đź“– How Long Does It Take to Read Meditations?
Meditations is 272 pages long, which means it has around 68,000 words (estimated 250 words per page). Wondering how much time you’ll need to finish it? Let’s break it down:
⏳ Reading Time Based on Speed
- Average Reader (200 words per minute): About 5 hours and 40 minutes—perfect for a relaxed weekend or a few cozy evenings with tea and snacks.
- Slower Reader (150 words per minute): Prefer to take your time? It’ll take around 7 hours and 33 minutes—enjoy it over several days at your own pace.
- Fast Reader (300 words per minute): Speed through in just 3 hours and 47 minutes—a quick, exciting read!
⏳ What If You Read One Hour a Day?
If you set aside just one hour each day, here’s how long it’ll take:
- At 200 words per minute: You’ll get through 48 pages per session and finish in 6 days—less than a week!
- At 150 words per minute: Reading 36 pages daily, you’ll wrap up in 8 days—a relaxed, no-rush read.
- At 300 words per minute: Speeding through 72 pages per session, you’ll be done in just 4 days!
đź“š No Rush, Just Enjoy the Story!
No matter how fast or slow you go, Meditations is here for you. Whether you devour it in a weekend or savor it over time, it’s a fun, immersive read whenever you’re ready to jump in!
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “Meditations offers a glimpse into [Marcus Aurelius’s] mind, his habits, and his approach to life. . . . I think any reader would find something useful to take away from it.”—James Clear, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Atomic Habits
“To me, this is the greatest book ever written. . . . It is the definitive text on self-discipline, personal ethics, humility, self-actualization, and strength. . . . If you’re going to read it, you absolutely have to go with the Gregory Hays translation.”—Ryan Holiday, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Obstacle Is the Way
“It is unbelievable to see how the emperor’s words have stood the test of time. . . . Read a page or two anytime you feel like the world is too much.”—Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Wall Street Journal
Nearly two thousand years after it was written, Meditations remains profoundly relevant for anyone seeking to lead a meaningful life.
Your ability to control your thoughts—treat it with respect. It’s all that protects your mind from false perceptions—false to your nature, and that of all rational beings.
A series of spiritual exercises filled with wisdom, practical guidance, and profound understanding of human behavior, Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations remains one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection ever written. With bite-size insights and advice on everything from living in the world to coping with adversity and interacting with others, Meditations has become required reading not only for statesmen and philosophers alike, but also for generations of readers who responded to the straightforward intimacy of his style.
In Gregory Hays’s translation—the first in nearly four decades—Marcus’s thoughts speak with a new immediacy. In fresh and unencumbered English, Hays vividly conveys the spareness and compression of the original Greek text. Never before have Marcus’s insights been so directly and powerfully presented.
With an Introduction that outlines Marcus’s life and career, the essentials of Stoic doctrine, the style and construction of the Meditations, and the work’s ongoing influence, this edition makes it possible to fully rediscover the thoughts of one of the most enlightened and intelligent leaders of any era.