I was compelled to grab the sequel, Either/Or, immediately after reading The Idiot, despite not knowing whether I had truly enjoyed the first book. I said in my review of The Idiot that I was under some sort of spell.
The structure of Either/Or is very similar to that of The Idiot. The first half of the novel follows Selin through her everyday college life: her classes, her friendships, her thoughts. And then the second half of the book follows her adventures abroad.
Oddly enough, I think I enjoyed the first half of the sequel a lot more than the first half of the first book, but for some reason, the sequel is also a lot more forgettable for me. Perhaps I was just used to Batuman’s style at that point so the plotless meandering didn’t bother me at first or there were more gems in succession but that doesn’t mean the sequel is truly better in its own right. Also, philosophical introspection is enjoyable to read about in the moment, but the narrator truly has to be special in order for their thoughts to stick with you. I found myself relating to a lot in the first three-fourths of the novel, but I don’t see Selin as a strong character in the literary canon, so perhaps that’s why it didn’t stick with me.
But then she goes to Turkey, and the book becomes boring drivel. It was just about her having casual sex with random people, and it didn’t explore the relationships with those people on any level of depth. It was just literally about the sex, and I was entirely uninterested. That part was actually just the last fourth of the novel, but it made such an impression because it ended on a subpar note. And perhaps her travelling was really the only plotpoint of the novel (similar to how her going to Hungary was really the only plotpoint of The Idiot), so that part of the novel proves to be more memorable than the arguably better first half, so it overshadows and sours the whole book.
As a whole, this novel was largely forgettable for me. I do appreciate the reading experience and the relatability, and I actually do think it’s a worthy sequel for people who adored The Idiot.
