The Idiot

Set in 1995, "The Idiot" introduces Selin, a Turkish-American Harvard freshman grappling with identity and purpose. Amidst her eclectic course load, she befriends the worldly Svetlana and, almost by chance, begins an email correspondence with Ivan, an older Hungarian mathematics student. Their exchanges, initially mundane, evolve into a complex exploration of language, meaning, and nascent connection, despite their limited in-person interactions. As summer approaches, Selin embarks on a transformative journey across Europe, first visiting Paris with Svetlana, then traveling to the Hungarian countryside to teach English in a program connected to Ivan. This summer becomes a disorienting yet exhilarating odyssey of self-discovery, far removed from conventional college experiences. Selin navigates the bewildering landscape of first love, intellectual awakening, and the dawning realization of her own literary aspirations, all captured with Batuman's signature mordant wit and profound sensitivity.