To edit my previous post: I went and tried reading in a dark room - it can be done, if you almost touch the page, you can read about a paragraph's worth of text at a time (this was a regular magazine-sized text).
Also, I suppose you could slowly pick your way through a cluttered or unfamiliar room with it, but it would probably be my last choice for this and I'd prefer any kind of disposable LED keychain light for the task.
Dave