laineyg's review against another edition
4.0
spent the whole second half of this dreading the end cause I kept thinking “this is gonna be some fade to black slice of life stream of consciousness vaguely unsatisfying non-ending isn’t it…” and it was indeed a fade to black slice of life stream of consciousness vaguely unsatisfying non-ending. which fits the tone of the book but unfortunately I’m a bit toxic and wanted them to end up together
alicja_p's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
samalbert's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
(I really thought this was a 3-star book but giving it an extra star because it inspired me to write my first novel so that's not something to overlook)
Maybe my hottest take yet (besides my disdain for Ishiguro's writing) is that I found this book immensely unsatisfying. While Batuman's prose and writing style is at an extremely sophisticated level, I was so disappointed with the direction such a clever idea for a story went in. Selin certainly had some hot takes and the overall tone of the novel is a dry humour that's difficult to come by in other works - but overall this book lacked an emotional hook for me. I didn't understand the obsession with Ivan and while I don't even think the reader is necessarily supposed to, there lacked any interaction between the two characters that didn't make me want to cringe and throw the book across the room. However, I cannot say this book was a waste of my time because it occupied such a large mental space in me. I lamented with anyone who would listen about how much I hated the direction it went in, clearly consumed by the plot I found frustrating yet impossible to pull myself away from. I complained about Selin's meekness yet realized what frustrated me was its similarity to a past version of myself and so many other people I've met in college.
While I may have been expecting more of a Bell Jar' esque portrayal of lost and aimless studenthood, instead, Batuman delivered a story so painfully frustrating the final line feels almost like an ironic joke for both the protagonist and myself as the reader. But maybe that was the point, the entire time?
Maybe my hottest take yet (besides my disdain for Ishiguro's writing) is that I found this book immensely unsatisfying. While Batuman's prose and writing style is at an extremely sophisticated level, I was so disappointed with the direction such a clever idea for a story went in. Selin certainly had some hot takes and the overall tone of the novel is a dry humour that's difficult to come by in other works - but overall this book lacked an emotional hook for me. I didn't understand the obsession with Ivan and while I don't even think the reader is necessarily supposed to, there lacked any interaction between the two characters that didn't make me want to cringe and throw the book across the room. However, I cannot say this book was a waste of my time because it occupied such a large mental space in me. I lamented with anyone who would listen about how much I hated the direction it went in, clearly consumed by the plot I found frustrating yet impossible to pull myself away from. I complained about Selin's meekness yet realized what frustrated me was its similarity to a past version of myself and so many other people I've met in college.
While I may have been expecting more of a Bell Jar' esque portrayal of lost and aimless studenthood, instead, Batuman delivered a story so painfully frustrating the final line feels almost like an ironic joke for both the protagonist and myself as the reader. But maybe that was the point, the entire time?
rdrucker's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
tense
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
2.5
yazzzaayyyy's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
5.0
wahiba's review against another edition
5.0
Dear Selin, being inside your head felt like a mutual hug
gilll's review against another edition
3.5
struggled with the first half but actually ended up enjoying this. main character veered from being painful to read to painfully relatable