Call Me By Your Name

[Karl]

Hi, I'm new to this group. Anybody read Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman? It is the only time in my life that I reread a book as soon as I finished it the first time. I highly recommend it.

[Novel Currents]

Hi! New to the group and just scanning recent discussions. I just finished Call Me By Your Name a few days ago and posted a review. While I can't say it's nothing I haven't read before, it still managed to hit that emotional g spot. I found myself reading about Elio and reminiscing about my own past relationships. I found it quite moving -- perhaps more so because at the moment I'm unattached. Lovely book, lovely writing. Perhaps a touch overrated, but overall it gets a strong recommendation from me.

[Lisa]

I just finished it. I'm sending a query out to agents for my own novel, and one of the things they want you to do is name a title or two that your own novel is similar to, for some reason. I've been trying hard, and mostly failing, to find anything similar, so that's why I read Call Me By Your Name. The exploration of desire and obsession between two men is a similar theme to mine.
There was much to like in it, although at times certain chapters or sections, particularly the bookstore reading in Rome, seemed as if they came from a longer book. Perhaps I wanted it to either be shorter, or stretch its legs more.

[Robin]

I read the book several months ago. I write so differently from this style (A SECRET EDGE and THINKING STRAIGHT, both about gay teens with a very different approach to relationships from Elio's) that it was at times refreshing and at times frustrating.

Here's the review of Aciman's book that I put on my author page:
This book took me by surprise. Most of the story takes place over a summer in Italy and on the surface seems like the ramblings of a young man obsessed with someone he expects to see only for that summer. While I enjoyed the writing, I kept waiting for something to happen. What I didn't realize was that something was happening without my awareness. By the time I finished, I realized that I'd been lured into emotional, psychological quicksand. And I didn't want out.

[Johnos]

I can understand why you would immediately re-read this book. I wanted to, but hesitated because my vantage point would be completely different and I didn't know if it would spoil it or not. To me, the whole feeling of the boy's angst being based on misperception of reality, and the reader not realizing it until the end, seems vital to feel of the book. The style certainly begs for a second read though. I've never been taken in so quickly by a character or felt as vividly what was going on in his mind.

[Martin]

I think it's a wonderful read, and was delighted to see it "paired" with one of my novels on Amazon. Elio's mind is like a garden of youthful hormones and dreams and he exposes all of it through his narration of the story. Rarely is such raw angst portrayed by a character. I haven't reread it yet, but I will.

[Ted]

I agree with all of the comments above. And the ending just blew me away. I was in tears.

[Coffeeboss]

I just finished this book, and knowing I had seen it on the boards here awhile back had to dig around and look these comments up again. It is a beautifully written book. The last chapter (no spoilers here) was a risky trick that I was reluctant to read, but it also had me in tears, it was so wistful and poignant (and real, in my experience). I'm hovering between a four and five star rating, and have to absorb it a bit more before I can summarize it on my list.