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caroisreading's review
challenging
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book took me about 100 pages to finally "get it" -- to relax, read this with levity, to stop being so annoyed by our narrator or the abstruse references. I even needed some moments to pick my jaw off the floor from shockingly racist situations, and try to accept it's all part of the agenda in "The Idiot."
Selin is a freshman at Harvard, and incredibly awkward and genuinely dumb about things, as most teens are. She floats in and out of situations dictated by her classes, her mom, her roommates, her friends, and her developing crush on Ivan, a fellow student. The way she just lets things happen to her, and tries to formulate what's happening in her head, it's so incredibly funny.
The parts that were lost on me were any involving Ivan. I related to the first-love obsession. But all humor was gone for me in these scenes, and Selin was a shell of herself, reduced to pining and repetitive thoughts. Also, don't come for me, but Svetlana annoyed me to no end.
Elif Batuman writes such a perfect representation of a 19yo's inner thoughts, a superficial level of elitism, confidence and borrowed intelligence, absolutely humbled and reset by life and love.
You'll enjoy this if you appreciate funny, intellectual reads, awkward narrators, and don't need plots or "satisfying" endings.
Selin is a freshman at Harvard, and incredibly awkward and genuinely dumb about things, as most teens are. She floats in and out of situations dictated by her classes, her mom, her roommates, her friends, and her developing crush on Ivan, a fellow student. The way she just lets things happen to her, and tries to formulate what's happening in her head, it's so incredibly funny.
The parts that were lost on me were any involving Ivan. I related to the first-love obsession. But all humor was gone for me in these scenes, and Selin was a shell of herself, reduced to pining and repetitive thoughts. Also, don't come for me, but Svetlana annoyed me to no end.
Elif Batuman writes such a perfect representation of a 19yo's inner thoughts, a superficial level of elitism, confidence and borrowed intelligence, absolutely humbled and reset by life and love.
You'll enjoy this if you appreciate funny, intellectual reads, awkward narrators, and don't need plots or "satisfying" endings.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Excrement and Racism
mattyvreads's review
challenging
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book is not for me. I, unfortunately, did not really care for it. I found it to be for real very boring, actually.
I do think it is well-written, but it could have been an email.
It was like “POV toxic relationship”. Like a culmination of my least favorite parts of “A Very Nice Girl” and my least favorite stylistic elements of “Flights”. Just… not for me.
There were good parts! I find moments in this book absolutely and effortlessly hilarious. The author finds humor in the mundane and in the human condition.
Many parts of the book went over my head. I found it mostly pretentious and unapproachable. Also, the protagonist’s neuroses were in constant conflict with my own.
Some of the book was actually informative. I love the way that it discusses language and the evolution of language, and shit like that. Pretty cool.
I do think it is well-written, but it could have been an email.
It was like “POV toxic relationship”. Like a culmination of my least favorite parts of “A Very Nice Girl” and my least favorite stylistic elements of “Flights”. Just… not for me.
There were good parts! I find moments in this book absolutely and effortlessly hilarious. The author finds humor in the mundane and in the human condition.
Many parts of the book went over my head. I found it mostly pretentious and unapproachable. Also, the protagonist’s neuroses were in constant conflict with my own.
Some of the book was actually informative. I love the way that it discusses language and the evolution of language, and shit like that. Pretty cool.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racism, War, Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Misogyny
nataliegray's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Sexual content and Body shaming
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I freely admit that it is possible that I didn't "get" this book, but it really felt like, and the text itself says this, it's 14 hours of the characters misunderstanding each other. But not in a Hallmark-movie-misunderstanding-silly way, like a "I guess that XXX." "What?" "Nothing." "No, what did you say?" "It's dumb. Just that I guess that XXX." "Oh." way. And I am all for a weird little book that is doing something different than the norm, but this got tedious. The writing isn't bad at all, but I had a hard time getting engaged. Which could be the point? That Selin couldn't get engaged with Ivan either? I feel like I could write on this book, but it didn't qualify as a "fun" read for me. I'm not sure this had a plot?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Infidelity, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, and Grief
Minor: Body shaming, Racism, and Animal cruelty
hannibanani29's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Cursing
wasabby's review
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The first half of the book is focused on Selin, a freshman at Harvard, going through the machinations of college life. If the whole book was set up like this, I think it'd be easier to like it. Unfortunately, at the halfway mark, the book devolves into a strange grooming scenario between Selin and a senior/grad student. When you combine that with the sheer amount of casual racism, literal slurs, *acknowledgement* of the slurs and yet the continued use of them, the constant antisemitism the book somehow always finds a way to come back to... it's not a good book. It glorifies a predatory dynamic between a young woman and a man too old to be dating an 18 year old. It doesn't criticize the lack of empathy Selin feels for those around her. Characters in the book are often devoid of any real personality beyond "the black roommate" and "the friend of a friend who has a girlfriend in a wheelchair." Also just a lot of strange sexual content. If any of that's not your cup of tea, I'd avoid reading this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Homophobia, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Excrement, Emotional abuse, War, Alcoholism, Classism, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Racism, Addiction, Child death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Ableism, Body shaming, Drug use, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Stalking, and Xenophobia
sydneybedell's review
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Eating disorder
libbyhb's review
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What a strange book! I enjoyed reading this. The writing style/format was really suited to my tastes - I loved that it was kind of meandering and introspective and that the plot still progressed but in a more detached way. I liked all of Selin's thoughts and observations, even when her actions were sooo frustrating. I also liked how the book was so clearly inspired by real life events, it felt so authentic and grounded. Can't wait to read the next book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Eating disorder
savvylit's review
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Idiot is a fascinating glimpse into the mind of an incredibly intelligent yet socially naive young woman. For instance, Selin spends paragraphs contemplating philosophy, existentialism, linguistics, and mathematics - but she can barely express her own emotions and needs. Early in the novel, Selin enters into a toxic friendship with a fellow student named Ivan. Both Selin and Ivan are deeply emotionally stunted. In fact, they both talk AT each other instead of TO each other. And the majority of those one-sided conversations occur only via email. Their relationship was incredibly frustrating to witness & possibly my least favorite aspect of this novel. Luckily, Selin herself is so endearing that it makes up for it!
Selin's naivete, though frustrating, allows her to be an incredibly keen observationist. Being a college freshman, Selin experiences "adult" interaction for the first time. In these encounters, she often has a completely fresh perspective on ordinary scenarios that most of us might take for granted. And she's funny! Selin has a dry humor that kept me chuckling to myself from the first page to the last.
Selin's naivete, though frustrating, allows her to be an incredibly keen observationist. Being a college freshman, Selin experiences "adult" interaction for the first time. In these encounters, she often has a completely fresh perspective on ordinary scenarios that most of us might take for granted. And she's funny! Selin has a dry humor that kept me chuckling to myself from the first page to the last.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Ableism, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: War and Body shaming
rebekahg876's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Racial slurs, and Racism