The Idiot by Elif Batuman

The Idiot

Idiot #1

Elif Batuman

432 pages • first pub 2017 (editions)

fiction contemporary literary funny reflective slow-paced

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 8,546 reviews

Moods

reflective 87%
funny 68%
emotional 29%
challenging 20%
lighthearted 14%
sad 11%
adventurous 9%
hopeful 7%
informative 6%
relaxing 6%
tense 5%
inspiring 4%
dark 3%
mysterious 2%

Pace

slow 68%
medium 29%
fast 2%

Plot- or character-driven?

Character: 88% | A mix: 8% | Plot: 2%

Strong character development?

It's complicated: 42% | Yes: 31% | No: 25%

Loveable characters?

Yes: 48% | It's complicated: 31% | No: 19%

Diverse cast of characters?

Yes: 76% | No: 14% | It's complicated: 7% | N/A: 1%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 80% | It's complicated: 14% | No: 4%

Average rating

3.83

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Content Warnings

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