How many words are in Eragon?

by Christopher Paolini · 2002 · Fantasy

157,220
Word count
11 hr 1 min
Reading time
629
Est. pages
2002
Published

Eragon by Christopher Paolini is approximately 157,220 wordslong. At an average reading speed of 238 words per minute, that's about 11 hr 1 min of reading spread across several sittings. First published in 2002, it sits in the Fantasy category.

Typical fantasy novels run 70,000150,000 words, with a sweet spot around 90,000–120,000. At 157,220 words, Eragon runs longer than the typical range, in epic territory.

Source: Reedsy word count database; Alfred A. Knopf edition · referenceVerified 2026-06-19

Fantasy novels of similar length

TitleAuthorWord count
The Fellowship of the RingJ.R.R. Tolkien187,790
The HobbitJ.R.R. Tolkien95,356
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's StoneJ.K. Rowling76,944
Harry Potter and the Order of the PhoenixJ.K. Rowling257,045
A Wizard of EarthseaUrsula K. Le Guin56,533
The Name of the WindPatrick Rothfuss259,221