The Pearl
At your speed≈ 2 hrs
Pages90
Audiobook≈ 3 hrs
Every reading time on the site updates to your pace. Page counts are an estimate, so treat the hours as a good guide, not a stopwatch.
90 pages works out to roughly 27,000 words. At an average 250 words a minute that is 2 hrs — a single-sitting read.
Readers on Hardcover rate it 3.45 out of 5, from 457 ratings.
Worth-it score 5.0/10 — Worth it for some readers. Readers 4.5 (Hardcover's 3.45★ from 457 ratings) + length 0.5 = 5.0. How the score works →
How long does it take to read The Pearl?
The Pearl is 90 pages, or roughly 27,000 words. How long that takes depends on how fast you read:
| Your pace | Words per minute | Time to finish |
|---|---|---|
| Slow | 175 | 2½ hrs |
| Average | 250 | 2 hrs |
| Fast | 400 | 1 hr |
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 3 hrs — an estimate from the word count, since narrators vary.
Common questions
- How long does it take to read The Pearl?
- About 2 hrs at an average reading speed of 250 words per minute. The Pearl runs 90 pages, roughly 27,000 words — so at a slower 175 wpm it is nearer 2½ hrs, and at 400 wpm closer to 1 hr.
- How many pages is The Pearl?
- 90 pages, which is about 27,000 words and 2 hrs of reading. Editions vary, so we use the figure two of our sources agree on.
- Is The Pearl worth reading?
- We score it 5.0 out of 10 for the time it takes — worth it for some readers. Readers on Hardcover rate it 3.45 out of 5 from 457 ratings, which counts for 4.5; at about 2 hrs at an average pace it earns +0.5 for being short.
- How long is The Pearl audiobook?
- About 3 hrs, estimated from the 27,000 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
John Steinbeck's The Pearl, first published in 1947, follows a pearl diver, Kino, and explores man’s purpose as well as greed, defiance of societal norms, and evil.
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