The Trial
At your speed≈ 4½ hrs
Pages231
Audiobook≈ 7½ hrs
231 pages works out to roughly 69,000 words. At an average 250 words a minute that is 4½ hrs — a weekend's reading.
Readers on Hardcover rate it 3.84 out of 5, from 935 ratings.
How long does it take to read The Trial?
The Trial is 231 pages, or roughly 69,000 words. How long that takes depends on how fast you read:
| Your pace | Words per minute | Time to finish |
|---|---|---|
| Slow | 175 | 6½ hrs |
| Average | 250 | 4½ hrs |
| Fast | 400 | 3 hrs |
Estimated at about 300 words per page. Most adults read between 200 and 300 words a minute — use the reading-speed control to set your own pace and every time on the site adjusts.
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.
Common questions
- How long does it take to read The Trial?
- About 4½ hrs at an average reading speed of 250 words per minute. The Trial runs 231 pages, roughly 69,000 words — so at a slower 175 wpm it is nearer 6½ hrs, and at 400 wpm closer to 3 hrs.
- How many pages is The Trial?
- 231 pages, which is about 69,000 words and 4½ hrs of reading. Editions vary, so we take the figure two of our three sources agree on.
- Is The Trial worth reading?
- Readers on Hardcover rate it 3.84 out of 5, from 935 ratings. What we can tell you for certain is the cost: 231 pages and about 4½ hrs of your time, or 3 hrs if you read quickly. Whether that is worth it depends on the hours you have.
- How long is The Trial audiobook?
- About 7½ hrs, estimated from the 69,000 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
"Written in 1914 but not published until 1925, a year after Kafka's death, The Trial is the terrifying tale of Josef K., a respectable bank officer who is suddenly and inexplicably arrested and must defend himself against a charge about which he can get no information.…
Whether read as an existential tale, a parable, or a prophecy of the excesses of modern bureaucracy wedded to the madness of totalitarianism, The Trial has resonated with chilling truth for generations of readers"--Back cover.
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