Call Me By Your Name

𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘔𝘦 𝘉𝘺 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦 by André Aciman is a story of growing up entwined with an unforgettable narrative of love and desire. It is almost impossible to categorise this magnificent novel into a genre as it transcends the ideas of passion and love that we possess. It's a restless and hugely intimate novel that simply transported me to a world which I did not want to leave. In the 80s, based on the Italian Riviera, 17 year old Elio falls deeply and irrevocably in love with Oliver, an older scholar who had come to get assistance from Elio's father for his manuscript that was to be published soon. During his stay for over six weeks with Elio's family, he evokes this swooning passion in the young boy with his charming conversation skills and very American manners. It is with great care that Aciman has directed the narrative through Elio, his burning desire for Oliver which sometimes resembled that of borderline obsession of a young boy. These profound feelings of desire on Elio's part were romantically magnified with the slightest of touch and the most mundane of events by the author. Through the characters of Elio's parents, Aciman makes way for the lovers to experience the deep aches of love and heartache in young love without any societal impediment. Aciman's words are kindred to those of a beautiful gust of wind and his characters are free in their choices of love and living. The memories of adoration and Italy amalgamated and took me into a trance that I didn't want to step out of. This is truly what a novel about romance should feel like, with its unexplainable heartbeats in the gut and feverish longing all wrapped up with incessant passion.

This is the kind of book that shall make you smile. This is also the kind of book that shall make you cry. Between the raw appeal of unexplored spots and the sensory turmoil of gasping breath, the unbearable tease of nubile skin and the obscure redundancy of sartorial shame, 'Call Me By Your Name' is devastatingly beautiful in depicting first love. In Aciman’s languorously seductive, deeply measured and wholly hopeful prose, Elio and Oliver discover more than the heady magic of corporeal beauty; they discover a chest full of memories to last a lifetime. And they learn to embrace love the way it should be embraced – without conditions. This is the kind of book that shall stay with you for years and you would want to pass it on to your children, and their children.

Call Me by Your Name is a sultry, all consuming and a remarkable coming of age novel about love and fixation, passion and accepting who you are. This book is not a cliched romantic novel! Not even close to it! It is invigorating, sad, tender, poetic and intimate. Told from the perspective of Elio, a seventeen year old boy, this book follows his life primarily over the duration of one summer when his life is changed by his romantic and sexual obsession with Oliver, a 24 year old American novelist, who resides as a house guest at Elio’s parents Villa for that summer. I loved how the author used Elio’s voice for this story and described his thoughts, uncertainties and confusion intensely deeply. I believe that the author did a great job in creating a sense of time and place. Also, the characters were quite well developed according to me and even with other main as well as secondary characters, the author was successful in conveying and justifying their thoughts quite well. Overall, I loved this book and I can’t wait to watch the movie now!!!

What I hadn't anticipated when I began reading this book was, how Elio's thoughts seemed so universal, such as, "Does he hate me?", "What am I doing wrong?", "Do I deserve this?". We have all gone through such doubts about ourselves from time to time. But Elio seems to never stop beating himself up over small things. Especially when he's smitten by the brooding and attractive American resident at his summer house in Italy, in the 1980s. Their attraction and curiosity toward each other brings them as close and throws them as far as they can imagine. But the passion between them is more searing than fire itself and all-consuming. I found myself feeling for Elio and his valid doubts about his worthiness towards Oliver, who in turn shows us his vulnerable side after a while. I'm don't usually enjoy the Romance genre but this one completely stumped me. There was never a dull moment throughout. The vivid imagery and genius of Andre Aciman leave you gasping for more. I liked the way the book ended but wasn't expecting it. Elio and Oliver were characters larger than life and almost tangible. They will stay with me for a long time. Do give this book a read. You won't be disappointed in the least.

This has to be my best read of 2019. The writing style, the descriptions, the story - everything Is so evocative, different and thoroughly enjoyable. This book takes you to the 20th century Italian life and the way author brings about the blooming of emotions.. and the struggle in a teenage while showing how life goes on is just purely heavenly to read.

The crudest and rawest expression of emotions from Elio's perspective is narrated in an excellent way. The sizzling romance and sensational plots that not only presented their intimacy but also gave a lot of depth into characters. I have seen only very few novels where gay love has been projected in such a natural way. Kudos to the author!

Its much more than just a love story. I stumbled upon the movie when I saw the trailer in 2020, three years after the release. Cried my heart out. Found the book. Read it in one day. Cried a lot more. This book left me with a sadness and nostalgia for days that I didn't even know the reason for. Its beautifully written in the perspective of a 17 year old and even though he is feeling it for a man, it relates to all of us and our first crush and first relationship as a teenager. Love but has only one language, no matter which year, whcih country or which orientation.

The story underlines a beautiful love story, a genuine relationship of hearts between two heady young scholars. Articulate description of human feelings and wistful longing for a lost love is exceedingly touching at a deeper level. The author expounds how a lover's heart aches for a lifetime when denied the right to love. Recommended read for all aching hearts and those young individuals who are about to compromise their 'Love (human, career path, passion)' under societal pressure. Thanks!