Elif Batuman

Elif Batuman is an American author and academic known for her contributions to the field of literature. She was born in New York City in 1977 to Turkish parents. Batuman has received acclaim for her work as a staff writer at The New Yorker and for her books, which include 'The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them' and 'The Idiot,' a novel that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction in 2018. Her writing often blends personal narrative with literary criticism, and she has a distinctive voice that resonates with a wide range of readers.

Books

This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

  1. 1. The Possessed

    "The Possessed" is a compelling narrative that combines memoir, criticism, and travel writing to explore the author's deep fascination with Russian literature. Through her experiences as a graduate student at Stanford, her travels to Turkey, Russia, and Uzbekistan, and her encounters with other scholars, the author delves into the works of great Russian authors such as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov, while also reflecting on the nature of literature, identity, and the human condition.

  2. 2. The Idiot

    The novel follows the experiences of Selin, a daughter of Turkish immigrants, during her freshman year at Harvard University in the mid-1990s. As she navigates the complexities of language, love, and her own identity, Selin begins an email correspondence with Ivan, a senior mathematics student. This digital romance and her quest for understanding lead her through various intellectual and emotional adventures, from teaching in Hungary to grappling with the nuances of communication and the nature of storytelling. The book is a coming-of-age tale that humorously captures the challenges of self-discovery and the transition into adulthood.