How long does it take to read The Midnight Library?
Matt Haig
At an average reading speed of 250 words a minute, The Midnight Library takes 5 hours 29 minutes to read. The unabridged audiobook runs 8h 50m at 1x, or 5h 53m at 1.5x.
Matt Haig's novel reads faster than its length: the chapters are very short, some only a page, so it's easy to pick up and put down. At an average pace it's about five and a half hours.
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 narrated by Carey Mulligan (8:50) 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 Midnight Library?
About 5h 29m at an average reading speed of 250 words a minute: 6h 51m at 200 and 4h 34m at 300.
How many words are in The Midnight Library?
About 82,150 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 Midnight Library in a month?
About 10 pages a day, or 11m of reading a day at an average pace. That assumes about 299 pages at 275 words a page; real page counts vary by edition.
Can you read The Midnight Library in a weekend?
Easily. It's about 5 hours 29 minutes at an average pace: under three hours a day across two days.
How long is The Midnight Library audiobook?
8 hours 50 minutes unabridged, narrated by Carey Mulligan. At 1.5x, just under 6 hours.