Three Books That Made Me Feel Stupid
Even though I’m a pretty good reader, I have run across a bunch of books that made me feel stupid. I don’t mind admitting that. I’m usually open about my faults or gaps in my knowledge.
In the video below, I talk about three books that made me feel less than intelligent, and each book on this list made me feel stupid in a different way. One book didn’t make any sense to me. One made me wonder what the big deal about it was. And another triggered an emotional reaction that made me question my intelligence.
I’m considered a pretty good reader, so I can’t be the only person who feels this way about these books. Or maybe I am. Either way, I don’t like feeling stupid after reading a book, no matter what kind of stupidity it is.
What do you think? What books, if any, have made you feel stupid?
Dysfunctional Literacy 
I feel the same way about The Sound and the Fury and Finnegan’s Wake. I had to read them in college and had to chuckle when you said you didn’t make it past the first sentence in FW. I didn’t either.
I’m not a fan of Faulkner and SF didn’t do anything at all to convert me. I even tried listening to it and it wasn’t enough to keep me slightly engaged. Thank goodness for cliffs notes!
The Sound and the Fury on audio? Ugh, the only thing that could be worse on audio would be Finnegans Wake… maybe… it might be a toss up.
There is actually an excerpt of Finnegans Wake on Audible. Didn’t know that. Apparently it’s only two chapters. I had a hard time listening to the sample.
And yes, The Sound and the Fury on audio is just as much of a pill.
I actually enjoyed these, but I grew up on Jorge Luis Borges, who is peculiar in his own way.
I’ve met people who have enjoyed (or said they enjoyed) The Sound and the Fury and even The Corrections. But Finnegans Wake?
Finnegans Wake?
With you on Finnegans Wake. I’m a huge Joyce fan but…never again!
To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of Ulysses either, but Finnegans Wake is on its own level.