![]() ![]() ![]() I’m not going to lie I wasn’t ascompelled by Selin’s story this time around.It seemed to lack a certain je ne sais quoithat Batuman’s debut had for me. This philosophical pursuit issomewhat inhibited by another collegiaterite of passage: losing one’s virginity.The novel, once again, culminates with asummer abroad, with Selin questioning theseemingly universal importance of parties,alcohol and sex. Takinginspiration from Kierkegaard and Pushkin,she attempts to live an ‘aesthetic life’ whilenavigating the fallout from her fixationon Ivan. I don’t think I’ve ever encountereda character who has felt as real to me asSelin, so I was thrilled to have this chanceto see her back at Harvard, a little bit olderand, hopefully, a little bit wiser.īut Selin is as confused as ever. Selin starts her sophomore yearat Harvard, still fixated on her strange – and unsatisfying – encounters with theolder mathematics student Ivan from thesummer. It’s a riot.Įither/Or continues where The Idiotleft off. Wiser and more experiencedwomen are befriended. ![]() Intellectual,and possibly romantic, emails areexchanged. It takes place in1995 and follows Selin, aTurkish Americanwoman during herfreshman year at Harvard. Full disclosure:Elif Batuman’sdebut novel, The Idiot,is in my top fivefavourite books of alltime. ![]()
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