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How long does it take to read The Light of Asia?

Edwin Arnold

The Light of Asia by Edwin Arnold takes about 3 hours 40 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.

About 3 hours 40 minutes

A weekend read

First published 1879. 200 pages, about 55,000 words.

8 days at 30 minutes a day

Estimate based on 275 words per page.

At other speeds

Slow, 150 words a minute 6 hours 7 minutes
Average, 250 words a minute 3 hours 40 minutes
Fast, 400 words a minute 2 hours 18 minutes

The page count is the median across 115 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.

About the book

In this poetic masterpiece, Sir Edwin Arnold describes the life and teachings of Buddha. The man who was to become known as Buddha to the world was born as Prince Gautama of India but he rejected the worldly riches and abandoned the reigns of power when he embarked on a journey to discover the meaning of life. This poem reveals Buddha's life from the Buddhist perspective but you don't have to be a Buddhist to appreciate this poetic work. As you read about Buddha's journey you will embark on your own course of discovery. First published in 1879, the book has become a classic and has been published in many editions and many languages. Not only is it deeply philosophical in nature, but because of its poetic form and its narrative of the dramatic incidents in Siddhartha's life, it is delightful and absorbing reading.

Subjects: Poetry, Buddhas, Buddha (The concept), Buddhism, Bouddhas, Poésie

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