Comment by erikpl

If I had to learn algorithms again, and especially if I had to self-study the topic, I would personally choose a somewhat lighter textbook as an entry point, and then use CLRS for more rigor when needed. I used Skiena's excellent book for this purpose, but Sedgewick's might also be a good option. Note that Skiena doesn't cover all the topics in CLRS, but you should find most of it in there. But what you DO find is a much entertaining and motivating read.