I want to read high brow great works of literature but I'm too stupid to understand what I'm reading. I feel like I'm missing out on so much all because I was born a dumb ass.
Help me
Dump
Stop being dumb.
Just read and read and read. Look up critical analysis of popular works, but nothing will help more than just reading a ton.
>>8131193
just b urself
>>8131211
Thank you anon. I will say though that just simply looking up analysis on things after I've read them just makes me feel like a dumb ass all over again. Like I basically had to have it explained to me because I didn't get it while I read it.
>>8131193
That picture makes me sad
Also, a lot of editions have Annotations in the back that are really helpful, especially for references or outdated words.
What are you not getting op? Like you miss allusions to other works? That's not really a big deal.
Silly OP. That's how it should be. Do you think the losers on /lit/ that force themselves to read Finnegan's Wake enjoy or understand what they are reading?
No, they just force themselves to do it for 20 minutes each night because then they'll be able to say they've read it. Which is all that matters.
>>8131242
Sometimes its a word I dont know but more often than not its just the sentences in general. Like Shakespeare for instance. I tried reading some Macbeth and fuck if I understand a single stanza so I gave up.
The appeal of classical literature is the intellectual stimulation that rise from the challenging nature of the work.
It's fun to read because it's hard.
You can't read highbrow and you will never be able to. People can't become more intelligent and once we are born the intelligence as babies is the only one we have. Too bad for you your mom did hard drugs when she was pregnant so you have a learning disability. Just stick to Dr. Seuss books and Camus and go and enjoy life locked in an attic.
>>8131193
The only solution is really to not be dumb. If you're having to look up every reference of word, that's something that can be solved by reading more; however, if you lack the intellect to understand what you read beyond that - there's really nothing that can be done.
Reading is an intellectual pursuit in the same way math, physics, or philosophy might be - if you're not able to comprehend what you're doing in any field, then what is the point of doing it?
>>8131324
Well are you actually dumb, or do you perceive yourself as dumb? The reality is, if you're a literal retard, you wouldn't be here.
So tell me: why do you want to learn how to read?
>>8131331
N E W F A G
E
W
F
A
G
>>8131193
You sound like a attention seeking teenager whos getting all upset because he thinks he should be an adult by now.
Just take a course in litrature or just read books, then reread those books when u get older.
>>8131324
Don't listen to these losers op.The reality is that the more you read the better you get.You should start with easier books and then advance to the harder ones.It is absolutely necessary that you remove distractions and focus.Try to read books bearing in my mind both the purpose and the subject so that you may look at things in a more critical manner.
Everything is work and you will only start to be good and enjoy things when you start working.
>>8131324
godspeed you dumb emperor
>>8131193
read how to read a book op, or at least a summary
it's as patronizing as it sounds and the prose is hardly stimulating, but it highlights common sense practices that simply aren't employed by the majority of readers to achieve a level of comprehension expected by higher literature
after that, it's simply a matter of habitually applying the practices to texts till it becomes second nature
there's an infographic on books about books on the wiki too, it doesn't matter how dumb you may be op with practice you can do it
>>8131193
Work your way up to it. Don't think you'll never be able to read more comfortably with that being said, don't think you're just gonna pick up "gravitys rainbow" and on a magical whim it'll make sense.
Start with some less intense works like short stories by poe and lovecraft. They're short and sweet then evolve to novels like dracula keep going and you'll be able to handle titans like pynchon at some point
>>8131438
>titans like pynchon
Pffft hahaha
>>8131456
He misspelled "sperglords".
