How many pages is Invisible Man?

610 pages, which is about 183,000 words and 12 hrs of reading. Editions vary, so we use the figure two of our sources agree on.

Is Invisible Man worth reading?

We score it 6.0 out of 10 for the time it takes — worth it for some readers. Readers on Hardcover rate it 3.90 out of 5 from 314 ratings, which counts for 6.4; at about 12 hrs at an average pace it gives back 0.4 for its length.

How long is the Invisible Man audiobook?

About 20½ hrs, estimated from the 183,000 words at a typical narration pace of 150 words a minute. Real editions vary by narrator, usually by well under an hour.

Find a copy Listen on Audible · ≈20½ hrs

Invisible Man

Name: Invisible Man
Author: Ralph Ellison

Ralph Ellison

12 hrsto read

6.0worth it

At your speed≈ 12 hrs

Pages610

Audiobook≈ 20½ hrs

Times shown for 250 words a minute (average)

610 pages works out to roughly 183,000 words. At an average 250 words a minute that is 12 hrs — a week or more of evenings.

Readers on Hardcover rate it 3.90 out of 5, from 314 ratings.

Worth-it score 6.0/10 — Worth it for some readers. Readers 6.4 (Hardcover's 3.90★ from 314 ratings) − length 0.4 = 6.0. How the score works →

How long does it take to read Invisible Man?

Invisible Man is 610 pages, or roughly 183,000 words. How long that takes depends on how fast you read:

Estimated reading time for Invisible Man at three reading speeds.
Your pace	Words per minute	Time to finish
Slow	175	17½ hrs
Average	250	12 hrs
Fast	400	7½ hrs

Estimated at about 300 words per page. Most adults read between 200 and 300 words a minute — set your own pace and every time on the site adjusts. Prefer to listen? At a typical narration pace of 150 words a minute the audiobook runs about 20½ hrs — an estimate from the word count, since narrators vary.

Common questions

How long does it take to read Invisible Man?: About 12 hrs at an average reading speed of 250 words per minute. Invisible Man runs 610 pages, roughly 183,000 words — so at a slower 175 wpm it is nearer 17½ hrs, and at 400 wpm closer to 7½ hrs.
How many pages is Invisible Man?: 610 pages, which is about 183,000 words and 12 hrs of reading. Editions vary, so we use the figure two of our sources agree on.
Is Invisible Man worth reading?: We score it 6.0 out of 10 for the time it takes — worth it for some readers. Readers on Hardcover rate it 3.90 out of 5 from 314 ratings, which counts for 6.4; at about 12 hrs at an average pace it gives back 0.4 for its length.
How long is the Invisible Man audiobook?: About 20½ hrs, estimated from the 183,000 words at a typical narration pace of 150 words a minute. Real editions vary by narrator, usually by well under an hour.

From the publisher

Invisible Man is the story of a young black man from the South who does not fully understand racism in the world. Filled with hope about his future, he goes to college, but gets expelled for showing one of the white benefactors the real and seamy side of black existence.…

He moves to Harlem and becomes an orator for the Communist party, known as the Brotherhood. In his position, he is both threatened and praised, swept up in a world he does not fully understand. As he works for the organization, he encounters many people and situations that slowly force him to face the truth about racism and his own lack of identity. As racial tensions in Harlem continue to build, he gets caught up in a riot that drives him to a manhole. In the darkness and solitude of the manhole, he begins to understand himself - his invisibility and his identity. He decides to write his story down (the body of the novel) and when he is finished, he vows to enter the world again.

FictionAfrican American menAfrican AmericansRace relationsNational Book Award Winneraward:national_book_award=1953award:national_book_award=fictionopen_syllabus_project