A review by matildamercury
The Idiot by Elif Batuman
4.0
This book was fantastic, and felt almost comforting in its constant awkwardness and embarrassment. Yes, it’s a book where “nothing happens”, but sometimes that is the true shape of experience as an 18 year old girl.
From the author, in her Vox interview:
“There actually is a reason for all the plot-level frustration, because one of the things I really wanted to explore in this book was the feeling of falling outside of narrative. This was something I experienced for the first time in college. The narrative quality of life, my ability to see my life as a story — for whatever reason, this was always something that I really wanted to have — would just sometimes disappear. I’ve also had episodes of depression in my life, and those things are connected. For me, a lot of depression is just not being able to see any kind of a story that you’re in. It’s the same with a breakup. One of the most painful parts of a breakup is having the feeling that your life is a story, and then the other person leaves and takes the story with them. And you’re left there without it. You’re left in this version of life that’s basically a succession of events and interactions that don’t seem to be going anywhere.”
From the author, in her Vox interview:
“There actually is a reason for all the plot-level frustration, because one of the things I really wanted to explore in this book was the feeling of falling outside of narrative. This was something I experienced for the first time in college. The narrative quality of life, my ability to see my life as a story — for whatever reason, this was always something that I really wanted to have — would just sometimes disappear. I’ve also had episodes of depression in my life, and those things are connected. For me, a lot of depression is just not being able to see any kind of a story that you’re in. It’s the same with a breakup. One of the most painful parts of a breakup is having the feeling that your life is a story, and then the other person leaves and takes the story with them. And you’re left there without it. You’re left in this version of life that’s basically a succession of events and interactions that don’t seem to be going anywhere.”