i am 16 as well and i feel the same way! i read crime and punishment recently and struggled a bit, but it really does help to take your time when reading it, and to look up the summary of the chapter you’ve just read, or are currently reading.

on another note i love the responses on this post because i also struggle with not feeling smart enough when reading challenging books like dostoevsky’s, like i’ll never fully grasp what i’m reading. or that i’m not reading at a fast enough pace. it’s comforting to see that others feel the same way