false 98687 0374299218 9780374299217 726 213 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171425057m/98687.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/98687.Call_Me_by_Your_Name_A_Novel 56759 Andre Aciman 988 276 3 2 false Fri May 02 12:58:05 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 02 08:56:00 -0700 2008 Fri May 02 12:58:05 -0700 2008
But the rest of the book doesn't excite me. It's another love-that-cannot-last story. Yes, there are a few beautiful moments. But too many questions remain, mainly: what keeps them apart? The world in which their relationship develops has few limits. They only have a few weeks together, but during that time, they can come and go as they please, and they can easily spend time by themselves. The world outside is not shown to be threatening. The weird characters in the Rome section seem to adore both Elio and Oliver. Elio's father clearly indicates his acceptance. And, conveniently, they are destined for success in their careers.

I guess it bothers me that Elio pines for so long. In the last part of the book, he's shown reaching out to Oliver, who has a wife and family, while he has nothing. That's fine, but why? Are there psychological reasons? Socioeconomic reasons? Something else? All we really know about him at that point is that he's an academic, his father is dead, and he longs for his summer love from approximately two decades earlier. How does the insightful teenager become a pining loner? It seems we're just supposed to accept the beauty in his suffering, which just doesn't do much for me. ]]>