How Long to Read The Greatest Show

How Long Does it Take to Read The Greatest Show?

It takes the average reader 3 hours and 22 minutes to read The Greatest Show by Michael Downs

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

Fire sweeps along the wall of a circus tent while inside thousands of people enjoy a Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey matinee. Within minutes, flames consume the canvas and vast sections collapse, killing 168 people and injuring hundreds more. Inspired by the 1944 Hartford Circus Fire, the interconnected stories in Michael Downs's The Greatest Show explore the aftermath of a disaster in a world of clowns, elephants, and childhood fantasies. In the opening story, Ania Liszak, a young Polish housemaid, steals circus tickets from her employer to take her three-year-old son, Teddy, to the matinee. The fire nearly kills both and leaves them scarred in different ways: Teddy's mother enjoys the beautiful strangeness of the scar on her face, but the patches across Teddy's body inspire cruel schoolmates to call him "Lizard Liszak." Over time, his mother transforms her pain into drama, while Teddy, having no memory of that day, seeks ways to return to it. These and other captivating characters appear throughout the book, creating a portrait of an American city and its people over five decades, raising questions about wounds and healing, memory and forgetting, and about the human capacity for kindness -- with all its futility and power -- in the midst of great loss.

How long is The Greatest Show?

The Greatest Show by Michael Downs is 197 pages long, and a total of 50,629 words.

This makes it 66% the length of the average book. It also has 62% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read The Greatest Show Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 4 hours and 36 minutes to read The Greatest Show aloud.

What Reading Level is The Greatest Show?

The Greatest Show is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy The Greatest Show?

The Greatest Show by Michael Downs is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

To buy The Greatest Show by Michael Downs on Amazon click the button below.