The Idiot

by Elif Batuman

Elif Batuman’s debut novel follows Selin during her first year at Harvard and is based on Batuman’s own time at Harvard. The Idiot was published in 2017, but Batuman started writing it in 2000-1 during her year off from graduate school. The Idiot has benefitted from this, having both the immediacy and energy from having been written during that period of her life, as well as maturity and confidence. The Idiot is a captivating read with an exciting cast of characters, from the charismatic and outspoken Svetlana, Selin’s best friend, to the mysterious Ivan, a looming and enigmatic presence in the novel.