The Idiot by Elif Batuman

Fiction | 423 Pages | Published: 2017

Use the following questions to jumpstart your discussion about The Idiot:

1. Do you think Selin is really an "idiot" — or is the title ironic? What does it mean in the context of her journey?

2. How does the novel explore the limits of language — especially as Selin studies linguistics and struggles to express herself?

3. How does the novel portray the awkwardness and confusion of first love or desire?