How to Read Homestuck

Homestuck is one of the longest works in the English language, and the medium by which it was written can offer some challenges when you first begin reading it. If you intend on undertaking the herculean task of reading this webcomic (found on homestuck.com) here are some helpful tips to get you started.

Steps

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Reading Homestuck is no easy feat, and will take a large amount of time. Set aside time just as you would for reading every novel, but be prepared to set aside much more of it.
Homestuck uses Flash, which means that it has interactive games, videos, and the like. A mobile or tablet doesn't support Flash, which means that you won't be able to fully enjoy the comic if you read it by those means.
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Homestuck is filled with important details, and missing one could make you really confused. Write a few sentences for every 50 pages, then you'll understand it pretty well.
There are several 'rules' to reading Homestuck. Don't skip the intermissions. Don't skip acts. Don't skip Pesterlogs. Don't give up, either, even when it seems incredibly dull. Details in Homestuck are everything! Though Act 1 may initially seem long and convoluted, it acts as an overture for the work as a whole, and is filled with plenty of important details.
Most spoilers can be found on Tumblr, the MSPA wiki, and YouTube. While it can be difficult to avoid, the payoff is definitely worth it.
Ever! No matter how useless or boring a part might seem, it is incredibly relevant. This applies to PesterLogs, Intermissions, comic links and the videos. The Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff comics are optional, but they're a short read and are referenced many times throughout the comic.
You get the full experience when you are simultaneously listening to the epic tracks that will sometimes be on a couple pages of the comic.
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Enjoy the comic. Long chunks of text may drag you down, but they are filled with wit and incredible writing. Don't let the sheer size of the thing intimidate you, and just enjoy the work as it is.

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Question
Am I reading Homestuck too fast? I want to savor the comic, but I'm already hooked. I have read up to the end of act 3 after two days. I don't know how many acts there are, but am I going too fast?
Tom De Backer
Top Answerer
Don't worry about reading too fast. Remember, you can always read it again. A second reading often reveals many details you may have missed.
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Is Act 4 that important?
Ayla Craig
Community Answer
Every act is crucial. As said in the article, no detail is useless. Act 4 is even more important than the rest.
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How does one convince another to read homestuck?
Community Answer
Homestuck is a tricky beast, and it's definitely not for everyone. Don't try to convince them by showing them spoilers, but maybe telling them about what kind of story it is and how it's affected you. If someone absolutely refuses to read the comic, it may be for the best. Don't force anyone into doing it.
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Tips

Be prepared for confusion! Nothing will be entirely coherent until Act 4, so just be patient.
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Homestuck is a very long comic, so if you think it's too long for you to read - try to break it up into bits! Set yourself goals and think to yourself things like, "Right. I'm going to finish Act 1 by next Friday!". This can be very helpful at the start of Homestuck, when things move quite slowly.
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Yes, the pictures look like kind of sketchy and appear to be bad quality, but the comics are meant to look like they were created using Microsoft Paint. It adds a certain charm, don't you think? Pretty soon, you'll get used to it.
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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of How.com.vn readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on How.com.vn, please submit it in the field below.

If you find yourself having a hard time reading all of those words, I would suggest watching the Let's Read Homestuck series by Voxus on Youtube. I especially like it because it puts voices to the characters and has well-chosen background music. The only downside of watching this series instead of reading the comic is you will miss out on some shenanigans built into the website itself, but it's a small price to pay if you aren't a big reader.
Flash, the engine used to originally create Homestuck, has shut down. However, the full project has been preserved on the original Homestuck website.

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Warnings

There are many triggers in Homestuck. Abusive relationships, alcoholism, disabilities, bullying, sexual harassment, depression, death, substance addiction and more are all addressed in the comic.
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