Is it true that the word count for Atlas Shrugged is 677,000 words?

[Michael]

I found 2 word counts over the web,one is 540,000 words and the other is 677,000 words,which one is correct.I am baffled by this.

[Philip]

Hi Michael, Just looked at my Penguin Classics Paper Back version and although it doesn't give word count I can give you a guessitmate.

There are 1168 pages of small type, equating to 46 lines per full page, with on average around 13-14 words per line giving around 600 words per full page. Not all pages are full text (Chapter ends & starts)

Multiplying the words per page by the number brings you to a figure nearer to the 677,000 you mention rather than the 540,000.

[Michael]

"565,223[28] / 645,000 (estimate by the publisher and by The NY Times)" [28] - Atlas Shrugged: Ayn Rand, Leonard Peikoff: 9780452011878: Amazon.com: Books". Amazon.com. ASIN 0452011876.

[Buck]

I don't know about the word count, but this is an enormously long book. I heard the audiobook version - 61 CDs, 63 hours, if I recall.

[Rapidio]

I don't know how many words, nor do I care. In fact it would seem that one wold need be rather anal to worry about it. It's a long book; I've read it twice and never once concerned myself with the word count.

[Luke]

Rapidio wrote: "I don't know how many words, nor do I care. In fact it would seem that one wold need be rather anal to worry about it. It's a long book; I've read it twice and never once concerned myself with t..."

you cared enough to click on the subject and comment on it.

[Aaditya]

Appr. 560,000 is the correct count.

[Elizabeth]

I find myself wondering why anyone cares about the word count!

[Michael]

Aditya wrote: "Appr. 560,000 is the correct count."

Source? : )

[Michael]

Elizabeth wrote: "I find myself wondering why anyone cares about the word count!"

For one thing, everything about Rand is controversial. For another, it determines place in longest novels list. According to the publisher and NYT and the author, the count is ~645,000.

[Michael]

Rapidio wrote: "I don't know how many words, nor do I care. In fact it would seem that one wold need be rather anal to worry about it. It's a long book; I've read it twice and never once concerned myself with t..."

You don't care - that's quite an achievement.