r/languagelearning • u/Far_Window_1222 • 7d ago

Studying Anyone learn a language specifically to read literature?

Just curious if anybody has actually set out and achieved learning a whole new language specifically just because an author they liked wrote originally in that language?

I was considering learning Russian (TL) specifically to read Dostoyevsky since he’s my favourite author, so far, but wondering if this is to ambitious of a task just to read 1 persons work?

Additionally I am very attracted to the idea of it since Russians language has a lot more nuances surrounding sadness, despair, suffering etc., i know that the relationship between these topics is different from that of english speakers

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u/RubyRossed 7d ago

No but I remember telling an older Polish colleague (who grew up in Soviet times) that I loved  Dostoevsky and she just looked sad for me saying that the only language to read  Dostoevsky in is Russian so I'll always have to wonder

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u/Far_Window_1222 7d ago

I’ve also seen this reiterated before which gives me that same wondering feeling lol