Ulysses
At your speed≈ 17½ hrs
Pages1068
Audiobook≈ 29½ 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.
The complete text runs to 265,100 words, counted word for word. At an average 250 words a minute that is 17½ hrs — a week or more of evenings.
Readers on Hardcover rate it 3.81 out of 5, from 281 ratings.
Worth-it score 5.5/10 — Worth it for some readers. Readers 6.1 (Hardcover's 3.81★ from 281 ratings) − length 0.6 = 5.5. How the score works →
How long does it take to read Ulysses?
The complete text of Ulysses runs to 265,100 words — about 1068 pages in the edition we list. How long that takes depends on how fast you read:
| Your pace | Words per minute | Time to finish |
|---|---|---|
| Slow | 175 | 25 hrs |
| Average | 250 | 17½ hrs |
| Fast | 400 | 11 hrs |
Counted word for word from the complete public-domain text on Project Gutenberg, so these times don't depend on any one edition's page count. 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 29½ hrs — an estimate from the word count, since narrators vary.
Common questions
- How long does it take to read Ulysses?
- About 17½ hrs at an average reading speed of 250 words per minute. The complete text of Ulysses runs to 265,100 words — so at a slower 175 wpm it is nearer 25 hrs, and at 400 wpm closer to 11 hrs.
- How many pages is Ulysses?
- About 1068 pages, though editions of a book this old vary a great deal — which is why its reading time comes from the complete text instead: 265,100 words, about 17½ hrs of reading at an average pace.
- Is Ulysses worth reading?
- We score it 5.5 out of 10 for the time it takes — worth it for some readers. Readers on Hardcover rate it 3.81 out of 5 from 281 ratings, which counts for 6.1; at about 17½ hrs at an average pace it gives back 0.6 for its length.
- How long is the Ulysses audiobook?
- About 29½ hrs, estimated from the 265,000 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
On June 16, 1904, in Dublin, Ireland, the day is distinguished by its utter normality. Two characters, Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom, go about their separate business, crossing paths with a gallery of indelible Dubliners.
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