A review by annoyedhumanoid
The Idiot by Elif Batuman

adventurous funny reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

the worst man you know, and you’re stuck in his orbit.

at first, this book was such a refreshing view of the first-year college experience that i was disappointed when it got caught up in a man. but at the halfway point i began to appreciate it showing just how insufferable he is, that worst man you know, and how foolish you were to go back to what hurt you every time.

until: his charm worked on me too. i wanted more of him, more than even Selin did. what starts by holding up a mirror to your stupidity then gently redirects your gaze to the huge world behind your reflection, beyond the endless, ruinous chase for love.

but it also shows you, in that huge world, a whole throng of people who all want to love and be loved, like you. or, one other person who does. but if we aren’t the only one in something, mustn’t there be countless more? i’ve constructed playlists comprising dozens of songs written by hundreds of people that collectively capture to a tee how i feel, but never have i felt more solidarity in those feelings than i have from this one book.

“I’m not Turkish, I don’t have a Serbian best friend, I’m not in love with a Hungarian, I don’t go to Harvard. Or do I?”

“Long after I finished The Idiot, I looked at every lanky girl with her nose in a book on the subway and thought: Selin.”

we’re all the idiot.

or, at least, i don’t think i’m the only one.