Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Call Me by Your Name

Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman

67 reviews

kashby's review against another edition

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emotional reflective

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25

first book ive cried to

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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

finishing this book is like waking up from a stupor, one where my heart has been ripped out and ive been punched in the gut in the process. call me by your name is a devastating story of love and loss, bone-deep aching and longing and desire and shame and fear and an unbreakable bond forged during an unbelievably idyllic, languid summer. the language is simple yet lucid and breathlessly stirring--it was as if i was elio himself--the setting and mood are superb, and the book's final part is a treasure. never has a book been so masterfully, acutely aware of all the ways we second-guess and subtly manipulate, all the heady push-and-pull we maneuver to draw out others or to protext ourselves, yet this is such an affecting, evocative, heartbreaking read.

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onthelam's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

i was confused and uncomfortable at some points. Like

fucking a peach i could still bear but then comparing it to a rape victim was just ugh and ofcourse the creepy underwear scene.

But the writing was amazing, everything was beautifully worded and some parts made me feel like i understood myself better. the characters were complicated as was the story and the ending left me feeling sorta empty but in a good way?

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abby_p's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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sonoma's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted relaxing sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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sillih28's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Having watched the movie before reading this book I already knew what to expect and wasn't too excited about it. As a queer person the fact that the only gay book that gets media attention is about pedophilia is very upsetting, however after reading the book I definitely understand the appeal. Through the whole reading-process I have had my ups and downs about who to like and what to think, but the thing that stands out most to me, was Elios very unhealthy obsession with Oliver. One could even see this as a balance to Olivers pedophilia.
All in all was the book a very nice read and I really like the authors writing style, and parting from what the movie shows was their romance way more lovey-dovey than erotic.

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ninascozydayreads's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

I could go on and on about what bothered me and what I hated about this book, and I will, but what I hated most (and yes, not even disliked, hated) was how unnecessary it all was. I have heard people describe this book as being "thought-provoking", and if that's the case for you, great! For me, whatever might have been thought provoking got completely buried under unnecessarily uncomfortable scenes. This book has ruined peaches for me. I love peaches! There was so much that I just wished I didn't have had to read, but unfortunately I did and this book will haunt me for the rest of my life in the worst way possible.

I also want to talk a bit on the actual problematic part of the book: the relationship. This relationship has been romanticized over and over again by readers, which gained a lot of critique in and of itself, and I've heard people say "but it's not a romance! It's a tragedy". I'm sorry, this is a romance. A bad one, an uncomfortable one, an overly-obsessive-bordering-on-stalking-and-danger-one. Sure, Oliver sometimes raises his doubts about the age difference between him and Elio. But there is never any substantial critique; not in dialogue, not in plot. And sure, the Elio's flaws were a main theme in the book, I'll admit that. But like the relationship, those flaws were never substantially critiqued or worked on. The whole book he kept this unhealthy obsession with someone much older, and it was creepy.

Fifteen years later, Elio is still obsessed with Oliver and doesn't even give it a second thought how problematic that age difference was. Sure, 8 years might not seem like a lot, and it's fine if say one person is 35 and the other 42. But at 17 and 25 you're at two totally different stages of life, and a 17 year old is by all accounts a child. And yes, this relationship is extremely romanticized in the book and it's simply put, unhealthy.

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