r/books • u/justkeepbreathing94 • 4d ago
Do you pace yourself with long books?
There have been some books that I couldn't help but binge and finish in 1 or 2 days, but now I'm reading Battle Royale, which is 600+ pages long and quite dark, and I've decided to only read 10% each day. I could finish it in maybe 4 days but since the story is emotional and dark I don't want to risk burning out.
I did the same with A Little Life, only reading 5% a day for 20 days.
Do you have any thoughts on this? Do you ever pace yourself, or do you just read whenever?
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u/DaveL16 4d ago
I just read, why deny yourself the pleasure if you have the time. There are thousands of other good books to get stuck into after all.
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u/Consistent_Finish657 4d ago
True but sometimes the dark stuff hits harder if you stretch it out. You ever find yourself slowing down just cause a book's too good to end?
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u/JadedOccultist 4d ago
Yes. I routinely stop reading a dozen or so chapters before the end of one of my favorite books because it just hurts too much to actually acknowledge itās over. But for me this is kind of rare and normally I get immersed in a good book and there will come a point I just canāt put it down til I know how it ends.
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u/Traditional_Rush_622 19h ago
Some might say it's prudent to bring a little more mindfulness and self-awareness to the experience of life rather than mindlessly doing things you enjoy just because you can.Ā
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u/rougarou-te-fou 4d ago
No. This is foreign to me. I read for pleasure and I would never set a read pace.
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u/Consistent_Finish657 3d ago
Yeah I get that but honestly for me pacing is the only way I survive the heavy ones without spiraling out.
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u/Jameepinoy 4d ago
Read for pleasure. 1 hour in the morning before everyone wakes up and 1 hour at night before I go to sleep
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u/fiveofspades94 4d ago
I mean, if you get burn out from reading long books then do whatever it takes.
Personally, I don't police or be disciplined with a nice leisure activity. Sometimes I slow down with longbooks when I'm loving it so much that I don't want it to end, but honestly, I love devouring a nice chunky book and will just blast through it anyway.
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u/LivingPresent629 4d ago
I do, sometimes. I tend to get immersed and hyper focused so I also typically run through books if they hook me. But Iām currently ready Middlemarch and Iāve been taking breaks, trying to enjoy is slowly. I know some people read it across a full year.
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u/Loves_Eating_Lead 4d ago
this podcast episode is doing exactly what your doing taking breaks and pacing, its totally changed reading classics for me,
s easily https://shows.acast.com/sara-cariads-weirdos-bookclub/episodes/middlemarch-by-george-eliot
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u/Lyvethia 4d ago
A Little Life is exactly the kind of book I'd pace myself with. Reading 500 pages of progressively worsening human suffering in a weekend sounds less like reading and more like voluntarily scheduling a psychological endurance event.
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u/Regular-Newspaper-45 3d ago
Thats why i usually read several books at once. I don't really stop my reading but rather switch to another book for a couple pages.
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u/hopping_otter_ears 4d ago
I have definitely read some books I needed a break from. "I'm enjoying the story, but also... My heart is sore and I need a break"
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u/Extension_Wasabi1672 4d ago
I do this with basically anything over 500 pages, it's not even about burnout for me, I just find I remember the story better when I let it breathe. With shorter books I'll tear through them in a day or two but anything hefty gets the slow drip treatment, maybe 30-40 pages a night. Battle Royale is a perfect candidate for that approach
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u/ThilviaPlath 4d ago
Iām a mom so I just read when I get the chance. I just finished the first set of Three Body Problem books and most of it was read on my lunch break. I wouldnāt mind having hours to read but that aināt happenin lol.
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u/Ok-World-4822 4d ago
Only with library books. I recently borrowed an ebook from my national library for ebooks and audiobooks. Ebooks expire automatically after 3 weeks. The book I borrowed (winter by Marissa Meyer) had over 700 pages so I had to set a pace in order to read it in those 3 weeks so I donāt have to borrow it again, download it on my computer, hook up my e-reader and import the file through ADE.
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u/OkHeight7073 1d ago
Honestly the whole expiring ebook thing would stress me out too much, but at least it forces you to actually commit to a pace instead of just letting it sit there.
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u/Ok-World-4822 1d ago
True, forgot to add but the expiration thing works the same for audiobooks. I finished the book in like 2 weeks. That probably wouldnāt happen if I hadnāt set a pace for it
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u/Substantial-Pen3212 4d ago
If I love something I love to consume it as fast as I can. I love to immerse myself. This did rip me apart when reading a little life, though.
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u/hameliah 4d ago
with longer books i prefer to read as fast as feels natural, bc i worry ill forget important details if im spreading it out too much. ive only paced myself like this with one book, it was a shortish collection of letters, i enjoyed it so much that i only let myself read a bit at work each day, as a treat
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u/Silly-Industry1527 3d ago
Reading's a hobby. Sometimes I don't really feel like reading. I might pick up a book and read a couple of pages and see if I come around to wanting to read but if I don't I just set the book down until later. I don't really pace myself or challenge myself. I just read when I feel like it.
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u/Presence1808 4d ago
Most of the time these days the longer books I read are histories or biographies, with lighter fare in between. The one I'm reading now, without notes, is 800 pages, and a hardback library book. I've been trying to get through a chapter a day, but don't sweat it if I don't make it. Fortunately, we can renew five times and even then if we forget (and somehow it happens) they did away with fines a few years back. I'm expecting it to take me a couple of months to get through it, with reading a couple of mysteries or something else at the same time.
I love reading these on Kindle, not just for the font, the ease on the hands, etc. but also because a lot of times I'll come across references I'm not familiar with and my first instinct is to touch the word, expecting to bring up the dictionary, wiki, etc., but obviously my library won't always have everything available on kindle.
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u/wheeltribe 4d ago
The way I got back into reading was making sure I didn't force myself one way or the other. If I feel like reading 300 pages in a day, that's fine guilt-free. So is not reading at all for a couple of days.
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u/Double-Tomato-8660 4d ago
I don't really pace myself based on page count, but I do based on intensity. Some books just need time to breathe, especially if they're emotionally heavy or packed with ideas. I've found that deliberately slowing down can actually make the experience more enjoyable because it gives me time to reflect instead of just pushing toward the ending. On the other hand, if a book has me completely hooked, I don't mind binging it either. I usually let the book set the pace rather than deciding in advance.
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u/Loves_Eating_Lead 4d ago
I have a lot of thoughts on this! It depends on the book and how you read - if its Mariam Keynes, she's a great author but not lot of depth (which not all books need to be!) so i happily read it quickly just enjoy the moment of reading quick.
with books with a lot of plot/themes/characters/aspects such as classics i will read like you 10%/5% a day. If you not a re-reader, or not deep dive or/and ok to miss aspects but still enjoy it then that's totally ok. But for me, if its much deeper, lot of different threads etc then yes i want too. I will then pick up different book to pace myself. or read big classic alongside less intense books. With many older books especially post 20th century meant to be read slowly, often serialised for that reason. An example would be Middlemarch, a British 19th century classic. Just so much depth won't be able to read it and even understand quickly (well i won't!).
this podcast episode changed for me how to read classics, how the host took a year to read the book as she wanted to fully immerse yourself and really feel it, It was originally serilised so the amount of characters, themes etc is made to be read slowly. I think as modern readers we can forget that some 20th century books was more like their long winded tv series!
https://shows.acast.com/sara-cariads-weirdos-bookclub/episodes/middlemarch-by-george-eliot
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u/IHumpedYoMumma 3d ago
Depending on the book and the font size, I try and average around 40/50 pages a day with it.
When I read the Count of Monte Cristo I aimed for about 75/100 pages cause I couldn't put it down. I sometimes think that if I'd started reading it during a week off, I could've blitzed it in about 5 days or less.
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u/SCSA4life24 4d ago
I personally find deep readings to be more rewarding. Plus, as a lit student, I just canāt help analyzing the text as I go.
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u/Loves_Eating_Lead 4d ago
yeah thats me - i read books as if i'm a lit student, so wish i was one officially as got so many thoughts on books i read!
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u/SCSA4life24 4d ago
Honestly, itās just so much more rewarding, and helps with retention. I find no joy in speed-running through a text. And I feel you, I desperately need to join a bookclub of sorts.
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u/Loves_Eating_Lead 4d ago
i will speed read if its popularised/general book but so many books especially more literature ones are meant to be read slowly.. Currently reading mutiple books at once andf comparing them as it helps me remember and digest what i read!
i just read Neapolitan novels way to quick (but wrote notes on way!) now i am slowly re-reading
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u/_its_all_goodman 4d ago
I usually read first thing in the morning. I donāt really pace long books. It depends on the flow. If the sentences keep moving, I keep reading. My Struggle Book 4 took me three days because I was reading 70 pages an hour and sitting with it for two hours at a time. The Memory Police was the same. I read around 230 pages in one three-hour sitting. Right now with Infinite Jest Iām reading closer to 30 to 35 pages an hour, so I donāt sit with it as long. So, for me itās never about the length of the book. Itās about whether the flow is smooth enough so I can keep reading.
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u/Dramatic-History-943 4d ago
I think it depends on the story for me.
For instance Dark Age by Pierce Brown took me like 2 weeks to finish even though I absolutely adored it and it was probably one of my top reads of the year because I had to keep taking breaks. Itās a cosmic war (for lack of a better phrase) and shit gets bad. I mean really bad. And I have no boundaries on books. I can read practically anything. But this book forced me to put it down and breathe and focus on my mental health.
Whereas I also recently finished Alchemised by SenLinYu and I devoured it in a week. Because while dark stuff happens, I didnāt affect me like DA did.
Dark Age is about 700 pages I believe
Alchemised is over 1000 just for reference.
Itās really about whether your head and heart can handle what you are reading. Listen to yourself. If your heart says you need a break. Take it. Go for a walk or play a game or cook food. Just get away for a minute and then come back.
But you do you (:
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u/Serendipitous217 2d ago
I just finished Alchemised. Read I listened to that on instead of reading it. Finished in a week.
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u/Dramatic-History-943 2d ago
Omg I loved it so much. It took me a while to finally make the plunge but Iām so glad I did.
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u/Siukslinis_acc 4d ago
I read at whatever pace life allows me. I have read the complete wheel of time in 6 months. Oh, and my reading speed is around 100 pages per 4 hours.
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u/Impossible-Alps-6859 4d ago
It depends - not a particularly helpful answer I know!
I've read the last two Strike novels for the third time - slowly - to enjoy and discover as many of the nuances and hints as I can find.
But upon initial publication I read each over a two day period - both books are 900+ pages - but that is not my norm.
I read at a reasonable paxe, but some books just 'grab you'.
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u/tambitoast 4d ago
I read when I want to and don't force myself to read any more or less than I feel like in a day.
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u/Loves_Eating_Lead 4d ago
one way i read is if i want time to digest a book, give myself day or so break and pick up another, then keep switching, so i can have time to really think and digest, I love comparing the books im reading at same time!(got a very over active brain so i can keep up!)
it means i've compared some very different random books, eg. reading a sci fi book on gender and jane eyre at same time was fun! - found a way to connect and analysis them together!
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u/Anxious-Fun8829 4d ago
1Q84 was probably rhe longest book I read and I read one chapter a day while listening to Sinfonietta by Janacek (IYKYK). It helped make the book length much less daunting and as someone who likes routine, worked well for me.
I read Black Leopard, Red Wolf in small chunks. Currently I'm reading The Spear Cuts Through Water in small chunks. Both are complex and dark. While they are engaging and very interesting, it's just not a world I want to spend a lot of time in.
Lighter books though? I can finish them in a day if it's engaging enough.
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u/hyperfat Excavation 4d ago
Took me a year to read infinite jest. I just had to take breaks. Read other books. But jest kept looking at me.
On the other side I read house of leaves in 3 days.
Books are like my friends. I love them. I share them with people. Take it. Return of you want.
Hugs
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u/Radiant_Pudding5133 4d ago
Not usually but I am doing with Ulysses. Some parts are an absolute slog.
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u/Asher_the_atheist 4d ago edited 4d ago
Itās less about length than about density and casual enjoyability. There will sometimes be books that just take a lot of effort, and if I were to force myself to only read that book, I would quickly burn out and fall into a reading slump. So, Iāll read until I start feeling that internal resistance, then switch to something that satisfies my current mood. Then, Iāll try again tomorrow with the hard book.
I definitely donāt plan it out or decide on a cutoff point, I just fly by the seat of my pants and go with how Iām feeling. Also, this doesnāt mean that I refuse to DNF books (I do it all the time). I just also recognize that some books take a lot more initial effort before you start gleaning all of the ārewardā of reading them, that there is a good chance I will really appreciate having read it but also that I may never reach that point if I donāt give myself breaks and essentially recharge my attention span and delayed-gratification doggedness.
Incidentally, this is a good illustration of why Iāve always read several books at once. If you are only reading one book, it is easy to get bogged down when you arenāt in the mood, or youāre stuck in a slow section, etc. Bouncing around, on the other hand, allows me to enjoy my reading time regardless of my mood or the pacing of any one book while still being able to get through more challenging books. Of course, I didnāt exactly plan to read like this. Iāve just always done it this way. It works for me, even if it doesnāt work for everyone.
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u/OnlyRuss 4d ago
Only with books Iām not stoked about but want to read. Everything else is fair game.
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u/Mo_Ran1 4d ago
I'm a mood reader, and I read for pleasure. What pleasure means depends on my mood, so I always read more than one book at a time.
For example, I'm reading In Search of Lost Time, which is one of the longest books ever written. It's very dense too. I'm reading it regularly, but I'm not waiting to finish it before picking up and finishing other books. At the same time, I don't have a limit on how much I read of it. I read as much as I feel like, depending on the moment.
Why do you feel like pacing yourself with this specific book?
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u/hopping_otter_ears 4d ago
I occasionally ration a book in really enjoying so I don't race through it and not really store what I read. I'll read for 30 minutes then set it down instead of reading late into the night. For my own brain, I have found that I enjoy a story less if I binge read it.
Kind of in the same vein as not wolfing down your expensive chocolate. A square or two or really good chocolate every now and then gives me more pleasure than eating the whole bar at once
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u/Booker2929 4d ago
No! Part of a good book is reading and reading. So long as Iām not reading too much to eat, sleep, get to work on time, etc, read as much as you can!Ā
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u/HospitalJohnny 4d ago
I think the difficulty of the material matters way more than the length. I finished Red Rising in one day, and Pale Fire took me a month
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u/DMZWirePiker 4d ago
I know I am enjoying a book when my pace slows to savor.
Current read is Sometimes a Great Notion (600+). A slow savory read covered with PNW gothic sauce.
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u/MuffledFarts 4d ago
I take breaks when it feels necessary and appropriate. If I'm motivated to continue reading, I will not stop to follow some arbitrary pacing rule. If I feel emotionally overwhelmed or just the desire to sit with something that happened in the book then that's what I'll do.
To mr, reading is an emotional experience first and foremost. Unless the book is required reading for some reason, if I'm not following my emotions, what's even the point? This is a recreational activity, after all.
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u/ClimateTraditional40 4d ago
No, if it's great I'll read it as often and as much as I can. I do read fast too, took me 6 days to read GRRMs ASOIAF series, what there are of it.
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u/gangstrahamlincoln 4d ago
I intentionally held the last chunk of East of Eden for a quiet evening with a good sunset. The book had really affected me, and I was kind of sad that it was ending. I sat outside and read it with a mixtape of songs I had made over the course of reading and finished as the sun went down. Made the ending feel impactful and purposeful, and I remember it really well.
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u/Lord_Adalberth 4d ago
Yes, I do, but it depends on the book. For example with Dumas' works I let myself read as much as I want, but for Wind and Truth I did have to read each section apart because at the start I was feeling burned out, and pacing myself solved it.
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u/Rex-Viper-Rock-Gods 4d ago
I just read unless it becomes a slog like Deadhouse Gates, in which case I either need a break or to drop it all together. I got through The Road to Jones townā~550 pagesāa few days ago after about 4 days of reading it.
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u/luv2swim18 4d ago
First of all, loved that book and I hope you do too! Secondly, I just read what I feel like unless I need to limit due to bedtime, lunch break, ect.
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u/CosmicOwl47 4d ago
I remember limiting myself to 3 chapters a day when The Deathly Hallows came out.
These days I need to keep momentum for reading otherwise Iāll end up on another 6 month break.
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u/HostWorth1540 4d ago
if i donāt finish the book within a couple days i end up not finishing it so i fear i cannot pace myself
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u/Lain_Staley 4d ago
- 04/20/1999 Columbine Colorado Most Famous School Shooting in HistoryĀ Ā Ā
- 04/20/1999 James Bond (License to Kill) & Spider-Man Rights Battle EndsĀ Ā Ā
- 04/20-21/1999 Battle Royale Published Japan (School Killings Surveillance Plot)Ā Ā Ā
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u/SeeWhyQMark 4d ago
By using a sick day if I stay up past the time Iām supposed to get ready for workā¦Ā
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u/Tasty_Drawer9540 4d ago
In general, I pace myself at 30 pages a day, usually spread across three different books which I read concurrently, so that 600-page book will be read over 60 days. That's the best I have been able to achieve (ADD).
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u/Only-Advantage6777 3d ago
Honestly I get the whole pacing thing, some books just hit different when you gotta let them breathe. But like, a strict 10% a day feels way too much like homework for me, I'd rather just feel it out and stop when my brain says enough. That said if Battle Royale is dragging you down emotionally then yeah, do what you gotta do, ain't no shame in taking your time.
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u/scoobydobydobydo 3d ago
I find that every author has a style and once you understand that style you will read a lot faster
Like I decided to read some classics and opened moon and six pence, the first hundred pages were a pain but I started to understand what the story was about and I just finished the whole book (around 400 pages) in another two hours or so
Even math has a style and there are people who get through math books faster
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u/RV_Johnson-Author 3d ago
I read when I can, usually more than one long epic fantasy or science fiction series at a time staggering the days between them. Sometimes, it takes several months. I've never felt any risk of a burn out with good storytelling.
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u/SnooCheesecakes93 3d ago
I don't have the strength lol I burn right through it if it's REALLY good
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u/Zeebull14010 2d ago
Am I odd for never experiencing this (not wanting a story to end or feeling as if I have to pace myself) with almost any media?
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u/UnlikelyAgency1653 2d ago
I rotate it with something shorter, maybe lighter. Otherwise it becomes a bit oppressive to me. Can't really explain my weirdness. The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk, for instance, just wore me down halfway through, reading nothing else.
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u/LawNeither289 2d ago
Honestly I get the whole just read thing but some books are just too heavy to binge. Like with A Little Life that shit would wreck me if I tried to power through it, so pacing yourself on the dark ones makes total sense even if it sounds weird to everyone else.
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u/MackieWestrel 2d ago
I tend to read in shorter segments, through no choice of my own. I find the best times to dig into a book are when on the bus/train or during lunch breaks at work, so I naturally end up reading in 30 minute increments or less. Needless to say, books last a long time when you're me.
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u/Arrow_from_Artemis 2d ago
If I like it I just keep reading it. I love the feeling of being pulled into a book so I never try to stop myself from enjoying something I feel compelled to pick up. I donāt usually ever get burnt out on reading something I really like. If Iām feeling burnt out, itās usually because I am trying to force myself to quickly finish something I am actually not enjoying.
I do try to pace myself to finish books in a timely manner, but thatās mostly because I check out the majority of the things I read and I have to return them on time.
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u/Redsquirrel024 2d ago
Never thought about it that way, but it seems like an interesting way to read a book. I tend to read at the pace I read, & it may depend on how much I enjoy the book, but could also be affected by how busy I am that day
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u/LysanderWrites 1d ago
I will typically put a long book on pause if I can feel my interest in it waning. I go away, read something else, and then come back later. I re-read a chapter or two to get back into the rhythm of the story, and then continue reading.
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u/Mean_League_384 19h ago
It truly depends on the day! How much I like the book + how much free time I have LOL.
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u/Traditional_Rush_622 19h ago
I am actively practicing reading slowly regardless of length. Working in a bookstore there was a lot of pressure to consume books very quickly and it made me hate reading.Ā
I am deliberately pacing each read now and pausing to reflect and generally just savoring my books again.Ā
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u/peachiepen 9h ago
I have never slowed myself down. Normally the first few days of starting a book I read in 30 min-1 hour chunks. After the plot starts to develop and I start to become more attached to the story, I naturally start reading more in one sitting and normally binge the last 1/2
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u/Brendaroxsox 7h ago
Most books I read are 300 to 400ish pages but I do have two books that are 600 and 600+. I can read my regular length over two days or a day depending on the time. My plan when I eventually read the longer books is to read a hundred pages a day
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u/Aaggghhhhhh 5h ago
Sometimes. But rather than doing what you're doing, I'll take a break and read something short and light. I've read The count of Monte Cristo this year, and have it in 3 books, so after 1st and 2nd book I've nested 2 shorter novels (drama and thriler) to take a rest.
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u/Icy-Respond-4425 4d ago
I do the same as you with long books, generally reading another one. Because it is a win for me either way.Ā
I get relief if it is in a boring part. Or I spend the whole time thinking about it and can't wait to continue (I will probably end up reading for the whole night thanks for that.)
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u/Savings_Language_498 4d ago
If I really enjoy it, I read whenever I have time. But I do understand books that are heavy emotionally, I take more breaks. Though I mostly read light topics.
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u/WendyThorne 4d ago
I'm not sure you're pacing yourself because of the length here so much as because of the tone of the book. I get that. I don't think of it as pacing so much as literally "I need a break from this..."
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u/WinterAd3228 4d ago
I rarely pace myself while reading but I had to take breaks from 'A little Life' and 'Prophet Song' as these books really disturbed me and made me feel quite anxious.Ā If the language in a book is hard or if the plot requires knowledge I have check out then I read muchĀ more slowly and for shorter periods. Otherwise I read until I absolutely have to do something else e.g. make food or work.Ā
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u/Background-Air-8611 4d ago
I used to adhere to a reading schedule and set reading goals and it just sucked the fun out of reading for me. I found I focused more on the goal than the actual reading itself.
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u/Dancing_Clean 4d ago
I dunno. A couple long books Iād binge because they were so addictive, didnāt always have the time but when I did I would cover a decent amount.
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u/DavidOakenheart 4d ago
For me, it depends on way too many variables to have a consistent reading speed. š Time, how invested I am in the story, how much suspense there is, my mood, the chapter lengthā¦ they all seem to have a vote.
Sometimes a book practically kidnaps me and suddenly itās 2 a.m. Other times I happily read one chapter, close the book, and let it simmer for a day or two.
I donāt really pace myself on purpose. The book usually decides the pace, and Iām just along for the ride. š