The Idiot by Elif Batuman

The Idiot

Idiot #1

Elif Batuman

432 pages • first pub 2017 (editions)

fiction literary funny reflective slow-paced

Description

Selin, a tall, highly strung Turkish-American from New Jersey turns up at Harvard with no idea what to expect. What she doesn't expect is:How much time she will spend thinking about language and its limitationsAn opinionated cosmopolitan Serb name...

Read more

Community Reviews Summary of 9,317 reviews

Moods

reflective 87%
funny 67%
emotional 29%
challenging 19%
lighthearted 14%
sad 11%
adventurous 10%
hopeful 6%
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: 26%

Loveable characters?

Yes: 48% | It's complicated: 31% | No: 20%

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

3.82

See all reviews...

Content Warnings

Submitted by users as part of their reviews

Expand filter menu View summary

See all...