Discussion Novels That Make You Feel Dumb

I have finished reading 'The Earth is Online' [BL] and god I feel if I was in that world, I would already be dead in the first round because I'm such a potato. Have you ever read novels that make you feel dumb because the MC is so intelligent or is a genius?

Death Note is also a good example of the battle of the brains, but it's a manga/anime. I really enjoy reading the thoughts of the MC on how he/she could outwit others. The series 'Sherlock' is also a good one.

 

Almost novel that I read Mc is so Big brain ....So much that I feel like I'm a dumb ass compare to these Mc LUL

 

Looks interesting...

>>>>Yaoi


NOOOOOOOOOOOPE.

 

I've never felt dumb before when reading a novel, likely because I write off any conclusions that I don't follow to being something the protagonist noticed off screen. If the author left a clue somewhere and I didn't make the connection, I'll write it off as me not paying attention since it was a boring part. Really nothing can shake my ego, unless I start the day without my pride (today was not one of those days)

 

no. I usually feel like smashing the MC face for being dumb or not smart enough to my standard. If you really think about, there are way better options to solve problems in most novels

 

Dungeon Defense
I didn't really feel dumb per se, but definitely impressed by characters intelligence.

 

First time reading wuxia novel.
Me: Sects? Meridians?? Cultivation technique?? My mother!?

 

For that to happen... well. There are multiple requirements that need to be fullfilled first.

a: The author needs to be quite intelligent. More intelligent than the reader at least. And that is a surprisingly big issue. Most people with high IQs will either choose finances, law or MINT subjects at university. Writing a novel? Only an option due to personal enjoyment. Very few fantasy authors are highly intelligent. This leads to:

b: A highly intelligent character takes exponentially more time the "dumber" the author is.
Writing an eidetic memory? No more "forgotten" stuff.
A grand strategist? Well, now the world just turned into a multitude of options which all need be accounted for.
A master manipulator? (Well, actually this is the easiest cuz the author also controls the other chess pieces.) But ultimately it still requires was more effort than usual if you want to deal with the suspenion of disbelief.
By no means an exhaustive list naturally.

And now we get to the issue... webnovels are usually written under some kind of pressure. And the creators aren't the brightest bulb in the shop either. Ultimately this forces them to dumb down their character to some extend. And no, a character does (and should) not make you feel dumb when he came to his conclusion based on intelligence you did not have. If he didn't have it either you call bullshit and plot armour.

If you want to feel dumb... read the last arc of WMW and the Purgatory arc. Both are good examples of foreshadowing done well. The pieces were all there. You only had to assemble them. Srsly tho. I never read or watched something where the characterr consistently made me feel dumb.

 

True.
I would like being just follower or goon of MC is the best way to survives rather than thinking with my limited brain power.

 

Nirvana in fire,
Haven't read the novel yet but I watch the drama..
If I was in that world I'll be dead without knowing why..

 

Martial god asura, ancient strengthing technique
Peopel in this novel are soo dump that I felt like I become idiot like them

 

When the MC began to say "I, your father..." then I know something stupid will show up.

 

I liked that novel too, really made me think for the puzzles. Some of them I had to re-read a number of times to understand the logic. Unfortunately going to remain a hidden gem since it's a yaoi novel and many male novel readers here don't read it anything with even a hint of the tag (Their loss really).

 

EO was the first thing that came to mind on reading the topic lol.

For high stakes game settings, Liar Game (the manga) is very very good -- it's about a psychology student using his education and street smarts to outwit a corporation that's cheating people out of their money via rigged games. Also Kaiji Ultimate Gambler and Kakegurui.

 

No. In general, I can see through the tricks the author uses to make his MC appear clever if I stop suspending my disbelief. It's easy to write that a character has maximum possible grades and invented hyperdrive as a loli. Doesn't mean the character is actually clever where I can see him or her.
No. I am quite confident in my intelligence. Even if Sherlock Holmes or Shiroe is cleverer, they just make me admire them, not make me lose confidence in myself. It's quite lonely here at the top, and I like meeting people who are of comparable or greater intelligence.

 

I don't feel dumb when there are surprise twists that had plenty of foreshadowing that I missed. I never saw the ending of the 6th sense coming, I never saw a lot of the puzzle solutions in the novel mentioned. However I do feel appreciation on the way it was done and that there was foreshadowing to it.

 

The novels that make me feel dumb are the novels that I don't understand, even on the most fundamental level. I remember reading The Sound and the Fury a while back and just not getting it.

Smart characters usually don't make me feel dumb though. The author has near infinite amount of time to research their novel and think up the plot twists.

 

I don't feel dumb but that novel is the first yaoi novel I have read and you need a lot brain power to read that. And for those who refuse to read cos it's a yaoi, your loss tbh. Cos that is one of the best supernatural/fantasy? novel I have read.

 

if you limit it to webnovels/web serials, there's none for me tbh. i agree with @Feng Tian, the standards are often a low bar. most of the time i only hope for MCs or characters with decent intellect and the ability to actually think properly because the numbers are sadly low. when they're smart its either they're smart either by comparison to other characters (who are made dumb as bricks) or plot convenience. so when they are characters who make rational decisions, im happy enough.

when i do find stories with smart characters or great plotline though, id feel impressed and admire them instead. novels that make me feel dumb are novels that are so bad i question myself for reading them. (reason being its so bad its good, they make me laugh by sheer awfulness XD)

 

I admit, my standards have fallen so low, that when I was watching Kemono Friends, where most Friends are of below-human intelligence, but the human MC saved the day with ordinary human wits, I was still really happy to see somebody appreciating brains.