[quote=@AceptablyPsycho]
<Snipped quote by UltikanaRe>

I think that's a bit unrealistic though, reading EVERY little rule. Over time sure, getting to know them is OK, but just starting out you should stick to the fundamentals. I think that's what scares a lot of people off is when they see the size of the PHB, not realizing that the majority of it is only going to be used once for picking classes or rolling abilities. 
[/quote]

I would say reading every rule is a good idea, MEMORIZING every rule isn't. The rules that are important will come up a lot and you will either remember them from when you read them the first time or begin to memorize them as you look them up over and over again. This is slow going at first but I find it tends to work well enough.

I haven't had a chance to do any specifics however I think that for my character I might try and do something of a pessimistic wizard who gets his best spell-book stolen locking him out of his tower along with making him lose all of his most powerful spells. He rushes off to hunt the thief, grumbling about how things are probably only going to get worse.