How long does it take to read The Chronicles of Narnia?
C.S. Lewis · 7 books
At an average reading speed of 250 words a minute, all 7 books of The Chronicles of Narnia take about 22 hours to read. As an audiobook, expect about 35 hours at 1x.
The seven Narnia books together are shorter than Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire combined. Each one takes between about two and a half and just over three and a half hours, which makes the series one of the easiest in our study to finish.
Average is about 250 WPM. Measure yours in two minutes and every time on this page recalculates.
Every book, timed
| Book | Words | Read | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | 38,421 | 2h 34m | 4h 8m* |
| Prince Caspian | 46,290 | 3h 5m | 4h 59m* |
| The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | 53,960 | 3h 36m | 5h 48m* |
| The Silver Chair | 52,436 | 3h 30m | 5h 38m* |
| The Horse and His Boy | 49,425 | 3h 18m | 5h 19m* |
| The Magician's Nephew | 41,317 | 2h 45m | 4h 27m* |
| The Last Battle | 43,333 | 2h 53m | 4h 40m* |
* Listening time estimated at a narration pace of 155 words a minute.
How much to read a day
At 250 words a minute, to finish the whole series:
Have a deadline in mind? The pages-per-day calculator works it out for any date.
How we measured it
Method: published word counts. Word counts per book from Popular Novel Word Count, the same figures the Narnia reading-order page uses. The books are listed here in the order they were published.
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 each book 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 Chronicles of Narnia?
About 22 hours at an average reading speed of 250 words a minute: 27 hours at 200 and 18 hours at 300. That covers all 7 books, from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to The Last Battle.
How many words are in The Chronicles of Narnia?
325,182 words across 7 books. The longest is The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (53,960); the shortest is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (38,421).
How many pages a day to finish The Chronicles of Narnia in a month?
About 40 pages a day, or 44m of reading a day at an average pace. That assumes about 1,182 pages at 275 words a page; real page counts vary by edition.
Which Narnia book is the longest?
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, at 53,960 words: about three and a half hours. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the shortest at 38,421, a little over two and a half hours.
What order should I read the Narnia books in?
Either works. Publication order starts with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; chronological order starts with The Magician's Nephew. The reading-order page sets out both.