The Idiot

I've been meaning to give this book another chance because I really, really wanted to like it - and yet I found it impossible to finish last time around. A passive and introverted main character is a pretty common writing choice, but in this book it was extremely burdensome. Selin's inner reflections mostly led absolutely nowhere and left me hoping for more conclusiveness. Perhaps I would have understood "the point" of this book had I been able to finish it, but nothing in the story - or lack thereof - compelled me to keep reading. The similarities with the author's personal background make me wonder whether too much self-insertion is the root of this book's weaknesses.