The Idiot by Elif Batuman

Eva Schipper

“Look, this is not for everyone. But when I read this for the first time, I felt the words harmonize with my inner monologue. How should a person act? Why do people do things? What does it mean? It’s a coming of age, it’s a romance with yourself, it hits home especially if you grew up in the era where the internet was a place full of possibilities instead of a slop and trough. Give it a shot.”

cole

“one of the few books i cannot recommend enough. it’s true that her writing style is specific, and i know people who claim not to enjoy it (a mystery to me), but it hugs me so tightly. desperately in search of writers with similar styles, if you know of any.”

Jeanine Nault

“This book probably isn’t for everyone but it’s arch and it’s absurd and I laughed until the very last page.”