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Famous books by the numbers (infographic)

Famous books by the numbers - novellas

The infographic takes a closer look at word counts of famous books.

It’s never too late to share a great literary infographic, and the one from Cartridge Discount is one of the best in recent years. The focus is on the word count.

The infographic analyzes famous books, from classic novels, to book sagas (Harry Potter, A Game of Thrones), to novellas.

At the end of the visual you’ll find sections devoted to authors, where you’ll find their longest and shortest texts. Ernest Hemingway’s six-word story, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn,” took social media by storm. William Shakespeare’s longest work, Hamlet, had “only” 30k words, compared to Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, which was 174k.

How does the word count translate to a reading time? The average reading speed of an adult is around 300 words per minute. That makes 18k words per hour.

A novel is a book above 40k, usually between 80 and 120k. You will need a few hours to finish it. A novella is 17,5k and 40k.

Shorter doesn’t mean worse. There are a lot of short books that are classic reads. We collected them all in a comprehensive overview 50 short books for busy people.

Click on the infographic to see it in full resolution.

Famous books by the numbers - full size infographic

Via Shortlist.

More infographics to explore:

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Recommendation box

Gifts for modern bookworms in 2023

Based on recommendations from top tech sites and customer reviews.

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Vintage composition notebook iPhone case

This unique, intensive, pseudo-marbling composition notebook pattern with a preworn label is available on the latest iPhone cases in several colors, including green, brown, and purple.

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From a German brand Nachteule comes a clever book light that you attach not to a book but your reading glasses. It’s so light that you can also clip it to your earphones or hair accessories! The built-in battery will let you read 200 pages.

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Hands-free pillow stand

Hands-free pillow stand – great for e-readers and print books

An improved version of a popular Lamicall tablet pillow comes now with a side pocket for a pen or small accessories. The grooves are deep enough to hold a print book. It’s made of durable materials and is available in five fashionable colors.

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