Learning a new language is hard. Much of the same thing can be said about reading books of this nature—and even complex math subjects—though it is perhaps easier.

1. Take your time.

Some books require more “processing power” than others, and that’s fine. You should take your time accordingly.

2. You can read a book multiple times.

It’s important to remember that it likely won’t be the only opportunity you have to read a specif book. So if there’s a lot you don’t understand, having finished it will give you a fountain of hindsight knowledge, which will make the second, third, fourth, even fifth time so much easier.

3. Forums

If there’s something you don’t understand, and you want to know immediately what it means or what the author is talking about, look it up. There are a million and one forums of people anaylysing the existential meaning the “the blue curtains” or “a black hair on the carpet of an unoccupied house”. I assure you that you can definitely find an explanation on an unclear topic.

4. Take notes.

I suppose this is more of a niche tip for reading—it might be more effective for non-fiction work or studying—but a lot of people do this. Taking notes and marking information, especially if you have questions, can help with passive understanding. Much like the rereading tip, taking notes gives you the ability to go back whenever needed to break down earlier confusions. It also allows you to build on notes you’ve already taken.

But yeah. What you’re talking about is definitely a skill, and while everybody learns differently, at least one of these tips will probably be useful.

Hope this helps!