Reviews

L'idiota by Elif Batuman

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tesssie's review against another edition

4.0

Omg it took me like 150 pages to actually care about anything or anyone in this book. But once I did I flew through it. Def felt bored at parts where she’s discussing academics at length, but her whole situationship dynamic with Ivan and the way Selin responds to human interaction was so cheeky to me. Like she’s painfully 19 and I love that. Will defo read the sequel.

coughdrops's review against another edition

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funny reflective medium-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

3.5

dariadanley's review against another edition

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2.0

I know this book was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, but why do books that earn awards have to be so boring?

I couldn't tell you a lick of what happened in this book, honestly. I was paying attention, but Selin was such a monotone and boring main character. Maybe that was the point? She adapted her personality to whomever she was around? I don't know, nor do I care.

The writing was trying so damn hard to be lyrical and magnificent. It definitely felt like a book I would annotate for class, but dread every second of it. I don't care about symbolism and what each piece means for the future of this book.

Plot? We don't know her.

It was advertised to have humor, we also don't know her.

Overall, I just didn't have a good time with this and I am truly disappointed. Maybe if I try it again later I'd have better luck.

cassreadshere's review against another edition

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4.0

This book came to my desk after a long, self-imposed spell of serious, self-important science fiction novels and radical feminist literature, that left me burned out and humorless.

The Idiot is unlike any book I’ve ever read before. Funny, charming, and at times unbearably meandering, protagonist Selin takes the reader through the painful triumphs and pitfalls of her freshman year at Harvard. Selin’s awkward experiences navigating first love, imposter syndrome and the overwhelming feeling of having no clue what to do with your life are achingly familiar to my own college years.

Though the prose is often self-indulgent and a bit frivolous, the concept of language plays such an important role in this story its worth noting. I found that the disconnect between what we say, what we mean, and the words we use is a central theme in this story. Selin is both incredibly relatable and completely frustrating as a protagonist.

Honestly, I can not recommend this book enough, The Idiot is one of the most enjoyable reads I’ve had this year.

j_tracksbooks's review against another edition

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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

4.0

At first I really thought this was going to be a five-star. In the end the characters were just a little too annoying. The book is delightfully-written, though, and made me laugh out loud at some points with the sheer power of its wording. It's a good, reflective experience for anyone who's been through academia and for anyone who is around the character's age (maybe you have to be a little older to get through it, now that I'm thinking of it). Oh, and maybe that's a controversial opinion, but I preferred the parts where Ivan wasn't present.