>>3847037If this were 2011 I would tell you that you have to read the whole thing and like it. But Homestuck is dead and disgraced now so who gives a shit?
Act 1 was written largely by fans submitting suggestions in the forum, and because of that it meanders and takes forever to go anywhere. Even after he stopped using fan suggestions to drive the story forward, it took a while for the story to really find its footing. You can skim both Acts 1-3, or skip most of it completely. But don't skip Rose, Dave and Jade's character introductions on pages 214, 309 and 759. (Dave is also best boy so I recommend reading his parts a little more closely).
Act 4 is where the story really starts to open up in its scope, and it becomes more lore-heavy and narrative-focused. It's also where the Trolls make their first appearance. I'd recommend reading it properly starting here.
And then, or course, there is the Act 5 Act 1, also known as Hivebent. It's devoted completely to the story of the Trolls. Back in the day, the more cancerous people in the fandom had a reputation of starting with/only reading Hivebent. But honestly, if you are only curious to know what the deal is with the gray-skined candy-horned devil kids, this is where you want to go.
Act 6 goes completely off the rails after a while, and devolves into whiny teen relationship drama. Stick it out for as long as you can stomach it, but there is no shame in quitting if you get tired of it there.
