Either/Or

god i love batuman’s writing. laugh out loud at time, so real and heart tugging at others. really enjoyed the idiot and loved this one even more. hope to continue following selin’s journey in future books.

I’ve finally found it. My favorite book ever. Was a passive fan of The Idiot, but Either/Or really solidified Elif Batuman as an author I trust. In a modern book landscape plagued by sterile, borderline sociopathic and unfeeling female protagonists, it was refreshing to wander through the mind and world of Selin, sophomore at Harvard University trying to figure out the world she finds herself in post first-love heartbreak. I can’t describe it but I care so much for Selin. The tears she cried felt tangible. She can be naive, but like who wasn’t at 19. Okay and this is the part I admit I felt very related to Selin. Like reading Søren Kirkegaard? Being put on Zoloft? Ok maybe that’s not unique but she feels unique to ME! “Read” on audiobook but will be buying a hardcopy so I can mark up all my favorite passages and keep this for eternity.

I love this journey. Selin questions everything, and then interrogates the questions. It lost me a bit in the last third, when Selin is exploring her sexuality. I'm still along for the ride, though.