Sunday, July 15, 2018

Elif Batuman, The Idiot *** 1/2

As with the Joy Williams collection I read last month, I don't quite know how to rate The Idiot. Batuman's prose is brilliant, quirky and funny with countless offbeat insights. The main character, Selin, comes across as an authentic and interesting person trying to find her way as a college student.

However, The Idiot entirely lacks narrative drive. It's a low-key coming-of-age story, as Selin adjusts to Harvard and drifts into love with an older Hungarian math student.

I'll read this book again in a few years and expect to gain new insights from it.

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