How long does it take to read The Picture of Dorian Gray?
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is 78,652 words long. At an average reading speed of 250 words per minute, it takes about 5 hours 15 minutes to read — a normal-length novel.
Reading time at your speed
Reading speed varies more than most people expect — the gap between a slow and a fast reader is more than double. Find your row, or take the reading speed test to get your real number first.
| Reading speed | Words per minute | Time to finish |
|---|---|---|
| Slowcareful reading, or reading in a second language | 150 wpm | 8 hours 44 minutes |
| Below averageunhurried, easily distracted, or a dense text | 200 wpm | 6 hours 33 minutes |
| Averagewhat most adults read at | 250 wpm | 5 hours 15 minutes |
| Fasta confident, practised reader | 325 wpm | 4 hours 2 minutes |
| Very fastskimming, or very familiar material | 400 wpm | 3 hours 17 minutes |
These times assume you read English comfortably. Dense prose and period vocabulary slow most readers down, so if this is your first classic in English, plan for noticeably longer than the table says.
How long if you read a bit each day?
Almost nobody reads a novel in one sitting. Here is how The Picture of Dorian Gray breaks down at an average 250 wpm, depending on how much time you give it each day.
| Reading a day | Days to finish | That is |
|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes | 32 days | about 1 months |
| 15 minutes | 21 days | about 3 weeks |
| 30 minutes | 11 days | about a week |
| 60 minutes | 6 days | 6 days |
How long is each chapter?
The Picture of Dorian Gray has 20 chapters, averaging 3,933 words — about 16m each. The longest is Chapter 11 at 29m; the shortest is Chapter 17 at 7m. Useful if you read a chapter a night.
Chapter times at 250 wpm.
Start The Picture of Dorian Gray today
250 pages, level B2-C1. Free on the 12-month plan, with a reading tracker, tap-to-translate vocabulary and a short quiz.
Common questions
How long does it take to read The Picture of Dorian Gray?
The Picture of Dorian Gray is 78,652 words long. At an average adult reading speed of 250 words per minute that is about 5 hours 15 minutes. A slower reader at 150 wpm needs around 8 hours 44 minutes; a fast reader at 400 wpm finishes in roughly 3 hours 17 minutes.
How many words is The Picture of Dorian Gray?
The Picture of Dorian Gray is 78,652 words across 20 chapters, which is a normal-length novel. Of the 26 classics on readClassicly, 6 are longer and 19 are shorter.
Can I read The Picture of Dorian Gray in a day?
It is possible, but it would take most of a day. At 250 wpm The Picture of Dorian Gray runs to about 5 hours 15 minutes of continuous reading. Spread over 6 days at an hour a day it is far more comfortable.
Is The Picture of Dorian Gray hard to read?
At CEFR level B2-C1, The Picture of Dorian Gray is moderately challenging, best suited to strong B2 to C1 readers. You can read it free at readClassicly and tap any word you don't know to look it up, which keeps a harder classic from stalling you.
Reading a classic to learn English?
readClassicly has a free plan for English reading for beginners: graded classic stories with tap-to-define words, audio, and a short quiz after each one. Start at your level and build up to full books like this one. If you are just starting, begin with the short English stories for beginners.