Call Me By Your Name (Call Me By Your Name #1) by André Aciman - Restarting July 18th 2020

[✨Skye✨]

Call Me by Your Name is the story of a sudden and powerful romance that blossoms between an adolescent boy and a summer guest at his parents' cliff-side mansion on the Italian Riviera. Unprepared for the consequences of their attraction, at first each feigns indifference. But during the restless summer weeks that follow, unrelenting buried currents of obsession and fear, fascination and desire, intensify their passion as they test the charged ground between them. What grows from the depths of their spirits is a romance of scarcely six weeks' duration and an experience that marks them for a lifetime. For what the two discover on the Riviera and during a sultry evening in Rome is the one thing both already fear they may never truly find again: total intimacy.

The psychological maneuvers that accompany attraction have seldom been more shrewdly captured than in André Aciman's frank, unsentimental, heartrending elegy to human passion. Call Me by Your Name is clear-eyed, bare-knuckled, and ultimately unforgettable.

[Himanshu]

✨Skye✨ wrote: "Call Me by Your Name is the story of a sudden and powerful romance that blossoms between an adolescent boy and a summer guest at his parents' cliff-side mansion on the Italian Riviera. Unprepared f..."

Am really excited for this and have people discussing about books is favourite thing.

[✨Skye✨]

Part 1 (view spoiler)[ Hmmm. Not sure if this is for me. The writing is a little too flowery for me, I just find it pretentious and unnecessary. It's nice, but not my cup of tea. I am enjoying the portrayal of the obsessive crush that Elio has and how Oliver draws people in. (hide spoiler)]

[✨Skye✨]

Part 2 (view spoiler)[ It was sweet to see them together, if a little cheesy. I'm not sure calling your lover by your own name would be all that romantic in real life-more likely a little strange. And the infamous peach scene-a little disgusting, but I have definitely read worse. It was sad but unfortunately all too realistic to see the doubts Elio had after they first slept together. (hide spoiler)]

[ToriReadsAgain]

Are we allowed to join the discussion if we already read the book?

[✨Skye✨]

Tori wrote: "Are we allowed to join the discussion if we already read the book?"

Of course! Would love to hear your thoughts.

[✨Skye✨]

Part 3 (view spoiler)[ I think the author really captures that intoxicating feeling of being part of a group, having an exciting time and never wanting it to end. I wonder if we'll see any of these bookstore party characters again. I have a feeling this last part will break my heart. (hide spoiler)]

[ToriReadsAgain]

✨Skye✨ wrote: "Part 2 [spoilers removed]"

I actually loved part 2 and part 3 best because they were so HONEST. Like I learned so much about myself by reading this book. Those are the best books. I think this is like so uncomfortable because it's like RAW human intimacy and we engage in that SO LITTLE.

[✨Skye✨]

Tori wrote: "✨Skye✨ wrote: "Part 2 [spoilers removed]"

I actually loved part 2 and part 3 best because they were so HONEST. Like I learned so much about myself by reading this book. Those are the best books. I..."

After reading the last part, I definitely appreciated the earlier parts more. Seeing how they remember their time together makes it all the more magical for me :) Intimacy like what they share is so rare today.

[✨Skye✨]

Part 4 (view spoiler)[ By far my favourite section! If it was based solely on this, it would be a 5 star read. It made things seem so much better that they still remember these things years later. It's so bittersweet but very fitting. (hide spoiler)]

[ToriReadsAgain]

✨Skye✨ wrote: "Tori wrote: "✨Skye✨ wrote: "Part 2 [spoilers removed]"

I actually loved part 2 and part 3 best because they were so HONEST. Like I learned so much about myself by reading this book. Those are the ..."

Totally agree! That's why I love this book and feel it's so potent and necessary because this is how we used to FEEL. We don't feel anymore. I feel like the only person around me sometimes who let's things affect me unironically. And these characters are so deeply unironic while still protecting themselves the way we all do, which keeps them relatable.

[✨Skye✨]

Tori wrote: "✨Skye✨ wrote: "Tori wrote: "✨Skye✨ wrote: "Part 2 [spoilers removed]"

I actually loved part 2 and part 3 best because they were so HONEST. Like I learned so much about myself by reading this book...."

That was definitely a huge strength of this book, how it conveys emotion, and not just in the romance, but about everything. The way people feel about friends, and the young girl who's ill, and just about life.

[ToriReadsAgain]

Tori wrote: "✨Skye✨ wrote: "Tori wrote: "✨Skye✨ wrote: "Part 2 [spoilers removed]"

I actually loved part 2 and part 3 best because they were so HONEST. Like I learned so much about myself by reading this book...."

It's one of my favorite books of all time for that reason.

[Maddie]

Shae and I are starting today

This narrator seems so old, can't picture a teenager!

[Maddie]

8% (view spoiler)[Another religious book. I didn't realise religion was so big these days. I thought most people were lowkey religious but didn't really pray or anything. (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

21% (view spoiler)[What? He's talking to his dad about the sex he almost had? (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

26% (view spoiler)[Kinda gross.. He just masturbated into his swimsuit.. (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

55% (view spoiler)[Why is he upset now. Wtf. He got what he wanted? (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

60% (view spoiler)[What is wrong with this guy! Having sex with two people in the same day?? AND NOW FUCKING A PIECE OF FRUIT!? This is so bloody disgusting! My mouth is hanging open! (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

75% (view spoiler)[Does he just love everyone...? (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

84% (view spoiler)[Okay sweet so he vomited up and is kissing the random guy now.. (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

93% (view spoiler)[I have no idea how old Oliver is... If he just got married, has kids and pets? Idk I'm not really following anymore. (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Finished. Thank God that's done. I just found this book so annoying, so gross, so frustrating, not me at all.

[Dannii]

************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Date changed. Restarting March 8th 2020. Happy Reading ☺

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

[Dannii]

First quarter - (view spoiler)[This writing is like a dream! There are so many beautiful quotes I just want to remember forever. The story is a super slow-paced and character-driven one but I expected that and am loving this for what it is. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Second quarter - (view spoiler)[This is far less the romance I assumed it would be and more a story of one boy's coming-of-age, emergence of sexuality, and a tale of teenage obsession. Oliver, as the adult, should have long ago halted his advances. I don't feel he cares for him at all, at this point, but perhaps loves to feel his obvious infatuation. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Third - (view spoiler)[That peach scene was...uncomfortable.

Following this was the first time I felt something for Oliver. He previously seemed so confident but we got to learn of his vulnerabilities in this quarter. Despite technically an adult, he is just as lost and confused as anyone else. (hide spoiler)]

[iana]

oh! I’m still only a couple of pages in, lagging behind, so please bear with me! ><

[Dannii]

fourth quarter - (view spoiler)[That was a far more poignant ending than I was anticipating, given that I was never wholly convinced of the romance. It felt more like obsession and so, I think, the ending felt so full of sorrow as it showed the end of any innocence.

I usually dislike time jumps but seeing the pair grown and their life diverging in separate directions, before momentarily reconvening, felt so bittersweet and fitted the whole tone of the novel perfectly. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Guiana wrote: "oh! I’m still only a couple of pages in, lagging behind, so please bear with me! ><"

No worries :) I have a pretty free day and flying through some shorter reads on my tbr. I can't wait to see your thoughts.

[iana]

part 1

Dannii wrote: "First quarter - [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[yes! all hail the writing! I've got to say this is one of the most beautifully written pieces I've ever read. you're right, it's slow-paced, which I thought wasn't my style, but with this book, how can I not feel otherwise? I can almost feel Elio's emotions as he speaks. I have to admit that there were times I was startled by certain actions. namely, the most recent happening Elio actively initiated: the venture into Oliver's room and the thing with the red bathing suit. I agree with you that this is a character-driven story, but I've noticed Elio has been gradually been actively seeking out and initiating things and it's fascinating how his narrative progresses and the changes in showing that. in short: I'm captivated and want to stay this way. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Guiana wrote: "part 1

Dannii wrote: "First quarter - [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

I totally agree with you. I usually bond with this overly flowery writing style so this one is so my sort of thing. It feels jarring to read such a beautiful description of some quite explicit things though, doesn't it!?

[iana]

yes! have you maybe seen the film adaptation for this? (view spoiler)[also, reading the narrator, I forget that Elio is only a teenager. it almost feels like he's an old soul, with the intensity of the expressions and even just the thought process. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Guiana wrote: "yes! have you maybe seen the film adaptation for this? [spoilers removed]"

He definitely feels older than his years! I've not seen the film yet but am planning to. Have you? I just remembered there's a sequel to this book, aswell. I think I'll try and read it next month if you want to BR it?

[iana]

have only seen bits of the movie, but I will most definitely get on that as soon as I finish reading the book! and definitely, that would be great! I've heard some passing comments of the sequel, which have left me somewhat befuddled, from a friend who's just read it. totally down for BRing it next month!

[Dannii]

Guiana wrote: "have only seen bits of the movie, but I will most definitely get on that as soon as I finish reading the book! and definitely, that would be great! I've heard some passing comments of the sequel, w..."

Oh yay, that's awesome. I can do any date after the 5th so let me know whenever is best for you :) I'm on hols until the weekend but can request the thread when I'm home

[iana]

April is actually wide open for me so anytime is perfect. :D I can request it for the 8th here since I'm going to be on PC for a good bit, unless there's a more ideal date for you?

[Dannii]

Guiana wrote: "April is actually wide open for me so anytime is perfect. :D I can request it for the 8th here since I'm going to be on PC for a good bit, unless there's a more ideal date for you?"

8th is perfect :)

[iana]

great! here's the thread - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/.... nearing part 2's end soon. :)

[Dannii]

Thank you so much :)

[iana]

part 2

Dannii wrote: "Second quarter - [spoilers removed]"

I'm with you on that here. (view spoiler)[it being less romantic and more coming-of-age, as well as with Oliver, I mean. I'm curious, sure, but to be honest, I'm also slightly confused. as the details surface on the relationships, the stance on them sort of get hazy to me, where it lies with Marzia or where it lies with Oliver or where Elio lies with himself. the pushing and pulling with Oliver doesn't help either. and, while they are physically intimate now, I'm waiting to see more of the emotional attachment, especially on Oliver's part. I'm assuming this coming trip will provide some insight on that. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Guiana wrote: "part 2

Dannii wrote: "Second quarter - [spoilers removed]"

I'm with you on that here. [spoilers removed]"

I think I (view spoiler)[Couldn't help but to dislike Oliver as seemed so emotionally unattached to all events and it felt then that he was playing a game with the men and women in his life. Of course, it might be different if we were to see it through his eyes. (hide spoiler)]

[iana]

Dannii wrote: "Guiana wrote: "part 2

Dannii wrote: "Second quarter - [spoilers removed]"

I'm with you on that here. [spoilers removed]"

I think I [spoilers removed]"

that's so true! (view spoiler)[there were several times where I felt like he wasn't really taking things seriously, a bit disingenuously. like after they were intimate for the first time and Elio had come across as off and, by extension, distant because he was still mulling the events over, Oliver was quick to reel him in, though it felt more flippant than not. then he'd just go about. as if, as you said, it was just Oliver liking the other person's infatuation with him rather than an earnest air. (hide spoiler)]

[iana]

part 3

(view spoiler)[uh. so I learned not to be completely shocked at the explicit scenes in this book that pop up every so often, but yes, the peach scene was uncomfortable. something that rivals that, if not terrified me more, was the bathroom scene. I don't know if I'm interpreting this right but... were they watching each other... defecate? Oliver even helping Elio out with it? shudder.

that aside, that quarter was unreal. so far, the San Clemente chapter is my favourite. it opened up a whole new place, and much of it felt like a daydream. the whole day was so spontaneous and so special. I didn't miss the little passing comment Elio made about it being the most beautiful day of his life either. (hide spoiler)]

[iana]

part 4! finished!

I couldn't agree with you more on that! (view spoiler)[backtracking to what you said before, the story seems more coming-of-age than it is romance, and I'm not fairly fond of time jumps either, but that ending did conclude the loss, for a lack of better words, of innocence pretty well.

my feelings are a bit conflicted with how I'm going to interpret how much I enjoyed the story with the star rating system though. I liked it far more than I thought I would but at the same time feel a little bit off by it. the lack of plot consistency threw me off a tad. that's intentional, I'm sure, because it's an introspective book, but I personally prefer to have that consistent order of action. but on the whole, it's a solid great! (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Guiana wrote: "part 4! finished!

I couldn't agree with you more on that! backtracking to what you said before, the story seems more coming-of-age than it is romance, and I'm not fairly fond of time jumps either,..."

I agree with everything you said there (view spoiler)[It's not my usual type of read but the writing was so lovely and the thought process of this teenager was so deep that I very much enjoyed reading it. The time jump has me confused with what they are going to do in the sequel, unless it picks up from the moment they say goodbye again and follows the separate paths their lives take? I think it'll be quite sad not to see them together, which again confuses me as I was never a fan of their romance and could only view at as a means for Elio to transcend from innocence. (hide spoiler)]

[iana]

(view spoiler)[yeah, the time jump does muddle it up a bit. I've heard the sequel's slightly confusing. there was an excerpt of it on the audiobook I was listening to for Call Me, but I skipped through most of it. it doesn't seem to be in Elio's POV? I also wonder how it'll tackle Oliver's wife and children, if it'll follow where we've left off. I feel it's going to be a bit sad too, but I'm really hooked into reading more of that internal thought and analysis like we saw here, see how time worked with Elio and that innocence element. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

(view spoiler)[I'm never normally a fan of series that follow different perspectives as I find I always bond more with the first and can't seem to like the later ones as much. This refers more to fantasy for me, though. I'm tentative but eager to read the sequel, although I agree, I think it'll be quite sad to view their lives if they differ from the people they thought they'd become. (hide spoiler)]

[iana]

(view spoiler)[yeah, same here. the average rating for Find Me has my confidence wavering, but onwards we go. have you read the part of the summary about Elio's father? I'm thinking then that maybe it'll take us back in time a little bit because his father had passed by the end of the first book. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

***