How long does it take to read The Alchemist?
Paulo Coelho
At an average reading speed of 250 words a minute, The Alchemist takes 2 hours 29 minutes to read. The unabridged audiobook runs 4h at 1x, or 2h 40m at 1.5x.
The Alchemist is one of the five shortest books in our study of 100: about two and a half hours at an average pace. It's an easy book to read in a single evening.
Average is about 250 WPM. Measure yours in two minutes and every time on this page recalculates.
How much to read a day
At 250 words a minute, to finish the book:
Have a deadline in mind? The pages-per-day calculator works it out for any date.
How we measured it
Method: audiobook estimate. Estimated from the unabridged audiobook of Alan R. Clarke's translation, narrated by Jeremy Irons (4:00), at 155 words a minute.
Part of our study of the 100 most popular books, last checked November 2026. Reading times assume steady reading; editions, translations and your own pace all move them.
See how long it really takes you
Log it in Parch as you read. It tracks your pages, sessions and streak, so you'll know your real pace, and how long the next one will take.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to read The Alchemist?
About 2h 29m at an average reading speed of 250 words a minute: 3h 6m at 200 and 2h 4m at 300.
How many words are in The Alchemist?
About 37,200 words. That's estimated from the unabridged audiobook at a narration pace of 155 words a minute, so treat it as close, not exact.
How many pages a day to finish The Alchemist in a month?
About 5 pages a day, or 5m of reading a day at an average pace. That assumes about 135 pages at 275 words a page; real page counts vary by edition.
Can you read The Alchemist in one sitting?
Yes. It's about 2 hours 29 minutes at 250 words a minute, and about 2 hours at 300.
How long is The Alchemist audiobook?
4 hours unabridged, narrated by Jeremy Irons. At 1.5x, about 2 hours 40 minutes.