I highly enjoyed Batuman’s writing in this novel. It’s about as straightforward as one could ask for. Each paragraph has an observational tone that allows readers to decide how the observations affect the characters. Though readers are seeing things through Selin, Selin has a way of observing situations as though she’s not truly there, which either makes her a reliable narrator, or not. I haven’t decided.  

I like this novel’s development. It’s sort of slow-paced, but Batuman does a good job of making sure the reader doesn't get bored. There’s just enough going on that the reader wants to know what happens next. 

There’s not much I disliked about this novel. My one complaint would have to be that the first half was much more intriguing than the second half, but that’s just personal preference. I much more enjoyed reading about Selin’s time at Harvard than I did her time in Europe.