No more + as

[Manufacturer - consumer]

"If you ask me to tell you anything about the nature of what lies beyond the phaneron… my answer is “How should I know?”… I am not dismayed by ultimate mysteries… I can no more grasp what is behind such questions as my cat can understand what is behind the clatter I make while I type this paragraph" - Martin Gardner.

I understood what the author tries to say at the first attempt, but I can't fugure out what as stands here for. Shouldn't there be than instead, as we usually say "no more than"? Could you please explanate it to me, maybe there's something I missed.

 

[owlman5]

I can no more grasp what is behind such questions as my cat can understand what is behind the clatter I make while I type this paragraph" - Martin Gardner.

As looks like a mistake in that sentence. I expected to read than: I can no more ...behind such questions than my cat can understand ...

 

[entangledbank]

You're entirely right: 'than' is expected. It might be an editing mistake, starting out as 'as unable . . . as'

 

[Manufacturer - consumer]

Thanks a million🫶