Stanford Stories: Tales of a Young University: reading level, length and free edition

Name: Stanford Stories: Tales of a Young University
Author: Charles K. Field

Stanford Stories: Tales of a Young University by Charles K. Field is a short stories in English. Our team rates it B2. It runs to 54,488 words with 6,746 different word forms, about 4.5–9 h of reading at 200 to 100 words per minute, and it is free from Project Gutenberg.

By the Readlang Mobile team (an independent app, not affiliated with readlang.com). Updated 31 October 2026.

Cover of Stanford Stories: Tales of a Young University

Author: Charles K. Field
Language: English
Level: B2
Form: short stories
Words: 54,488
Different word forms: 6,746
Forms for 95% / 98%: 4,022 / 5,657
Reading time: 4.5–9 h
Free edition: Project Gutenberg

"Stanford Stories: Tales of a Young University" by Charles K. Field and Will Irwin is a collection of fictional stories written in the late 19th century. The stories encapsulate various aspects of life at Stanford University, often exploring the experiences of students as they navigate their academic, social, and emotional challenges. The collection features a diverse cast of characters, including Freshmen like Cecil Van Dyke and Hannah Grant Daly, who embody the joys and struggles of university life. At the start of the book, the narrative introduces us to the whimsical yet poignant world of collegiate life through themed tales. The first story, "A Midwinter Madness," focuses on Van Dyke, a Freshman grappling with the social dynamics of a college Glee and Mandolin Club. This opening sets the tone for the university’s vibrant atmosphere, filled with youthful exuberance and romantic intrigue, as well as the challenges posed by friendships and loyalty. The author expertly weaves humor and pathos into the student’s adventures, hinting at the broader themes of growth and identity that unfold throughout the collection.

Is Stanford Stories: Tales of a Young University right for your level?

To recognise 95% of the running words in Stanford Stories: Tales of a Young University, you need its 4,022 most frequent word forms; for 98%, the share at which most readers manage a novel without a dictionary, 5,657. The median English B2 book in our table needs 3,747 forms for 95%, so by this measure the book is typical for its level: number 12 of 19, easiest first.

A word form is any spelling that appears in the text, so “walk” and “walked” count twice, and names count too. These numbers are a guide to how much vocabulary the book asks for, not a test. The level itself was set by hand by our team. Before you commit, read one page of the free edition and count the words you do not know: the one-page test takes two minutes.

Which words should you know before you start?

These are the words that Stanford Stories: Tales of a Young University uses most often but that are not among the 2,000 most common word forms across all 309 English books in our library; the number is how many times each appears. Names of people and places are left out. Learning a handful of them first makes the opening chapters easier.

college 84
football 30
student 29
campus 28
fraternity 23
fullback 22
morrow 22
rush 22
fence 22
team 21
ball 20
gang 17
bleachers 17
feed 16
students 16

How does it begin?

These are stories of the University as it was before the era of new buildings. While the attempt has been made to create, in character, incident and atmosphere, a picture of Stanford life, the stories, as stories, are fiction, with the exception of "Pocahontas, Freshman," and "Boggs’ Election Feed,"

From the Project Gutenberg edition, which is in the public domain. If this paragraph already feels slow, try a book one level lower.

How long does it take to read?

Hours to read *Stanford Stories: Tales of a Young University* (54,488 words) at four reading speeds.
Words	100 wpm	150 wpm	200 wpm	250 wpm
54,488	9 h	6 h	4.5 h	3.5 h

Learners reading a book at their level often manage 100 to 150 words per minute, and readers in their first language 200 to 250. Where these speeds come from, and a calculator for your own: How long does it take to read a book?

Where can you read it for free?

The free edition is Project Gutenberg eBook #24735. Project Gutenberg publishes books that are in the public domain in the United States, as EPUB, Kindle and plain text, free and without an account. Copyright terms differ by country: if you live outside the United States, check that the book is out of copyright where you are before you download it.

To read it with a translation over every word you tap, open it in Readlang Mobile on iPhone or iPad.