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Cover of The Drowned World

How long does it take to read The Drowned World?

J. G. Ballard

The Drowned World by J. G. Ballard takes about 3 hours 13 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.

About 3 hours 13 minutes

A weekend read

First published 1962. 175 pages, about 48,125 words.

7 days at 30 minutes a day

Estimate based on 275 words per page.

At other speeds

Slow, 150 words a minute 5 hours 21 minutes
Average, 250 words a minute 3 hours 13 minutes
Fast, 400 words a minute 2 hours

The page count is the median across 23 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.

About the book

Fluctuations in solar radiation have melted the ice caps, sending the planet into a new Triassic Age of unendurable heat. London is a swamp; lush tropical vegetation grows up the walls of the Ritz and primeval reptiles are sighted, swimming through the newly-formed lagoons. Some flee the capital; others remain to pursue reckless schemes, either in the name of science or profit. While the submerged streets of London are drained in search of treasure, Dr Robert Kerans - part of a group of intrepid scientists - comes to accept this submarine city and finds himself strangely resistant to the idea of saving it. (via 2014 Fourth Estate edition)

Subjects: English fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy fiction, Global warming, Fiction, Dystopia

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