A review by omnomicons
The Idiot by Elif Batuman

4.75

I loved this book. Batuman’s voice is dry and witty and is painfully accurate to the feeling of somewhat adrift in the world. The supporting characters are delightfully confusing, but the tone manages to stay away from whimsy (which I think is the correct choice). Batuman immerses the reader in the relationship between Selin and Ivan, to the point where despite the toxicity between the two of them being clear, I really was unable to judge any of Selin’s choices — she was a painfully true character to me. One of my favorite reads of the year.