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Cover of The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Book · Historical fiction

The Pillars of the Earth

by Ken Follett

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

Pages
973
Reading time
≈ 17 h 40 min
Checkpoints
42
Genre
Historical
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How long does it take to read The Pillars of the Earth?

At 973 pages, The Pillars of the Earth is a doorstopper. Expect about 17 hours 40 minutes 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 36 days of reading. At the median pace of Vread readers, 72 pages per reading day, it takes 14 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 day36 days
Vread median pace (72 pp./day)14 days

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

Prove you read it

The Vread challenge: 42 checkpoints

  1. Checkpoint 1, page 23
  2. Checkpoint 2, page 46
  3. Checkpoint 3, page 70
  4. Checkpoint 4, page 93
  5. Checkpoint 5, page 116
  6. Checkpoint 6, page 139
  7. Checkpoint 7, page 162
  8. Checkpoint 8, page 185
  9. Checkpoint 9, page 209
  10. Checkpoint 10, page 232
  11. Checkpoint 11, page 255
  12. Checkpoint 12, page 278
  13. Checkpoint 13, page 301
  14. Checkpoint 14, page 324
  15. Checkpoint 15, page 348
  16. Checkpoint 16, page 371
  17. Checkpoint 17, page 394
  18. Checkpoint 18, page 417
  19. Checkpoint 19, page 440
  20. Checkpoint 20, page 463
  21. Checkpoint 21, page 487
  22. Checkpoint 22, page 510
  23. Checkpoint 23, page 533
  24. Checkpoint 24, page 556
  25. Checkpoint 25, page 579
  26. Checkpoint 26, page 602
  27. Checkpoint 27, page 626
  28. Checkpoint 28, page 649
  29. Checkpoint 29, page 672
  30. Checkpoint 30, page 695
  31. Checkpoint 31, page 718
  32. Checkpoint 32, page 741
  33. Checkpoint 33, page 765
  34. Checkpoint 34, page 788
  35. Checkpoint 35, page 811
  36. Checkpoint 36, page 834
  37. Checkpoint 37, page 857
  38. Checkpoint 38, page 880
  39. Checkpoint 39, page 904
  40. Checkpoint 40, page 927
  41. Checkpoint 41, page 950
  42. Checkpoint 42, page 973

In Vread, The Pillars of the Earth is split into 42 checkpoints, one every 23 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 42 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 1/42pp. 1–23

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 Pillars of the Earth: 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 Pillars of the Earth?
The edition listed on Vread has 973 pages. The exact count varies by edition (paperback, hardback, ebook).
How long does it take to read The Pillars of the Earth?
About 17 hours 40 minutes of reading, or 36 days at 30 minutes a day.
Is there a quiz on The Pillars of the Earth?
Yes: the Vread app has 42 reading questions on The Pillars of the Earth, one per checkpoint, unlocked as you read.
Where can I find a summary of The Pillars of the Earth?
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 Pillars of the Earth 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).