claim on a novel that is 400 pages long. That would equate to 8 hours of solid reading time. Is that really possible in one sitting, even getting through it in one day works be a push wouldn’t it? Plus I think your reading speed would slow down over the course of that many hours.

Probably I’m being overly pedantic and it’s just an easy way of expressing how much you loved reading a book, but for some reason it always irks me! Anyone else ever thought this?

Just read Us in a few hours, most of it in the bath. Hardly great literature but very absorbing.

I can reread a lot which suggests I don't take much in on the first go...

I can read documents and articles quickly and that is reading down and getting the gist. But with books I think I don't feel I've read it if I've not read it - good books, that is.

I'm not a massively fast reader, but if I'm in to a book, it has been known for me to spend a full day/evening reading it til it's done.

I’m a fast reader and given the chance I’ll read a book in a single day (eg a beach holiday!). That feels like a real luxury though!

@donajemina that’s the best description ever of how I read!
My parents didn’t used to believe I’d really read a book in an evening so my dad used to randomly quiz me on it when I came bouncing through to their bedroom in the morning - eventually he accepted that yes, I really was! I finished our summer library reading game (read 6 books and answer questions on each one before you could get the next) in about 2 days one summer!

Read Harry potter order of phoenix through night, didn't sleep at all, when 18

On my 2 week honeymoon I read 18 books, so more than a book a day. DH made me promise not to tell anyone that because he said it's a terrible reflection of what sort of company he must be

Depends on the book but yes I could and do.

I'm a fast reader and always have been. When we did tests at school I remember this came up, the test would start with ten minutes "reading time" where you can read through the paper but can't start writing. Some would complain the time wasn't long enough to read it all but others would have read it 3 times, with time to spare. It's just the way some people naturally read I guess.

I'm an average reader, probably bordering on slow. I'm completely jealous and in awe of those who can read quickly and still absorb the information. I'm an avid reader, so it's not as if I don't get loads of practice. But sometimes I'll go back over a sentence or paragraph again because I haven't quite got the sense of it - and that's with me reading at an average speed!

I would be interested to know how fast readers get along with audio books though. They must seem ploddingly slow!

Oh, and I do hear a voice in my head when I'm reading, so that probably slows me down considerably.

I like to write (as a hobby) and sometimes I think I would be a bit offended if someone were to speed read through my carefully chosen words. Having read some of the responses on here though, it would seem that those who do read quickly, don't miss stuff - they're just quicker. Gah!!!

I read one in a day last week. It was recommended to me in the morning , I downloaded it onto my Kindle and read for an hour in an airport lounge. Then four hours on a plane. Got home and had some dinner, then read all evening and into the night . By midnight I'd finished . It was about 450 pages and I didn't miss any. . I didn't think that was unusual - I've done it many times when I've really liked the book.

Fast reader here. A book that size would take me just over 1hr.

I used to do this often pre children.

I did a literature degree decades ago and used to need to read around 5 novels per week plus literary criticism. Obviously I had no responsibility to anyone but myself and a better ability to concentrate than I do now and the internet was in its infancy and only used by a few computer science students in the computer science room...

I do it all the time. I'm a very quick reader though. I do the thing (some people on here may know what I mean) where I see a sentence and it's like I've read it. It doesn't make sense unless you can do it I don't think.

Fast reader here, like others I could easily read a short book in a couple of hours. I've lost the ability to concentrate for a full day (thanks internet) but I used to when I was young. I do skim read but I take it all in, I can glance over a few lines and know what they say without needed to read every word - in fact that would be incredibly boring! A pp asked about audio books - I'm not a fan. I tend to zone out and stop listening, and I never feel I've really 'read' the story - I couldn't tell you what happened the way I could if I'd read it on a page.

My partner reads at talking speed and I have no idea how he reads so slow. No wonder he doesn't read for pleasure.

I would be interested to know how fast readers get along with audio books though. They must seem ploddingly slow!

For me they are only for when I’m doing something else - gardening, cooking, running, commuting while playing Candy Crush or falling asleep.

I’m an another who skims over the descriptions when I’m reading, most of the time. I’m currently reading Harry Potter out loud to my eldest and now realise how repetitive some of the descriptive passages are. HARRY IS ANGRY AND CONFLICTED WE GET IT OK.

The flipside is that I can reread a book over and over very happily, and will often get more out of it the second time around.

As I said in a pp, I read fast. I however can't get on at all with audio books though, they irritate me!

It's weird, I sort of just have to see the words and they're in my brain. I don't have to read and process each word of that makes sense?

It's come in handy in a my previous work life where I had to read deathly dull contracts and understand them. Although I always got given the really meaty ones or the bulk ones because I got through them quicker than anyone else so wasn't always a good thing.

DH often comments that I almost ruin books for myself because I read them too quickly. I do reread happily though if I've enjoyed something.

Oh I miss reading regularly, or having hours to spend on a book. Can't wait for my children to be older (baby and preschooler!) so I have time to do that again lots .

I can read a 400 page book easily in one evening. I read 3 last week...
I'm Hyperlexic though and once read 8 books in one week 😂

motheroftinydragons I'm like that. I don't like audio books. I need things written down.

I'm doing an extra qualification atm and it's really not suited to my leaning style at all. Too much learning by doing learning through play and learning by talking in small groups, and listening to a lecturer who speaks colloquially and loves idioms. It's also not in my mother tongue, and I really struggle to take in what I'm meant to retain.

I far prefer written materials. I am a visual learner and need to see written words!

yep blackprism hyperlexic here too... I could read adult books at 2.5. A light novel at full tilt would take me about 1-2 hours, depending on length.
I deliberately slow myself down by only allowing myself so many chapters, reading many books at once and interspersing fiction with difficult (philosophy, physics) non fiction, as books are expensive. A book with less than about 300 pages is rarely worth buying as I could finish it on the bus home if I'm not careful. I've been known to buy a book through my kindle, read it and return it the same day for a refund. You have to be careful doing that too much though.

I cant do it, and especially if im enjoying a book I want to slow down, have seen my dh do it though, he got a book he wanted for xmas one year whern we didn't have family over that year , went to bed with a selection box after we had done santa and breakfast, and read full book by time I had dinner on table, kept saying what a relaxing xmas he had !

I've done this, I'm a fast reader - the sitting is usually on a beach in these instances, over four or five hours, not in my lunch break!

I read very quickly. I read a whole book on a flight at the weekend.

Before kindles it was a nightmare packing as I would allow almost a book a day for holidays!

Can't do audiobooks or someone reading something out to me. Drives me mad

I spent a Saturday afternoon and evening recently reading a library book in one go. My children are old enough to bring me cups of tea to counter dehydration! I did also take a break to make and eat dinner.

However it was a very simply written book and it had been years since I had done this. Mainly due to having young children!

I do find audio books difficult. I had started to listen while doing tasks but then I think I may have missed bits and have to rewind.