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elidia's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent and Excrement
sillih28's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Child death, and Vomit
Minor: Antisemitism, Cancer, Death of parent, Excrement, and Homophobia
There's one page were Elio is bordering on rape-fantasiesaaron_1's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent and Vomit
ninascozydayreads's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, and Infidelity
zosiahalbersztat's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Xenophobia and Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
ienbdri's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Terminal illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child death, Excrement, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Vomit
laurenleigh's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I found this beautiful, poignant, and heartbreaking in a strangely satisfying way, for a number of reasons. There’s a catharsis in reliving your first love, in all its intensity and eagerness and doomed fate, as it must almost inevitably make room for a second, third, fourth love. There’s also a certain happiness to be found in watching a young person feel ALL the feelings, compared to your older self, who still has a lot of feelings of course, but has the gift of perspective. Lastly, I derive a twisted pleasure when a book can break my heart. That black squiggles on a page or a string of sounds can bring about rich, unfettered emotion is a never-ending marvel to me. I really want to reread this in print sometime, to better sit with Aciman’s language. I also, unsurprisingly, want to rewatch the movie for the umpteenth time. I actually can’t decide if I like the movie or the book better, which is rare. If anything, I appreciate the movie even more now. The acting, the directing, the soundtrack…ah they were all so perfectly encapsulating of the text. I think the one and only thing missing from the movie is some of the nuances regarding Elio’s bisexuality. Not that Elio ever pins down or puts words to how he identifies, but the book just illustrates this element of Elio a bit better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Excrement
Minor: Death of parent and Injury/Injury detail
9_13kg's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Alcohol
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Child death, Terminal illness, and Vomit
ellivander's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Personally, the best book I've ever read mainly because of the message and beautiful language it carries.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Vomit
grayisasleep's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
i was around 14-15 when i first read this book and i wanted to reread it now, when i’m 18 to see how my opinion has changed. i plan to do this again in my 20s. when i first read it i rated it a 5/5 easily. i thought it was the most beautiful, emotional, raw piece of writing on intimacy ever written. but i was 15.
looking back on this story now i have many mixed feelings. my love for this book was so strong that it has deepened how i feel about it now. i want to resent this book— and i do, i just wish i did more. this is not a love story. it is a story of grooming, and it is difficult to see that because we are in elio’s mind. i was so deeply infatuated with this book at 15, and while rereading it i felt those feelings come back. the giddiness, the “beauty” of this book— of this “relationship.” reading this at 15 has my warped perception on it just as elio’s perception of oliver was warped. i hope by my next reread in my 20s i’m over it.
i’m not going to write a whole essay on this book because hundreds of people already have but there’s just so many problems with it. the author adds in incredibly gross scenes because he thinks he can just excuse it as “complete and total intimacy.” like no dude it’s just straight up gross.
the writing is what really saved this for me the second time around though. it really is the most beautifully written book i’ve read in my life (thus far that is.) i need so many quotes from this book engraved into me.
but yeah, in conclusion; pretty writing but oliver is a disgusting, manipulative person and i wish more people saw this book for what it really was.
looking back on this story now i have many mixed feelings. my love for this book was so strong that it has deepened how i feel about it now. i want to resent this book— and i do, i just wish i did more. this is not a love story. it is a story of grooming, and it is difficult to see that because we are in elio’s mind. i was so deeply infatuated with this book at 15, and while rereading it i felt those feelings come back. the giddiness, the “beauty” of this book— of this “relationship.” reading this at 15 has my warped perception on it just as elio’s perception of oliver was warped. i hope by my next reread in my 20s i’m over it.
i’m not going to write a whole essay on this book because hundreds of people already have but there’s just so many problems with it. the author adds in incredibly gross scenes because he thinks he can just excuse it as “complete and total intimacy.” like no dude it’s just straight up gross.
the writing is what really saved this for me the second time around though. it really is the most beautifully written book i’ve read in my life (thus far that is.) i need so many quotes from this book engraved into me.
but yeah, in conclusion; pretty writing but oliver is a disgusting, manipulative person and i wish more people saw this book for what it really was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Homophobia, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Antisemitism
Minor: Child death, Death, and Death of parent