“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?

@user1469530553 that's amazing!

I've done it only a few times. I'm a fast reader and I've done it with books that are modern fiction, so will be faster reading than older novels, and probably more like 300 pages or less.

And I've curled up in a comfy chair on a rainy day, with a break for afternoon tea with a pile of cucumber sandwiches.

I do this all the time. I read a book a week though so my reading muscle is strong.

Pre DC I used to regularly read books in one sitting. It would take me between 5 and 7 hours depending on the length and complexity of the book. A bit longer if I wasn't reading a book in English

Last week i got really into a book and read the second half of it between mid afternoon and bedtime. That was also while making tea and with breaks to do the bedtime routine. If i'd have been on holiday and engrossed from the start i easily could have read it in a day.

I'm a strict DNFer too. If i'm not enjoying it by 100 pages it goes. A crap book can put me off my stride for weeks!

I can do 60 pages an hour, more if I’m really into the book. Or if the print is relatively large! So if I have a few hours to spare and a good book I can easily do it in one sitting. Saying that, I rarely get the opportunity these days as I have a demanding four year old!

I should add, that’s if it’s fiction. When I was an academic, I’d average 10-15 pages an hour if making notes at the same time, and thought I’d had a great day if I managed to read three scholarly articles in one day (History).

I have listened to some quite long audiobooks in one go… I remember I listen to when the mountains echoed in one day, and a few others.

I am a fast reader and have read many a book in one sitting, pre-children. But @Oblomov19 that simply can’t be true. You would have to read over 400 words a minute for every minute in an entire 24 hours to read War and Peace in one sitting. Unless it was abridged.

Yep I do this if I'm really enjoying a book!

I have very occasionally done this, but less often (and possibly not at all) since becoming a parent. I remember doing it with The Secret History - I began it on a flight home from Spain and then carried on reading when I came through the front door even though I should have been getting on with unpacking and so on. I also remember doing it with Frankenstein when I was a student, but that's quite short. When I was a kid I used to do it quite often but those were the days when I had aeons of free time.

Yes easily - especially on holiday. I am a very fast reader though and I can easily do 8-9 hours with only brief pauses for food!
I usually get through 5-6 novels on a weeks holiday (it is just me and DH though so I can sit and read uninterrupted).
About to have DC1 though so that'll all stop!