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clarepledl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual violence
artemisg's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
“I hooked up with Matt,” she said, indicating some red marks on her chest and shoulders. Was that hives? Who was Matt? Would I ever understand reality again?
Much like The Idiot, this is a character-driven, vibes-based book where we follow Selin through another year of her tertiary education. This year, she is recovering and reeling from the previous year, trying to put together the reasons she was so affected by Ivan, Hungary, and her aesthetic life. She gets worse, she gets better, and the cycle continues. She someone becomes less likeable and more likeable, less sympathetic and more sympathetic, which I think is the most true thing about teenage girls in the world. She’s complex and confusing and infuriating and so so interesting. I really appreciate and commend Batuman for writing such an interesting and complex character and being able to write in her voice in a way that is entirely consistent with the inconsistencies of teenagedom.
But now she was looking at me with affection. “I missed this Selin,” she said. It hadn’t occurred to me that she had missed me, too.
Again, this book is surprisingly hilarious; Selin remains a comedian. The cast of supporting characters was stellar, and I enjoyed the introduction of new present-day characters and new characters from Selin’s past - sometimes you do forget someone from your past for the length of a year (and a novel) and then are reminded of the in a particular situation. It felt true to life, not like Batuman needed to create a more vast and complex past for Selin. I love Svetlana and her brightness and bluntness. I loved the insight and emphasis on Selin’s mum, who is a wonderful character. Almost everyone was a great character, and even the ones I hated had their place. Sometimes, Selin was the one I hated, but I always got over it. She’s incredibly naive but thinks she’s worldly, which is the 19-year-old experience.
But I was more fortunate. I was going to remember, or discover, where everything had come from. I was going to do the subtle, monstrous thing where you figured out what you were doing, and why.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the themes of nationality and ethnicity and the examination of commodity fetishism. Selin somehow exhibits proletariat class consciousness while being a classist bourgeoisie. This book was beautiful and incredible but did not capture quite the same magic as The Idiot, which is an incredibly high bar, so I didn’t expect it to.
Minor: Sexual harassment and Sexual content
astoriareader's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.0
- I blindly went into this book, as I kept seeing praise & good reviews for it. Apparently, it’s a sequel.
- This book DRAGS at such a slow pace. It also is not structured well, and it has extremely long chapters.
- Pedantic, pretentious. No idea why so many college lectures & quotes from other books are in this??
- Felt absolutely no connection to the main character.
- Tries to be a coming-of-age story if a Harvard student in her sophomore year.
- I have no idea how I finished this book.
- This is the most boring fictional book that I’ve read.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
Minor: Cancer
boogiebeez's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I am actually Selin (it is rare that I relate to book characters this much). I often felt like the observations and witticism she made are similar to how i regard the world but way more efficiently articulated. safe to say that I loved this book and will gobble up anything else written by Ms Batuman
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Sexual content
Moderate: Xenophobia and Alcohol
theabee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Sexual assault
Moderate: Blood, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Emotional abuse, and Xenophobia
brynpemery's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual harassment
mlovesbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Lesbophobia
seanamcphie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Sexual harassment
waybeyondblue's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Toxic relationship
karabeavis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I found the book excruciating at times. For me, the main character is hard to identify with and have empathy for. Despite having a cool mum who is a no—nonsense doctor, in regular contact, the protagonist is hapless, and
Back to the writing which is layer upon layer of cultural literature references: the book is thoroughly researched and clever. I loved the description of Selin’s time spent at her grandmother’s house in Turkey.
Overall highly esoteric and inwardly gazing. I like the sophisticated world the character moves in, but at the same time, I loathe it. I wanted to love this. there’s a buzz around it and many adore it!
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment