How long does it take to read The Elements of Eloquence?
Mark Forsyth
The Elements of Eloquence by Mark Forsyth takes about 4 hours 6 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.
About 4 hours 6 minutes
A weekend read
First published 2013. 224 pages, about 61,600 words.
9 days at 30 minutes a day
Estimate based on 275 words per page.
At other speeds
| Slow, 150 words a minute | 6 hours 51 minutes |
| Average, 250 words a minute | 4 hours 6 minutes |
| Fast, 400 words a minute | 2 hours 34 minutes |
The page count is the median across 6 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.
About the book
From classic poetry to pop lyrics, from Charles Dickens to Dolly Parton, even from Jesus to James Bond, Mark Forsyth explains the secrets that make a phrase--such as "O Captain! My Captain!" or "To be or not to be"--memorable. In his inimitably entertaining and wonderfully witty style, he takes apart famous phrases and shows how you too can write like Shakespeare or quip like Oscar Wilde. Whether you're aiming to achieve literary immortality or just hoping to deliver the perfect one-liner, The Elements of Eloquence proves that you don't need to have anything important to say--you simply need to say it well. In an age unhealthily obsessed with the power of substance, this is a book that highlights the importance of style.
Subjects: Style
