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How long does it take to read The War of the Worlds?

H. G. Wells

The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells takes about 3 hours 47 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.

About 3 hours 47 minutes

A weekend read

First published 1898. 206 pages, about 56,650 words. Written for children.

8 days at 30 minutes a day

Estimate based on 275 words per page.

At other speeds

Slow, 150 words a minute 6 hours 18 minutes
Average, 250 words a minute 3 hours 47 minutes
Fast, 400 words a minute 2 hours 22 minutes

The page count is the median across 457 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.

About the book

The ultimate science fiction classic: for more than one hundred years, this compelling tale of the Martian invasion of Earth has enthralled readers with a combination of imagination and incisive commentary on the imbalance of power that continues to be relevant today. The style is revolutionary for its era, employing a sophisticated first and third person account of the events which is both personal and focused on the holistic downfall of Earth's society. The Martians, as evil, mechanical and unknown a threat they are, remain daunting in today's society, where, despite technology's mammoth advances, humanity's hegemony over Earth is yet to be called into question. In Well's introduction to the book, where the character discusses with the later deceased Ogilvy about astronomy and the possibility of alien life defeating the 'savage' (to them) nineteenth-century Britain, is he insinuating that this is the truth and fate of humanity? It's up to you to decide…

Content warnings (AI-checked, may be incomplete)
  • violence
  • war

How these are chosen

Subjects: Imaginary wars and battles, Juvenile fiction, Space warfare, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fiction, Diseases

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