Word counts for major public domain classics vary by edition, translation, and whether front matter is included. The figures below are from Project Gutenberg plain-text editions, which exclude most editorial apparatus (Source: Project Gutenberg, gutenberg.org). All reading times are calculated at 300 WPM.
The 20 longest classic novels available on warpread
| Rank | Title | Author | Words (approx) | Time at 300 WPM | Read free |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | War and Peace | Tolstoy | 580,000 | 32.2 hrs | Read free |
| 2 | Les Misérables | Hugo | 530,000 | 29.4 hrs | Read free |
| 3 | The Count of Monte Cristo | Dumas | 464,000 | 25.8 hrs | — |
| 4 | Don Quixote | Cervantes | 430,000 | 23.9 hrs | Read free |
| 5 | The Brothers Karamazov | Dostoevsky | 364,000 | 20.2 hrs | Read free |
| 6 | Anna Karenina | Tolstoy | 349,000 | 19.4 hrs | Read free |
| 7 | Middlemarch | Eliot | 316,000 | 17.6 hrs | Read free |
| 8 | Moby-Dick | Melville | 206,000 | 11.4 hrs | Read free |
| 9 | Crime and Punishment | Dostoevsky | 212,000 | 11.8 hrs | Read free |
| 10 | Great Expectations | Dickens | 185,000 | 10.3 hrs | Read free |
| 11 | Little Women | Alcott | 185,000 | 10.3 hrs | Read free |
| 12 | Jane Eyre | Brontë | 183,000 | 10.2 hrs | Read free |
| 13 | Germinal | Zola | 163,000 | 9.1 hrs | Read free |
| 14 | Tess of the d'Urbervilles | Hardy | 163,000 | 9.1 hrs | Read free |
| 15 | Dracula | Stoker | 161,000 | 8.9 hrs | Read free |
| 16 | Mansfield Park | Austen | 160,000 | 8.9 hrs | Read free |
| 17 | Emma | Austen | 155,000 | 8.6 hrs | Read free |
| 18 | The Iliad | Homer | 150,000 | 8.3 hrs | Read free |
| 19 | Wuthering Heights | Brontë | 107,000 | 5.9 hrs | Read free |
| 20 | Huckleberry Finn | Twain | 112,000 | 6.2 hrs | Read free |
What "long" actually means in reading time
The numbers above represent total reading time at a comfortable pace. The practical implications:
- War and Peace at 350 WPM across 30 days = just over 1 hour per day. See the 30-day reading plan.
- The Brothers Karamazov at 300 WPM across 3 weeks = approximately 1 hour per day.
- Middlemarch at 300 WPM in two weeks = 1 hour 15 minutes per day.
The longest classics are long in absolute word count but not unmanageable in a daily reading habit. At 300 WPM, one hour of reading covers 18,000 words — or roughly two chapters of War and Peace.
The shortest classics
For the other end of the spectrum — books you can finish this weekend — see the weekend reading guide and the Books Under 200 Pages collection.
Frequently asked questions
What is the longest classic novel?
Among widely-read public domain classics, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy is approximately 580,000 words — the longest in the standard literary canon. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo is approximately 530,000 words. Don Quixote is approximately 430,000 words. The Count of Monte Cristo (Dumas) is approximately 464,000 words. These are all significantly longer than most contemporary novels.
How long is War and Peace in hours?
War and Peace is approximately 580,000 words. At 300 WPM it takes approximately 32.2 hours. At 250 WPM it takes approximately 38.7 hours. At 500 WPM with RSVP reading, approximately 19.3 hours. Spread across a month of reading, 350 WPM requires just over an hour per day.
Is Les Misérables longer than War and Peace?
No. War and Peace is approximately 580,000 words; Les Misérables is approximately 530,000 words (Source: Project Gutenberg). War and Peace is the longer of the two. Both are significantly longer than most novels — the average contemporary novel is 80,000–100,000 words.
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