How long does it take to read R.U.R. and The Insect Play?
Karel Čapek, Josef Čapek
R.U.R. and The Insect Play by Karel Čapek, Josef Čapek takes about 1 hour 59 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.
About 1 hour 59 minutes
An evening's read
First published 1920. 108 pages, about 29,700 words.
4 days at 30 minutes a day
Estimate based on 275 words per page.
At other speeds
| Slow, 150 words a minute | 3 hours 18 minutes |
| Average, 250 words a minute | 1 hour 59 minutes |
| Fast, 400 words a minute | 1 hour 14 minutes |
The page count is the median across 147 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.
About the book
"In 1920 Čapek wrote what was to become his most famous work, the play 'R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)', a meditation on the themes of humanity and subjugation that introduced the 'robot'. He was prolific throughout the 1920s, his plays addressing a range of subjects, although best remembered as a writer of early science fiction. Čapek also dealt with contemporary moral and political issues, including the rise of corporations and European fascism"-- "Determined to liberate the mass-produced but highly intelligent robots forged in the machinery of Rossum's island factory, Helena Glory arrives in a blaze of righteousness. Soon perplexed by the robots' seeming humanity but absolute lack of sentience, she deserts her strident campaigning and falls in love with Domin, the factory's General Manager. Yet even as their life on the island appears to become more comfortable, the tide is turning against the humans ... Drawing huge international attention following its original production in 1921, 'Rossum's Universal Robots' was a strikingly prescient meditation on the themes of humanity and subjugation that were to dominate the twentieth century. Seen as a precursor to works including Huxley's 'Brave New world', it is a true classic of the dystopian genre, and remains all too resonant"--
Subjects: Czech drama, Fiction, Science Fiction, Drama, Technological innovations, Robots
