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The idiot book batuman7/4/2023 Published in 2017, “The Idiot” tells the story of a first year college student at Harvard University in 1995. The proportion of books I own to the time I have available to actually read them is extremely unequal, so “The Idiot” gathered dust on my bookshelf until this year’s spring break, when, at last, I decided to open it. Perhaps by chance, I was given this novel for Christmas a year or so ago. I didn’t seek it out, but without fail, that bubblegum pink seemed to find me whenever I entered a bookstore. Slowly, Batuman’s debut novel became a primary protagonist in my life. It started as a supporting character-its title cropping up in articles I had to read for school or in the news. However, the novel began to make more appearances in my life. I didn’t think much of it when I left the bookstore that day without “The Idiot” in hand. It stayed on the shelf, but I recall being struck by the lucidity of its cover: a pale pink background, a simple serif font and the image of a large gray stone. I didn’t pick up the book or read the summary or even consider purchasing it. I was in my hometown bookstore, ambling through the air-conditioned shop on a yellow, lethargic July day in Connecticut. I first glimpsed the cover of “The Idiot” by Elif Batuman nearly two years ago.
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