A review by notmckinzie
The Idiot, by Elif Batuman

funny lighthearted reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Extremely relatable and yet opaque at the same time. I often felt that Selin might be autistic, which is to say that reading her often felt as if I was encountering things without a trace of the usual, liminal thought processing or understanding of others intentions with which I would usually process the information granted to me by my neurotypical (at least in that regard) brain. This is a positive thing. It forced me to live in a world in which I do not understand, because she doesn’t understand, which then led me to conclude that I genuinely still don’t understand the world we live in. Being 18/19 years old is so fun and so scary. It is life magnified. I loved this book.