Serious question, group read or solo read for a 600 page epic?

My book club tackled The Count of Monte Cristo over 6 weeks last fall. Half of us read alone and got burned out by week 4. The other half did a group read with weekly discussion threads and they caught way more foreshadowing. Which method actually helps people finish long books? I'm pushing for the group read on our next pick but some members hate the pace.

2 comments

2 Comments

jana_lewis1611h agoMost Upvoted

Solo read all the way. I tried the group route with The Way of Kings last year and spent more time waiting for everyone else to catch up than actually reading. By week 3 I was ready to throw my phone across the room when someone posted a spoiler about a character who hadn't even shown up yet in my copy. If you're worried about finishing, just set a daily page count for yourself, like 50 pages a day gets a 600 page book done in 12 days flat.

the_angela11h ago

Wait, did you actually finish The Way of Kings after that mess, or did the group thing just kill it for you completely @jana_lewis16? Because I've seen that spoiler situation wreck people's whole reading mood. The daily page count trick works, but only if you're strict with yourself. Some days I hit 20 pages and call it a win, other days I burn through 80. It balances out in the end. Honestly though, the right group can make a book better, but it's a gamble. Most people just don't read at the same speed.