I feel so weird writing a review for this because there is so much I want to say but not enough that I can put into actual words. This is definitely a polarizing book- I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone. Actually, I would only recommend it to people who've been in academia, really, I think that's the only way to fully get what's going on. And that's not because I think you need to be a ~superior intellectual~ to understand the ~deep literary complexities~ of the novel, I just think that because the narrator is in academia, that's really what the root of the novel is about, and you just probably won't like it.
I loved what this had to say about gender and love all amidst the world of academia. I think it really encapsulates how all-consuming academia is - specifically academia that deals with theory and literature. Being academia is like being in this weird bubble where you know there is more to life but also it is your - and everyone else's - ENTIRE life. By being taught critical thinking, you suddenly are critiquing everything. And this is where love and academia intersect.
So, I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who has ever felt that way about academia, and I would highly not recommend this to anyone who has no clue.