The Bible Between Harry Potter and War and Peace

The Bible Between Harry Potter and War and Peace May 3, 2015

The Washington Post shared an infographic from Personal Creations (below) which compares how long it will take an average reader, at an average speed, to read various works of literature.

I’d like to suggest that a simple comparison of page numbers isn’t a good guideline – or at least, if you are reading a compilation of ancient literature translated from other languages at the same speed as you read a modern novel, then you are almost certainly reading the former too quickly and too superficially.

In some kinds of reading, skimming across the surface of the pages may work just fine to entertain you. But in other kinds of reading, a slower place, allowing time for reflection (not to mention the looking up of unfamiliar words, names, and historical references) is essential.

It is interesting that the Bible doesn’t get an asterisk for being a ‘series of books.’ Of course, you rarely find them published separately nowadays, but it is still important to recall that the Bible is a collection, even if bound into a single volume.

How long to read


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