How long does it take to read The Metamorphosis?
Franz Kafka · Wyllie translation
At an average reading speed of 250 words a minute, The Metamorphosis takes 1 hour 28 minutes to read. As an audiobook, expect about 2h 22m at 1x.
Kafka's novella is the shortest book in our study of 100: an hour and a half at an average pace, so most readers finish it in one sitting. It's in three parts of about half an hour each.
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: counted text. We used the Project Gutenberg text (#5200), David Wyllie's translation, from Part I to the end.
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 Metamorphosis?
About 1h 28m at an average reading speed of 250 words a minute: 1h 50m at 200 and 1h 13m at 300.
How many words are in The Metamorphosis?
21,933 words.
How many pages a day to finish The Metamorphosis in a month?
About 3 pages a day, or 3m of reading a day at an average pace. That assumes about 80 pages at 275 words a page; real page counts vary by edition.
Can you read The Metamorphosis in one sitting?
Yes. It's about an hour and a half at 250 words a minute, and under two hours at 200.
Is the Muir translation free to read?
Not yet in the US. Willa and Edwin Muir's 1933 translation stays under US copyright until 2029. David Wyllie's translation, the one we counted, is free on Project Gutenberg.