How fast do you read (in your head)?

[McEwan]

I hope this is the appropriate place to post this.

I would like to ask how fast you read fiction. I read a lot for my work and I also frequently read non-fiction. Often I find I can read quickly and grasp the main points, sufficiently to do my job and be informed. However, when I read fiction, I find if I read literary novels in a similar way, I don’t grasp the story, and I have to go back to re-read passages. Do you find you have to slow down when you read fiction, and if so, how much? Do you ever read at “talking pace”? Interested in how others read

I prefer to read fiction much slower because I am interested in its plot

I read very fast, and skim read a lot. I can take in the jist of the story just by scanning a paragraph. I do miss things because I skim read (I have to force myself to read work stuff properly!) but I get through novels very quickly.

My partner doesn't read books - he wasn't bought up with them in the house and doesn't enjoy reading. He reads every word on the page, at talking speed. I find it very odd, I can't read that slowly - my eyes run off ahead!

I find the same thing sometimes - that I'm reading too fast to a) get the subtleties of the plot and b) to enjoy the language. I get frustrated when a book has been hanging around for too long though or if it isn't gripping me to the extent that I can't wait to get back to it.

When I'm really into something though I read fast and on the VERY rare occasions that I get the chance, I can read a whole book in a day.

Very fast too! We didn’t have a tv for some of the time when I was a kid (Brit in Kenya) and through having not much else to do I read loads. I was reading adult books through lack of new books and would skip through pages to get gist of things and ignore what I didn’t understand. I still scan and skip through easy reads but have to really stop myself doing that to actually focus on books that deserve it. Finished Hamnet 2/3 weeks ago and the writing was so beautiful I did drag reading sentences out in my head!

I read very fast with fiction, slower with technical reading for work where I need to be sure I’ve understood new concepts. I typically read a 400 page book in about 3-3.5 hours. I have a Kindle Unlimited subscription because it’s just too expensive to keep buying books. I’ve read six books since Friday (had a couple of nights where I couldn’t sleep to extra reading time).

I read very quickly, and would generally read fiction more quickly because I find it more interesting. I could read a novel in a day easily. But I have discovered I am a bit weird in that I don't picture things in my head as I read - I just hear the words, I don't 'see' anything. Hadn't realised other people did until a few years ago! I've wondered whether I can read more quickly than most as a result of that. Anyone else here similar? (It's also apparently linked to being unable to sing / tone deaf, which I definitely am as well!)

www.readingsoft.com/index.html#results

You can test yourself here

@SirSamuelVimes. That’s really interesting - I don’t see pictures in my head and I am a fast reader. I am also tone deaf (how is this linked?)

I can skim read. But I read very very quickly aswell. I normally get through a book in a day.

@SirSamuelVimes @Bettafish I’m the same! I often skip long descroptions as they are fairly meaningless to me.

I read fast I would say, I also can picture it in my head, so I read it and there is a slight delay of the “scene” playing out in my head.

@Bettafish

www.readingsoft.com/index.html#results

You can test yourself here

@SirSamuelVimes. That’s really interesting - I don’t see pictures in my head and I am a fast reader. I am also tone deaf (how is this linked?)

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia#:~:text=Aphantasia%20is%20the%20inability%20to,the%20inability%20to%20recognize%20faces.

This is the not seeing pictures thing, aphantasia. Can't remember the link to tone deafness, will Google further!

@SirSamuelVimes and @Frenchfemme - we can form a little clique. How nice to have a name for the condition (it helps with googling) This is a good article.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/when-the-minds-eye-is-blind1/

I read very fast. DH won't watch House of Games with me anymore because the minute the questions come up I've read them, processed it and called out the answer before Richard has finished reading the question out loud.

I can understand that's annoying.

I can read pretty fast u think. Depends what I'm reading and my surrounding.

Just got 334 wpm on the test above.

I'm a fast reader. I got 986wpm in that test and 82% comprehension.

I read fiction a lot more smoothly . With non-fiction I just skim and
Pick out the main facts.

Ooh I'm going to do that test later. Fun!

449 wpm and 89% comprehension.

@QueenofBrickdon you are crazy fast!

I came out as about 427 words per minute. I didn’t do the comprehension test.

My grandmother reads quite fast but then doesn’t actually remember what she’s read! If you read incredibly fast, do you actually remember what happens in books or not?

I don't read fiction that fast. Something like 600 wpm I think. Yes I do remember what I read. I think it's just practice, I read most of the time as a child so that helps!

See I definitely read fiction faster. There were far too many numbers in the test text; numbers cause confusion and delay!

I was 638 wpm and 73% comprehension. According to the article, QueenofBrickdon is near to the top 1%

I got 403 words per minute with 82 per cent comprehension. I'm certain I read fiction a lot faster. I had to concentrate on that piece because of the facts and figures.

I'm past middle aged now, so very happy with that score.

@SirSamuelVimes maybe that's why I did well on it. I have a good head for numbers and remember them very easily!

I tend to skim read, but enjoy rereading books and feel like I go a bit slower then, I’m not in a rush to find out what happens next and can pick up the details I missed the first time.

I read very fast, and don't always have good comprehension (or skip over the too descriptive parts) because I too do not see pictures. Just the words. I find it hard to see pictures in my head, full stop.

However, I just did that test and panicked, reread and reread and did the maths, and forgot timing. So got 289 (!) and 100% accuracy. Guess my slowing down gave me good retention.