Elif Batuman

I don't think there's any way for me to write a lengthy review of this book without digressing rapidly into navel-gazing introspection, so I'll keep it short.

The Idiot was wholly refreshing, not just for its rebellion against plot twists and romantic excitement, but for its honest-to-goodness, real-life, whole human female protagonist. Selin is not defined by the sum of her parts, her physical appearance, her life experiences, or anything else. Instead, she is defining the world and seeking show more understanding through passive and totally unconscious resistance. (I read one review in which the reader described the main character as devoid of personality and I felt personally attacked.) I LOVED this book unequivocally. I mean, I already want to read it again and I'm not the rereading type. show less

So how many literary-travelogue-memoirs written by and for comp lit majors can there be? I was totally chuffed to find a story I thought no one outside the increasingly arcane world of literary study could possibly care about be so engaging and accessible, without compromising a real scholar's interest in literature or dumbing down questions of theory. It's a thoughtful meditation on the relationship between literature and life (or literatures and lives, including the author's own), with a show more different master Russian author serving as the presiding spirit for each chapter. It's all good, but her description of the Isaac Babel Conference at Stanford stands out like a lighthouse--it ought to rank with the greatest satiric portraits of the academic life ever written. It's all here: the horror and the humor, the posturing, absurdity and abject misery. It's the first thing I can remember laughing out loud at while shuddering in body terror at the same time. But that's the life of the mind, folks. show less

First of all, I may be one of Elif Batuman's most fervent fans. When I read The Idiot, I couldn’t stop thinking about it or talking about it. I have tried to put it in the hands of most of my reader friends. Somehow, I had no idea that she was writing a sequel! So it was with a profound joy that I found Either/Or. I can’t believe we get more of Selin‘s story. I just can’t express how much I enjoy the depth of Baturman’s writing. She makes me laugh, she makes me think, and way way show more too many of Selin’s experiences are scarily relatable. This book does take quite a left turn about halfway through and becomes frankly a little unhinged. I was there for the ride, though, and I could have read more and more. show less

Probably the best evocation I've read of what it's like to be entirely too smart for your own good, and so compulsively introspective that you're unable to get out of your own head long enough to get a grip on different points of view. In other words, college students at Harvard. Fun.