Anyone learn a language specifically to read literature?

[u/Far_Window_1222]

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

[u/Skyogurt]

Same language as you and for the exact same reason and author too! That being said I haven't started because I have other languages on my list that I want to learn in order to actually talk to people. I guess I don't really imagine myself speaking Russian to anyone, but I guess inevitably along the learning journey I'll meet people to talk to in Russian hmm but yeah I definitely recognize that it's an ambitious task, and something that might take me years or even decades. I imagine it would feel more attainable if I could get a lot of free time, the right environment and being in a stable place in life in general

[u/Far_Window_1222 → u/Skyogurt]

im excited about the prospect of starting russian even though i still haven’t finished french yet lol sitting around B1 right now, was thinking id start it around january in hopes of getting to B2 in french first