How long does it take to read The Turn of the Screw?
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James is 39,965 words long. At an average reading speed of 250 words per minute, it takes about 2 hours 40 minutes to read: an evening or two.
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 | 4 hours 26 minutes |
| Below averageunhurried, easily distracted, or a dense text | 200 wpm | 3 hours 20 minutes |
| Averagewhat most adults read at | 250 wpm | 2 hours 40 minutes |
| Fasta confident, practised reader | 325 wpm | 2 hours 3 minutes |
| Very fastskimming, or very familiar material | 400 wpm | 1 hour 40 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 Turn of the Screw 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 | 16 days | about 2 weeks |
| 15 minutes | 11 days | about a week |
| 30 minutes | 6 days | 6 days |
| 60 minutes | 3 days | 3 days |
How long is each chapter?
The Turn of the Screw has 24 chapters, averaging 1,665 words, about 7m each. The longest is Chapter 6 at 11m; the shortest is Chapter 16 at 4m. Useful if you read a chapter a night.
Chapter times at 250 wpm.
You could start The Turn of the Screw tonight
Read it free online, no account needed. 24 chapters, tap any word to look it up, and a short quiz at the end.
Common questions
How long does it take to read The Turn of the Screw?
The Turn of the Screw is 39,965 words long. At an average adult reading speed of 250 words per minute that is about 2 hours 40 minutes. A slower reader at 150 wpm needs around 4 hours 26 minutes; a fast reader at 400 wpm finishes in roughly 1 hour 40 minutes.
How many words is The Turn of the Screw?
The Turn of the Screw is 39,965 words across 24 chapters, which is an evening or two. Of the 33 classics on ReadClassicly, 17 are longer and 15 are shorter.
Can I read The Turn of the Screw in a day?
Yes. At an average speed it takes about 2 hours 40 minutes, so The Turn of the Screw is comfortably a one-day read: an afternoon, or an evening if you don't stop.
Is The Turn of the Screw hard to read?
At CEFR level B2-C1, The Turn of the Screw 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.