How long does it take to read The Martian?
Andy Weir
At an average reading speed of 250 words a minute, The Martian takes 6 hours 49 minutes to read. The unabridged audiobook runs 11 hours at 1x, or 7h 19m at 1.5x.
Andy Weir's first novel is about two-thirds the length of Project Hail Mary: under seven hours at an average pace. Much of it is Mark Watney's log entries, which break it into easy stopping points.
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 2020 unabridged recording narrated by Wil Wheaton (10:59) at 155 words a minute. The earlier recording by R.C. Bray is a separate edition with its own running time.
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 Martian?
About 6h 49m at an average reading speed of 250 words a minute: 8h 31m at 200 and 5h 40m at 300.
How many words are in The Martian?
About 102,145 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 Martian in a month?
About 13 pages a day, or 14m of reading a day at an average pace. That assumes about 371 pages at 275 words a page; real page counts vary by edition.
Is The Martian shorter than Project Hail Mary?
Yes: about 102,000 words against 150,000 by the same audiobook estimate. That's roughly three hours less reading.
How long is The Martian audiobook?
10 hours 59 minutes in the 2020 recording narrated by Wil Wheaton. At 1.5x, about 7 hours 19 minutes.