# Do short chapters make you read faster?



## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

The current book I'm reading on my kindle has really short chapters. Like, 1-2 pages, sometimes at the most 4 pages. But I find myself reading this book much faster than others I've read that have longer chapters. It's really weird. I do feel like I'm progressing in a book when I start a new chapter so soon. And the story itself is pretty good, which also helps. 

Do you guys experience this, too? Is it a psychological thing?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't think I read faster, but, yeah, you do kind of feel like you progress faster when the chapters are short.


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## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I don't think I read faster, but, yeah, you do kind of feel like you progress faster when the chapters are short.


Do you find yourself enjoying a short-chapter book a little more, or feeling the urge to keep reading than ones with longer chapters?


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I don't think it changes the speed I read. I often don't even notice when chapter start, when I am in the story.  

But when I notice that a book has a gazillion chapters I wonder why. I always read a book from the cover so I see the chapters. I like to see how many there are and most books of regular length (300-450 or so) have usually 25-30 chapters I think. I came across a few where it listed 70 chapters for a 300 page book. But once I start reading, I don't notice. 
I only notice in my Scribd app on my Nexus. It lists how many pages are left in the chapter you are reading. Unlike on the kindle and kindle app, I can't change that to left in book. So sometimes it will say 8 pages left in chapter when I start one and sometimes it will say 25 pages left. That is the only time I really notice. 

Unless the chapters are so short that the story feels abrupt. That's as bad to me than fast scene cuts in TV shows.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Many (most?) of Pratchett's "Discworld" books have no chapters, and I've delved through them all quite nicely, so I think chapter breaks have less to do with it (if at all) than just plain good writing and story-telling -- at least for me.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

A lot of short chapters annoy me.  They break the action.  I don't think they have any impact on my reading speed.

Betsy


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## derekailes2014 (Aug 4, 2014)

A lot of short chapters could be a nightmare when making chapter links for your ebook version.  I rather prefer chapters that are ten to twenty pages in length.  On days when I have limited time to read, I like to read a couple of chapters of a book when I need a break.  That doesn't work to well when the chapters are extremely long.  I don't think this causes you to read faster.  A fast paced, keeps you hooked novel may.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

derekailes2014 said:


> A lot of short chapters could be a nightmare when making chapter links for your ebook version.


Well, but, that's not the question. _Readers_ don't really think about that.  Though, FWIW, I've read books with short chapters that had all the proper linking, so it can't be too hard. 



> I rather prefer chapters that are ten to twenty pages in length. On days when I have limited time to read, I like to read a couple of chapters of a book when I need a break. That doesn't work to well when the chapters are extremely long. I don't think this causes you to read faster. A fast paced, keeps you hooked novel may.


The only time I think I ever even notice chapter length is if it's the end of the day and I'm getting tired and then I want to know how long the chapter is so I can decide whether I can read one more before I fall asleep.


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## JeanetteRaleigh (Jan 1, 2013)

There are certain genres I read faster for sure.  I was thinking about books that I've read and that maybe it's related to style.  It seems to me that the slower paced books that I've read with a slower start into the story tend to have longer chapters.  Some of those take me a while to get into. (Sometimes I put the book down never to return.)  

I love page turners, but won't even start those authors until a weekend because I like sleep just as much


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

I think I would find chapters only 1-2 pages long a little interrupting, it doesn't sound like there's much time for real character development or scene descriptions. But yes, when the chapters are short, I do find myself thinking "Oh, just one more chapter, it's not like it's very long..." and then again, and again...


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## alawston (Jun 3, 2012)

history_lover said:


> I think I would find chapters only 1-2 pages long a little interrupting, it doesn't sound like there's much time for real character development or scene descriptions. But yes, when the chapters are short, I do find myself thinking "Oh, just one more chapter, it's not like it's very long..." and then again, and again...


Yes, I was thinking that whole "Oh, just one more..." thing. I think a balance works best.


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## Jena H (Oct 2, 2011)

I still read paper books (I know, I'm a dinosaur!) and I don't mind short chapters. I mainly read while eating, and I don't like having to put the book away when I'm done or when it's time to clean up; I'd rather be at a chapter ending.

So while shorter chapters don't make me read _faster,_ they make my reading experience more pleasant.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Yes. The short answer is...yes.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

1-2 pages is too short. But I think it depends on the genre as well. Short chapters can work very well when it comes to thrillers ... and yes, you do get pushed from one chapter to the next, and so do read faster. But short chapters in supernatural fiction, when the author needs to build up atmosphere? Or in sf, when complex ideas and scenarios need to be explained? A chapter should be as long as it properly ought to be. Structure and good storytelling are far more important.

Having said which, modern life imposes certain restrictions on readers. If you're reading during your commute, for instance, short chapters make it easier to finish up a scene before you reach your stop. That's probably a factor which has persuaded quite a few writers to go short these days.


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## devalong (Aug 28, 2014)

I don't feel short chapters affect my reading speed, but they do increase my tension. I like them when they are used that way - a tense scene or set of scenes with lots of action or conflict, for example.

If they are just used throghout the book, for myself it's like too many short sentences or exclamations, at some point short chapters lose their effect and are just like an annoying background noise.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> A lot of short chapters annoy me. They break the action. I don't think they have any impact on my reading speed.
> 
> Betsy


Yes. Very annoying. It seems like a case of form over function. An author trying to be artsy-craftsy instead of telling a story.

Mike


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## Emm Oh (Jul 4, 2014)

Five pages is my personal "short-chapter" limit, and only if that chapter length makes sense for the story.  

I do read faster with short chapters.  There is a gamed-up sense of accomplishment that encourages me to read just one more chapter.  The psychological mechanism at work here is probably the same one that makes slot machines and those "tickets" from Chuck E. Cheese's games so enticing.


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## Tatiana (Aug 20, 2010)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> A lot of short chapters annoy me. They break the action. I don't think they have any impact on my reading speed.
> 
> Betsy


I agree with you, Betsey. They don't have any impact on my reading speed but they break the action. I have discovered that many short chapters in a book annoy me.


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## Daniel Harvell (Jun 21, 2013)

I really like short chapters ... again, as long as it doesn't interrupt the action of the story. Short chapters do encourage me to keep reading since it's only a couple more pages each time. Seven hours later, book finished!


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> A lot of short chapters annoy me. They break the action. I don't think they have any impact on my reading speed.


Me. too. A lot of short chapters also affect my attitude toward the story. I tend to think of it as a lightweight, less serious effort.


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## Wiserthanthou (Apr 6, 2014)

Yes, they do! If a book has 1-2 page chapters, I will generally finish it in one or two sittings because I just can't stop. Especially if the chapters end on a good hook for more. They are like a collection of dominoes, once I knock over one they all follow soon after.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

Short chapters don't affect my reading speed, but they do "add" pace to the story. I prefer short chapters, though longer than 1-2 pages. Endlessly long chapters feel like a bit of a slog, as though I'm not making progress with the book. 6-10 page chapters work well for me.


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## RJMcDonnell (Jan 29, 2011)

When I read a book with chapters of 10 pages or less I tend to pick it up during brief breaks. When I read books with chapters averaging over 25 pages I tend to only pick them up when I know I have enough time to complete a chapter without interruption. So, yes I do usually complete short chapter books faster. I'm not a fan of 1-2 page chapters. It's one of the reasons that I rarely read James Patterson. I find 5-10 page chapters ideal.


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## deanblake (Jun 10, 2013)

I'm in the middle of reading Looking for Alaska - yes, it's short chapters have made the experience a lot faster.


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2014)

I've noticed that many thriller writers write shorter chapters. It keeps the action going and also makes me read further than I intended (making me late for whatever I intended doing after putting down the book). I always figure that I have time for a handful of pages.


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## Rie142 (Oct 28, 2009)

NogDog said:


> Many (most?) of Pratchett's "Discworld" books have no chapters, and I've delved through them all quite nicely, so I think chapter breaks have less to do with it (if at all) than just plain good writing and story-telling -- at least for me.


The same for me. I seldom notice chapters.  I just want to read. I don't care about pages left and things like that. I just want to lose myself in the story. I am always disappointed when I find out the books is at the end.


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## EC Sheedy (Feb 24, 2011)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> A lot of short chapters annoy me. They break the action. I don't think they have any impact on my reading speed.
> 
> Betsy


Agree.

I don't like chapters too short, and I don't like them too long--and I don't like them all the same length. It's not that I'm hard to please or anything.  Seriously, if the story is compelling, unless the chapter lengths are too, too choppy, I will read on and not give a rip.


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## paf2011 (Sep 15, 2011)

Yes, they make me read faster. The pace of the story seems to be increased with shorter chapters.


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## Hurricane John (Jul 12, 2010)

I find that if a novel is well paced, it doesn't really matter how long or short the chapters are. A well paced novel entices me to read faster in order to discover what happens next. This is something I try to accomplish in the stories I write.


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## bobbic (Apr 4, 2011)

Yeah, I call this the "James Patterson Syndrome." LOL. I definitely read books with short chapters in them faster.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

I like short chapters, although perhaps not chapters that are one or two pages long. Shorter chapters provide good stopping points. With long chapters, I have to debate whether I really want to read one more chapter. Terry Pratchett doesn't have chapters as such, but he does have a lot of convenient places to stop reading.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

QuantumIguana said:


> I like short chapters, although perhaps not chapters that are one or two pages long. Shorter chapters provide good stopping points. With long chapters, I have to debate whether I really want to read one more chapter. Terry Pratchett doesn't have chapters as such, but he does have a lot of convenient places to stop reading.


Though some (many?) authors seem to put chapter breaks at each little internal cliff-hanger, actually making it _more_ difficult to stop at that point. Maybe that's why some people read "faster", which really means read longer until they stop? (I've gotten to the point -- age -- where I'll stop at an arbitrary paragraph break when I decide it's time to quit and get some sleep.  )


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

NogDog said:


> Though some (many?) authors seem to put chapter breaks at each little internal cliff-hanger, actually making it _more_ difficult to stop at that point. Maybe that's why some people read "faster", which really means read longer until they stop? (I've gotten to the point -- age -- where I'll stop at an arbitrary paragraph break when I decide it's time to quit and get some sleep.  )


Cliffhangers do make it more tempting to continue reading, but you can stop without feeling you are stopping in the middle of a


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## belindaf (Jan 27, 2011)

I love short chapters. I find that books with shorter chapters do seem to read faster. Like the group, I tend to keep turning those pages, even when I know I should be doing something else.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Only time I notice chapter length is if I am starting to turn into a prune.


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## ancaiovita (Feb 13, 2016)

I'll only notice the length of a chapter when it's too long. But I do prefer shorter chapters - that means I can read the book during commuting and eating, not only during big chunks of time.


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## George Saoulidis (Feb 2, 2016)

I write both short and uneven chapters. With cliffhangers between them sometimes. I believe they make the read faster and stickier.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> A lot of short chapters annoy me. They break the action. I don't think they have any impact on my reading speed.
> 
> Betsy


I think this is how I feel about it too. Chapters form a natural break in a story, so while I wouldn't want to have them too long (because I always try to put down a book when I'm at the end of a chapter rather than in the middle) if they're too short, it breaks up the narrative to such an extent it's harder to stay immersed in the story.

So I guess I'm more likely to stop reading earlier rather than later with short chapters, giving the impression that I'm reading more slowly. Generally I'd say therefore that I prefer longer chapters, but I think other factors, such as how good the book is otherwise, would decide how tolerant I was of shorter chapters.


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

I usually don't notice unless it's one of those irritating books with the POV changing every 5 minutes.
As others have said, a book that draws you in and holds your attention doesn't really need to depend on any chapters. (Non-fiction, of course, is a different story.)
Also, I don't quite see how "reading faster" is any advantage.  Both for professional purposes and for enhancing my reader experience I had to un-learn the bad habit of fast reading, and here and there it still rears its ugly head


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## J.L. McPherson (Mar 20, 2011)

Robert B Parker used short chapters in his Everet and Hitch novels and I absolutely devoured those books, at least the ones he wrote before he died. The guy they hired to continue the books was horrible. I think it depends on the author, how they use those chapter lengths to tell the story. Sort of like first person narrative, if not done right, it's makes for a terrible read.


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## ShellPresto (Mar 1, 2016)

I feel like it's probably psychological as fare as reading speed goes.

Perhaps if there are many "hooks" at the end of the chapters, you're more likely to rush into the next chapter, whereas if books have a good end point at the end of a chapter, you may be more inclined to put the book down. So maybe you're not reading faster in terms of, say, words per minute, but you are reading faster in that, by reading more in a day, you've finished the book sooner.

I find what really makes a differences for me is font size. If I'm reading on my kindle with the font size bumped up, I read a lot faster than a smaller font on paper. I wondered if it meant I needed glasses, but after a check at the eye doctor, I still only need them for distance, not reading.


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## Tuttle (Jun 10, 2010)

I tend to read slower with short chapters. The scene shifts too often in too sudden of ways.


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## joyjennings (Jan 20, 2016)

I don't mind shorter chapters at times if I am pressed for time in my day to read. Shorter chapters make it easier to fit in before I _have_ to put the book down.


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