Elif Batuman’s writing is really something. Her books are full of humor, and they are always smart. She has a way of looking at the world that feels both funny and thoughtful, especially when she writes about being in school or just figuring things out.
If you like her style and want to discover authors who create stories with a similar vibe, read on.
If you enjoy Elif Batuman’s thoughtful, sharp exploration of young adulthood and relationships, you might also find Sally Rooney’s writing appealing. Rooney’s book “Normal People” follows Connell and Marianne, two classmates from a small town in Ireland.
They have different backgrounds and personalities, but form a connection in high school that continues into their college years. Their story is complicated, emotional, often tense, but authentically captures intimacy and the struggles faced by young adults.
Rooney’s writing is clear and precise, she captures dialogue and interactions in ways that feel real rather than romanticized.
Books by Rachel Cusk often explore personal experiences and human relationships through smart, introspective storytelling. If you enjoyed Elif Batuman’s thoughtful and reflective narratives, you might appreciate Cusk’s novel “Outline.”
Here, the narrator—a writer teaching a summer writing course in Athens—meets various people who open up and share intriguing personal stories.
Rather than traditional plotting, the book carefully considers identity and connection through subtle conversations and sharp observations. The perspectives she hears gradually give shape to her own character, creating an indirect portrait that feels true to life.
Ottessa Moshfegh writes sharp, unusual stories with dark humor and complex, memorable characters. Readers who appreciate Elif Batuman’s witty, introspective style might connect with Moshfegh’s novel “My Year of Rest and Relaxation.”
Set in pre-9/11 New York City, the book follows an unnamed young woman who decides to escape from her life by spending a year asleep, aided by prescription drugs and questionable judgment.
While her friends and therapist drift through their own chaotic lives, the protagonist moves toward her goal with bizarre dedication. The result is unsettling, oddly humorous, and quietly profound—a take on loneliness and modern-day despair.
Books by Zadie Smith offer thoughtful explorations of cultural identity, relationships, and modern existence, filled with humor and sharp social insights.
If you enjoyed Elif Batuman’s perceptive take on young adulthood and intellectual life, you might appreciate “On Beauty” by Zadie Smith. It’s about two families in a small college town in Massachusetts, connected by professional rivalry and complicated personal ties.
Smith weaves together the stories of marriage, academia, race, and generational clashes with humor and depth. Her vivid characters and witty dialogue make “On Beauty” not only an entertaining read but also a meaningful look at human nature.
Books by Nicole Krauss often weave characters who reflect on identity, memory, and the passage of time in ways that readers of Elif Batuman might enjoy.
In her novel “The History of Love,” Krauss tells the story of Leo Gursky, a Polish immigrant living quietly in New York, haunted by memories of his lost love and a manuscript he wrote years ago.
Across town, fourteen-year-old Alma tries to unlock the mystery behind her name, inspired by a character from a cherished book. Through connections they don’t yet realize, Leo and Alma’s lives subtly intertwine.
Krauss creates thoughtful, emotional threads between characters and places, pulling readers deeply into their private worlds.
Readers who appreciate Elif Batuman’s thoughtful and reflective storytelling might find Jenny Offill’s approach equally rewarding. Offill’s novel “Dept. of Speculation” follows a woman navigating the shifting terrain of marriage, motherhood, and creative aspiration.
The story unfolds through brief, insightful fragments and woven moments of humor and vulnerability. Her precise and intimate prose captures emotional complexity and everyday life with a witty, observant eye.
Offill explores the quiet tensions beneath ordinary moments in relationships, similar to the insightful honesty Batuman offers in her work.
Téa Obreht is an author whose storytelling style blends folklore with contemporary life, creating rich narratives full of mystery and character depth.
Her novel “The Tiger’s Wife” unfolds in a Balkan country, where Natalia, a young doctor, attempts to uncover the truth behind her grandfather’s mysterious death.
As Natalia investigates, she recalls folkloric tales he told her about a “deathless man” and a woman known as “the tiger’s wife.”
The book vividly portrays how legends and personal history intertwine, echoing the thoughtful, layered narrative readers enjoy in Elif Batuman’s writing.
Readers who enjoyed Elif Batuman’s novels may find Elena Ferrante’s work equally fascinating. Ferrante is an Italian author famous for exploring complex female relationships and identity through rich, authentic storytelling.
Her novel “My Brilliant Friend” is set in 1950s Naples, focusing on Elena and Lila, two friends whose lives intersect over decades. Their friendship weaves through rivalries, ambitions, and secrets in a community defined by tradition and passion.
The book masterfully portrays the bond and competition between women against the backdrop of Italy’s turbulent social changes. If you’re intrigued by intimate, detailed stories that capture life’s messy truths, Ferrante’s honest and vivid narrative might resonate with you.
Books by Lydia Davis offer a distinctive blend of humor, observational wit, and keen insight into everyday realities.
Her short story collection, “Can’t and Won’t,” showcases her ability to distill complex emotions into brief, sharp narratives that feel both familiar and surprising.
The stories vary from unusual snippets of overheard conversations to precise examinations of life’s routine absurdities. Davis experiments thoughtfully with language and structure, yet her writing remains accessible and inviting.
If you have enjoyed Elif Batuman’s thoughtful yet humorous exploration of life’s small moments, Lydia Davis may resonate strongly with you.
Susan Choi is an American novelist known for sharp and insightful novels that explore human relationships, identity, and the complexities of memory.
Readers who appreciate Elif Batuman’s intimate yet thoughtful portrayals of characters might find Choi’s novel “Trust Exercise” especially intriguing.
Set at a suburban performing arts high school in the 1980s, the book begins with a teenage love affair affected by power imbalances and shifting realities.
As the story unfolds into adulthood, Choi plays with the very notion of memory and truth, bringing unexpected depth and twists that challenge readers to reconsider the boundaries between fact and fiction.
Readers who enjoy Elif Batuman’s blend of sharp observation and subtle humor might appreciate Claire-Louise Bennett. Bennett’s book “Pond” is a quiet yet striking exploration of everyday life.
Told through the eyes of an unnamed woman living alone in a rural Irish cottage, it’s made up of loosely connected stories and reflections. These scenes range from thoughtful to funny and sometimes odd.
Bennett captures the details of ordinary routines and gently reveals the narrator’s inner world. “Pond” doesn’t follow a traditional plot; instead it invites you to notice the strange beauty and depth hidden in ordinary moments.
Sheila Heti is a Canadian author known for her insightful, yet playful approach to fiction and memoir. Readers who enjoy Elif Batuman’s thoughtful style and personal reflections might appreciate Heti’s “How Should a Person Be?”.
This book cleverly blurs the line between novel and autobiography. Heti portrays a young writer named Sheila who confronts the challenges of love, artistry, friendship, and self-discovery.
Much of her explorations come from intimate conversations and emails with her real-life circle of artists and friends. The book openly questions what it means to live authentically and creatively, without offering easy answers.
Fans of Batuman’s careful observations of personal and intellectual life may find Heti’s honest and insightful narrative genuinely appealing.
Gwendoline Riley is a British author known for sharp, insightful novels about relationships and self-discovery. Readers who enjoyed Elif Batuman’s honest explorations of identity and human interaction will connect easily with Riley’s style.
Her novel “First Love” closely follows Neve, a young writer navigating the uneasy dynamics of her marriage to a difficult older man. The story captures the subtle yet powerful struggles within relationships, showing how small disappointments quietly shape our emotional lives.
Riley’s clear, thoughtful prose reveals the complicated truths beneath ordinary moments, much as Batuman’s writing does.
If you enjoy Elif Batuman’s blend of sharp insight and artful storytelling, Ali Smith might resonate with you as well. Smith’s book “Autumn” beautifully captures the friendship between Elisabeth, a young art-history lecturer, and her elderly neighbor Daniel.
Set against the backdrop of post-Brexit Britain, the novel explores themes of time, change, creativity, and human connection through vivid characters and poetic prose.
Through Elisabeth’s efforts to understand Daniel’s past, readers experience how the passage of time can intertwine individual experiences with broader societal shifts.
The way Smith weaves historical events with intimate personal stories might appeal to those who appreciate Batuman’s thoughtful and observant style.
Readers who appreciate Elif Batuman’s thoughtful exploration of identity and cultural displacement may also connect with Meng Jin. Her novel “Little Gods” follows Liya, a young woman born on the night of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
After her mother’s death, Liya travels to China to uncover the story of her parents’ past.
Through Liya’s journey and the perspectives of those who knew her mother, Jin thoughtfully portrays issues of immigration, motherhood, and self-discovery, set against the backdrop of China’s changing political landscape.
Meng Jin presents characters and stories that are emotional, subtle, and rich with detail.