Either/Or

By: Elif Batuman

Narrated by: Elif Batuman

Brought to you by Penguin.

Selin is the luckiest person in her family: the only one who was born in America and got to go to Harvard. Now it's her second year, 1996, and Selin knows she has to make it count. The first order of business: to figure out the meaning of everything that happened over the summer. Why did Selin's elusive crush, Ivan, find her that job in the Hungarian countryside? What was up with all those other people in the Hungarian countryside? Why is Ivan's weird ex-girlfriend now trying to get in touch with Selin? On the plus side, her life feels like the plot of an exciting novel. On the other hand, why do so many novels have crazy, abandoned women in them? How does one live a life as interesting as a novel—a life worthy of becoming a novel—without becoming a crazy, abandoned woman oneself?

Guided by her literature syllabus and by her more worldly and confident peers, Selin reaches certain conclusions about the universal importance of parties, alcohol and sex and resolves to execute them in practice—no matter what the cost. Next on the list: international travel.

Unfolding with the propulsive logic and intensity of youth, Either/Or is a landmark novel by one of our most brilliant writers. Hilarious, revelatory and unforgettable, its gripping narrative will confront you with searching questions that persist long after the last moment.

©2022 Elif Batuman (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Disappointing Sequel

This book’s prequel, The Idiot, is easily one of my favourite books ever. There, we meet Selene, a quirky, naive and academically curious student who learns about life and plays with the beauty of language.

In Either/Or, Selene has become like any average student: ever more depressed over a lost love and the meaning of life while either dreaming of or having sex. Previously, Selene came across as curious and honest - now, it feels like she’s constantly critiquing.

I have to confess, though: a key to appreciating the book more would be to understand Elif’s illustration of the aesthetic life, which I did not truly grasp.

I loved Elif as the narrator, though. She portrays Selene as I also envision her to be.

Intensity of characters

I thought the story was interesting and craftily woven in parts
Although the voice of the narrator was very hard to cope with at times, sounded very stilted and almost flat in most parts ? Although perhaps that is a reflection of the main characters personality?