--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I took a speed-reading course and read…" description: "\"I took a speed-reading course and read War and Peace in twenty minutes. It involves Russia.\" — Woody Allen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/woody-allen-176_books_i-took-a-speed-reading-course-and-read-w_688601.jpg" --- # I took a speed-reading course and read War and Peace in… ![“I took a speed-reading course and read War and Peace in twenty minutes. It involves Russia.” quote by Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/woody-allen-176_books_i-took-a-speed-reading-course-and-read-w_688601.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/woody-allen-176_books_i-took-a-speed-reading-course-and-read-w_688601.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/woody-allen-176_books_i-took-a-speed-reading-course-and-read-w_688601.jpg) > “I took a speed-reading course and read War and Peace in twenty minutes. It involves Russia.” [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He humorously exaggerates his reading speed, implying absurdity in claiming to finish a massive novel quickly. **In simple terms:** Exaggerated claim about speed reading. Key Takeaway Don’t take such claims at face value. Themes humor exaggeration learning Mood witty skeptical Type comedy observational When to use this quote - marketing pitches - education claims - personal bragging - media interviews Key Concepts cognitive bias hyperbole Questions to Reflect On - What does this say about our desire for shortcuts? - How can we verify such claims? A Different Perspective May mislead about realistic reading capabilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) [Speed reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed-reading/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [I took the speed reading course and read 'War and Peace' in twenty minutes. It's about Russia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-took-the-speed-reading-course-and-read-war-and-peace-in-twenty/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [I do not think anyone can read War and Peace too much. I read it six times...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-perkins/i-do-not-think-anyone-can-read-war-and-peace-too-much-i-read-it-six/) [Maxwell Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-perkins/) > [I have to admit that I only read 'War and Peace' when I was 40. But I knew the basics before then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-have-to-admit-that-i-only-read-war-and-peace-when-i-was-40-but-i/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [I took a course in speed reading. Then I got Reader's Digest on microfilm. By the time I got the machine set up, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-took-a-course-in-speed-reading-then-i-got-reader-s-digest-on/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [When I was 13 or 14, I took this speed-reading course. A lot of the things you do in speed reading you shouldn't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/when-i-was-13-or-14-i-took-this-speed-reading-course-a-lot-of-the/) [Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/) > [Never lend books, for no one ever returns them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/never-lend-books-for-no-one-ever-returns-them/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [You will get little or nothing from the printed page if you bring it nothing but your eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-get-little-or-nothing-from-the-printed-page-if-you-bring-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Why do we speak of memory and speed reading? Why is there this need to learn how to learn? The reason is simple. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-james/why-do-we-speak-of-memory-and-speed-reading-why-is-there-this-need-to/) [Robert James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-james/) > [“A good speed reading course should therefore teach you to read at many different speeds, not just one speed that is faster than anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-j-adler/a-good-speed-reading-course-should-therefore-teach-you-to-read-at/) [Mortimer J. Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-j-adler/) > [“One of the speed reading techniques: Developing the skill of reading and researching by reading under the pressure of time, which means the achieved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryam-abdullah-alnaymi/one-of-the-speed-reading-techniques-developing-the-skill-of-reading/) [Maryam Abdullah Alnaymi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryam-abdullah-alnaymi/) > [“Great speed in reading is a dubious achievement; it is of value only if what you have to read is not worth reading. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-j-adler/great-speed-in-reading-is-a-dubious-achievement-it-is-of-value-only/) [Mortimer J. Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-j-adler/) > [“When I was sixteen I read ten books a week: E.E. Cummings, William Faulkner, Henry James, Hart Crane, John Steinbeck. I thought I progressed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-hall/when-i-was-sixteen-i-read-ten-books-a-week-e-e-cummings-william/) [Donald Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-hall/) > [Books are the quietest and most constant of friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/books-are-the-quietest-and-most-constant-of-friends/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [One trouble with developing speed reading skills is that by the time you realize a book is boring you've already finished it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-p-jones/one-trouble-with-developing-speed-reading-skills-is-that-by-the-time/) [Franklin P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-p-jones/) > [“I just got out of the hospital. I was in a speed reading accident. I hit a book mark and flew across the room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-just-got-out-of-the-hospital-i-was-in-a-speed-reading-accident-i/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) ## More by Woody Allen > [“True, science has conquered many diseases, broken the genetic code, and even placed human beings on the moon, and yet when a man of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/true-science-has-conquered-many-diseases-broken-the-genetic-code-and/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [Bisexuality immediately doubles your chances for a date on Saturday night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/bisexuality-immediately-doubles-your-chances-for-a-date-on-saturday/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [In every generation there are a few people who are authentically funny. The cosmetics change. You may not be able to articulate it, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/in-every-generation-there-are-a-few-people-who-are-authentically/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [I think Frank Capra was a much craftier filmmaker, a wonderful filmmaker. He had enormous technique, and he knew how to manipulate the public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-think-frank-capra-was-a-much-craftier-filmmaker-a-wonderful/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [The food here is terrible, and the portions are too small.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/the-food-here-is-terrible-and-the-portions-are-too-small/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [Gauguin flew into a frenzy! 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And not only food: frequently there must be a beverage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/why-does-man-kill-he-kills-for-food-and-not-only-food-frequently/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [A stockbroker is someone who invests other people's money until it is all gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/a-stockbroker-is-someone-who-invests-other-people-s-money-until-it-is/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [Man cannot live by bread alone. Every once in awhile he needs a salad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/man-cannot-live-by-bread-alone-every-once-in-awhile-he-needs-a-salad/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [All literature is a footnote to Faust. I have no idea what I mean by that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/all-literature-is-a-footnote-to-faust-i-have-no-idea-what-i-mean-by/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [There are two important things in the world, the first is sex. The other isn't all that important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/there-are-two-important-things-in-the-world-the-first-is-sex-the/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [You can't ride two horses with one behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/you-can-t-ride-two-horses-with-one-behind/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [Is old age really so terrible? Not if you've brushed your teeth faithfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/is-old-age-really-so-terrible-not-if-you-ve-brushed-your-teeth/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) [Explore all 935 Woody Allen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. 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There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I took a speed-reading course and read War and Peace in twenty minutes. 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