No, you’re not dumb. I read for fun, and I read superficially. Stephen King is my favorite author. I have every book he published. I’m also on a SK sub on Reddit. I read people’s reviews about his books, and I think to myself, “They got all that outta that book??

I used to worry about it, but not anymore. If they want to pick apart his books looking for hidden meanings, then by all means, go ahead. I read for pleasure and I will continue to do so. So the only thing I get out of it is nothing but pure entertainment.

I don’t try to analyze, or interpret, I just superficially read. If you’re reading for yourself for fun, don’t worry about deeper meanings.