Either/Or

The last 50 pages felt like I was reading a totally different book and main character had serious brain surgery. 

3.5

4.5 stars. Elif Batuman continues to be one of my favorite writers. She wrote the idiot when she was in college right? But she didn't publish it until she was in her 30s? Presumably then she wrote this book as a sequel after the success of the idiot? I guess for this reason I was expecting to like the sequel less since it would be less “authentic”? But I might have liked it more honestly. She captures being a smart 19 year so well. TRUST ME I KNOW I WAS A SUPER SMART 19 YEAR OLD AND TOTALLY COULD HAVE GONE TO HARVARD IF I WANTED TO.

This is the book I wish I could write.

I really didn't think [b:The Idiot 30962053 The Idiot Elif Batuman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474782288l/30962053.SY75.jpg 51577226] needed a sequel. Of course I am going to read a sequel should there be one. But wow I do regret this now. While other recent unnecessary sequels (André Aciman's [b:Find Me 44581535 Find Me (Call Me By Your Name, #2) André Aciman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1557077508l/44581535.SY75.jpg 66927396] after Call Me By Your Name, or Sebastian Barry's [b:A Thousand Moons 52255586 A Thousand Moons (Days Without End #2) Sebastian Barry https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1566404592l/52255586.SX50_SY75.jpg 71765449] after Days Without End) manage to stay detached from their successors, Either/Or feels like a weaker copy of the original that not only wasn't very enjoyable but also made me question my attachment to the original. If I would reread The Idiot right now, would I find Selin and her meandering thoughts and her tendency to self-insert herself into every fictional story she encounters equally annoying? Did Selin change or did I change? Should there be another part about Selin's adventures in Russia, I think I might skip it. This is a super harsh and possibly too-harsh review I realize.

This and Batuman's previous The Idiot are both fabulous campus novels which I'd recommend to any former humanities student.