You could learn a lot from The Idiot

College and college-age characters are such a rich seam to mine, it’s a wonder other writers don’t do it more often. The protagonist is young enough to be prone to folly, often on the cusp of huge changes, yet old enough to be self-aware. College is a time for self-exploration, self-involvement and self-invention. And those summers in between the academic year are even more fertile ground for inquisition and experimentation.

Selin, by her ...