“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?

Anything with dialect or odd spellings slows me right down - Feersum Endjinn is the only Ian M Banks I haven’t re-read, and I never get on with graphic novels.

I overheard my dd1 teaching my dd2 to read in her head (they were sharing a room, dd1 was sick of hearing her sister’s stories) and explaining to dd2 that it was much better because it would mean she could read faster and find out what happened sooner.

This comes across as really dismissive of other people’s reading styles.

It wasn't intended to be. I am a scientist and a very spatial thinker, can't describe something without drawing it so to not have a 3D picture of the characters in my head would be impossible for me. It's like when I found out some people dream in black and white or some people dream with no sound. Just different, not worse. I'll happily read something with no real plot, is that any different to skimming over descriptive passages?

That was me that wrote '100 pages a minute', I meant 100 pages an hour, obviously.

I thought so, Black!

I'm not even sure I could turn the pages at 100 a minute, let alone read them.

If it’s poorly written then a 400 page book could easily be read in 2 hours. A lot of it depends on the quality of the read. And obviously for some people one sitting could be 6 hours long or whatever. I used to frequently read books in a single sitting-it’s better that way,

When i have time i can read a whole book in one sitting, i read like crazy tho and used to get through about 300 a year before kids now I'm about 100/150 a year

@ninkaninus the idiot is a surprisingly quick read. Fewer mental contortions that some of his more ambitious novels. Not very memorable though. I’m pretty sure I read it at least twice before I realised I read it before..,

There were three of us born within 26 months oldest to youngest (plus 2 younger siblings). We grew up reading the same books and urging each other on to finish reading a book so the other 2 could read it. As a result we were all excellent speed readers, My uncle had a speed reading course that we tried but didn’t understand as even on the fastest setting we had no trouble reading and absorbing the information - so, in our minds, what was the point?

I don’t read as many books these days - far too much time ‘wasted’ on the internet - but in the days of new Harry Potter releases used to let my young children read the newly released book during the day and then finish it in one sitting once they went to bed.

I just did a reading speed test. 344 words per minute and 100% comprehension - which was lucky as I wasn't expecting to be asked questions! 😁

I slow down a bit for more complicated books. Kept a record once of books that I read out of interest to see how many and it was 366 in a year

This is Mumsnet op. Everyone here reads literature prolifically

I read very fast but I have a lot of distractions these days. I've kept track of the books I've read for the last 10 years - actually I had some records of what I'd read before that but sadly I lost them when an old computer died. This has ranged from 49 in 2009 (DS2 was born) to 359 in 2011, though for the last 3 years it's been a lot lower - 111/114/116 - in at least two of those years I had a month or two where I only finished one book. I'd like to pick it up again slightly but suspect I'm on a course for a similar level for the 4th year in a row.

I think that I actually read a bit too fast - I can read and comprehend fairly quickly but I also forget very fast. Unweavedrainbow, do you not go to the library?

In the salad days of my English degree, I sometimes ploughed through two books in a day, in one sitting.

I usually read books in one sitting

Many books have audiobook lengths of six hours or less. And you might read faster than a narrator speaks.

TBH I can't remember 100% if I have read a book in one session, but pretty sure I read I Am Legend in two sessions.

Although I may have read 'Salem's Lot in a single session as a teenager, but that may have been an abridged version. I suspect that because the audiobook is 17 hours and can't imagine that I read all that in one go, even at my fastest speed.

I don't think I've ever read a book in one sitting since I was a child but I have read one book over two days when I read it in bed both nights if it's particularly good.

I've always read the Harry Potter books in one sitting on release. Would start on a day no school or work and just not stop bar eat and pee lol.
I'm still like it now with rom com books.
My husband can't get his head around it.
I'll start reading a book around lunchtime land finish it by early evening

I am a slow reader despite coming top in anything to do with English or writing at school, uni etc.

yes in one sitting 'bravo two zero' by andy McNab just sat at top of stairs and didnt move it was enthralling not my type of book at all but so gripping

I can read a 400 page book in 3.5 hours.

I was 9 when Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire came out and I finished it the day I bought it.

I don't get much chance to read with young children now. I've read maybe 10 books in 6 years. I really miss it.

The last 3-4 Harry potters were all collected 9am and finished by 5pm. Probably a break for lunch. I can read stuff quick!

See, I don’t know how you can read 25 pages a day and still remember what is happening when you go back to it. It would be like watching a film five minutes at a time.

I read much less post-DC, but if I am reading I read the whole book at once, or at least over a weekend, so I keep the plot in my head.

Littleandoften my dd 10yrs is part of a book club at school & they meet once a month.

She reads the book over the first 2-3 days & then grumbles about having to wait ages to discuss it. I asked her if she was going to re-read it the week before the meet up but she told me all about it, characters, plot, exciting bits etc so has a great memory!

She reads about 8 - 10 books a month & will often read 2 - 3 at a time just dipping in & out of what she fancies.

I used to do it the night the Harry Potter books were released. I was only a teenager living at home though.