The Idiot by Elif Batuman

423 pages first pub 2017 (editions)

fiction literary funny reflective slow-paced
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Description

A portrait of the artist as a young woman. A novel about not just discovering but inventing oneself.The year is 1995, and email is new. Selin, the daughter of Turkish immigrants, arrives for her freshman year at Harvard. She signs up for classes i...

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Community Reviews Summary of 15,066 reviews

Moods

reflective 86%
funny 66%
emotional 30%
challenging 19%
lighthearted 15%
sad 11%
adventurous 9%
hopeful 7%
informative 7%
relaxing 6%
inspiring 5%
tense 5%
dark 3%
mysterious 3%

Pace

slow 66%
medium 30%
fast 3%

Plot- or character-driven?

Character: 88% | A mix: 9% | Plot: 2%

Strong character development?

It's complicated: 42% | Yes: 29% | No: 27%

Loveable characters?

Yes: 47% | It's complicated: 31% | No: 20%

Diverse cast of characters?

Yes: 75% | No: 14% | It's complicated: 8% | N/A: 1%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 78% | It's complicated: 15% | No: 4%

Average rating

3.8

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Content Warnings

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