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Cover of The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

Book · Fantasy and science fiction

The Bone Clocks

by David Mitchell

Page count, estimated reading time and reading quiz: everything to know before you start The Bone Clocks, and the Vread challenge to get to the end.

Pages
773
Reading time
≈ 14 h
Checkpoints
22
Genre
Fantasy, SF
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How long does it take to read The Bone Clocks?

At 773 pages, The Bone Clocks is a doorstopper. Expect about 14 hours of reading to finish it, based on 250 words per page and an average reading speed of 230 words per minute. A fast reader will go quicker; a careful read (or reading in a second language) will take longer.

At 30 minutes a day, that is about 28 days of reading. At the median pace of Vread readers, 72 pages per reading day, it takes 11 reading days. For a book of this length (600 pages or more), Vread readers who finish it take a median of 6.4 days between the first and the last checkpoint (Vread Reading Barometer 2026).

Reading days to finish it
30 minutes a day28 days
Vread median pace (72 pp./day)11 days

Estimates; see the method at the bottom of the page.

Prove you read it

The Vread challenge: 22 checkpoints

  1. Checkpoint 1, page 35
  2. Checkpoint 2, page 70
  3. Checkpoint 3, page 105
  4. Checkpoint 4, page 141
  5. Checkpoint 5, page 176
  6. Checkpoint 6, page 211
  7. Checkpoint 7, page 246
  8. Checkpoint 8, page 281
  9. Checkpoint 9, page 316
  10. Checkpoint 10, page 351
  11. Checkpoint 11, page 387
  12. Checkpoint 12, page 422
  13. Checkpoint 13, page 457
  14. Checkpoint 14, page 492
  15. Checkpoint 15, page 527
  16. Checkpoint 16, page 562
  17. Checkpoint 17, page 597
  18. Checkpoint 18, page 632
  19. Checkpoint 19, page 668
  20. Checkpoint 20, page 703
  21. Checkpoint 21, page 738
  22. Checkpoint 22, page 773

In Vread, The Bone Clocks is split into 22 checkpoints, one every 35 pages or so. At each checkpoint, a question covers the passage you have just read: a correct answer validates the step, and your progress moves forward like a training plan.

The challenge: validate all 22 checkpoints through to the last page. No giant quiz at the end, no summary to copy out: short questions along the way that prove the book was actually read. It also works as a reading quiz to check your understanding before a test.

Also available in French on Vread.

Illustrative example

Checkpoint 1/22pp. 1–35

What a checkpoint looks like

A short, precise question about the pages you have just read: a character, a place, a choice.

The answer is in the text: reply in the app.

This is not a question from The Bone Clocks: to avoid spoilers, the real questions stay in the app.

Answer in the app, one checkpoint at a time.

Summary, quiz, reviews: frequently asked questions

How many pages is The Bone Clocks?
The edition listed on Vread has 773 pages. The exact count varies by edition (paperback, hardback, ebook).
How long does it take to read The Bone Clocks?
About 14 hours of reading, or 28 days at 30 minutes a day.
Is there a quiz on The Bone Clocks?
Yes: the Vread app has 22 reading questions on The Bone Clocks, one per checkpoint, unlocked as you read.
Where can I find a summary of The Bone Clocks?
Vread does not publish summaries: the app supports reading the book itself, part by part. Checkpoint questions cover what you have just read, which makes them a good way to check you did not miss anything.

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Read The Bone Clocks with Vread

Add the book to your library, read at your own pace in whatever format you use, and validate each checkpoint. Vread is free on iPhone and Android.

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Written by Vread from its catalogue data (page count of the listed edition, checkpoints, ratings aggregated from 10 ratings). No summary or publisher text is reproduced. Reading times are estimates; see the method in the Vread Reading Barometer (in French).