I’ve just recently learned that I’m a slow reader. I’m 25 and consider myself to be an academic. I always had good grades and enjoyed reading assignments. I’ve known that I read academic texts slowly because I take notes and try to fully understand everything, but I just recently started reading fiction again for the first time since high school and have been devouring my book. I’ve been reading about 100 pages every 3 hours with few interruptions. I’m not taking notes or anything and don’t feel distracted or need to re-read passages. It feels like I’m breezing through this, but I guess 60 pages an hour is the average.
I have no problem with how I read and actually enjoy it, but I was just curious if anyone else finds themselves in the same boat? Everything that I’ve read about this attributes slow reading to perfectionism or things like ADHD & dyslexia but I don’t feel any of those to be the case. Just curious if anyone else is in the same boat. It may be a silly inquiry, but curiosity has taken hold of me.
by JetBlackPope108
8 Comments
I am a slow reader too and I have a degree in both English and Latin literature. Although I should say that I might have ADHD (undiagnosed). I would never manage 60 pages an hour unless I skim or unless there‘s a lot of dialogue on these pages.
I don‘t think reading slowly necessarily means that you are less intelligent. I understand that it can be annoying when others can read more books in less time, but I wouldn‘t worry about it. Reading novels/ literature should be fun and not a competition.
I am a slow reader as well. I subvocalize as I read, which I guess is considered a bad habit.
Being a slow reader used to bother me in school and occasionally still does at work, any time someone requests “take the next 5 minutes and read this…”
But my trading speed hasn’t ever occurred to me while reading for pleasure, so I guess I don’t usually “feel” like I read slowly.
God if 60 pages and hour is average then I am well below lol. I read extremely slowly apparently and often repeatedly. I tend to really favor books many would consider purple prose or “flowery” prose. I find it so enjoyable to read pretty words outloud. I also tend to lean towards books that inspire me to think deeply and organize my own ideas so I will literally just sit the book down and think about it for awhile.
Idk about any of the ADD and stuff like that. I am most likely on the spectrum as autism is prevalent in my family and I have many symptoms people would consider (sometimes mockingly) autistic. I never really cared much for the diagnosis of wannabe doctors though and am not really a fan of it coloring my experience as a reader for people to just label under what ever *Other* category they have.
I just tried to time how fast I could read one page. It took me about a minute on average. So technically I should be reading 60 pages per hour, which is in line with this statistic. But I don’t usually read like that, and it didn’t give me any pleasure to read at that speed. There are tense moments in books that I’m incredibly interested in, and then I read relatively fast, but most of the time I read so much slower. I don’t know what kind of reader that makes me. Theoretically fast but realistically slow I guess.
Fiction, I fly through. Nonfiction not so much.
Everyone reads at their own pace and to their own enjoyment. I am a very fast reader, that doesn’t make me or my enjoyment any different, better or worse to yours. You keep reading to how you get the best out of what you are reading
Reading 60 pages an hour absolutely is not average. I read 25-30ish pages an hour, so you’re faster than I am. Even if it was slow, who cares? Just read.
When my wife (an avid reader) reads, she does so with almost deliberate intent. Kind of like a foodie who enjoys and savors the experience of eating, but with books.
I have ADHD and I “process” blocks of text. When I get going I can do about 3-6 pages a minute depending on the complexity of the content with a high level of accuracy and retention.
She’s highly intelligent and has a masters’ degree. I’ve got an associates’ because I couldn’t suffer the academic environment. I don’t think reading speed has anything to do with academic ability or mental proficiency.