diff --git a/src/fart/Parser.cpp b/src/fart/Parser.cpp
index 319f6e2..f7efe17 100644
--- a/src/fart/Parser.cpp
+++ b/src/fart/Parser.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 #include <fart/Parser.h>
+#include <fart/read_file.h>
 
-Scene * load_scene(const string_view & input_file)
+Scene * Parser::load_scene(const string_view & input_file)
 {
+    opt<std::vector<uint8_t>> input = read_file(input_file);
+    if (!input)
+    {
+        return nullptr;
+    }
     return nullptr;
 }
diff --git a/src/fart/read_file.cpp b/src/fart/read_file.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f36bf7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/fart/read_file.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#include <fart/read_file.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+opt<std::vector<uint8_t>> read_file(string_view fname)
+{
+    string path(fname);
+    FILE * fh = fopen(path.c_str(), "rb");
+    if (fh == nullptr)
+    {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Error opening input file '%s': %s\n", path.c_str(), strerror(errno));
+        return std::nullopt;
+    }
+
+    std::vector<uint8_t> buffer;
+    uint8_t chunk[4096];
+    size_t n;
+    while ((n = fread(chunk, 1u, sizeof(chunk), fh)) > 0u)
+    {
+        buffer.insert(buffer.end(), chunk, chunk + n);
+    }
+    if (ferror(fh))
+    {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Error reading input file '%s': %s\n", path.c_str(), strerror(errno));
+        fclose(fh);
+        return std::nullopt;
+    }
+    fclose(fh);
+
+    return buffer;
+}
diff --git a/src/fart/read_file.h b/src/fart/read_file.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..74741f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/fart/read_file.h
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <vector>
+
+opt<std::vector<uint8_t>> read_file(string_view fname);