Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman

7 reviews

jordan_noel's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.75

At first, I felt this book was an overly vulgar description of a teenager’s sexual awakening initiated by his attraction to an older, mature man. It felt like a summer romance and nothing more; a fling to be done with at the end. Maybe reminisced upon in an older age, but never a deep regret.

However, in Part 4, this suddenly felt like much more to me.

<SPOILER>

With loss, their romance could be clearly recognized as eros; something the readers could grieve with the characters. In Oliver’s forced complacency with his new wife and family and Elio’s determination to hang on to this brief moment in the past, it’s hard not to feel grief for such a short-lived happiness. What they had together doesn’t disappear as they age but it gets silenced and the characters are forced to live lives of dejection. If I could feel as much in the rest of the book as I felt in Part 4, I could find practically nothing to complain about in this book. Maybe it was the author’s intention to make us feel such deep regret after viewing their love as an initially silly romance, I don’t know. But I do feel this book greatly connects beauty and sexuality with a most turbulent and determined kind of love in a way that’s unique and unexplored in many modern love stories.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Excrement

Minor: Chronic illness, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Death

joeykills's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Cancer, Sexual content, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Child death, and Chronic illness

v1l25's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, and Vomit

Moderate: Antisemitism

Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

dniespal's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

We are not written for one instrument alone; I am not, neither are you.

Amazing, poetically written piece on desire and longing. Aciman is able in his words to take you to the summery italy and really feel the heat of the sun.
The only thing I can point out is that the main character, Elio, isn't a particularly believable 17-year-old. The way he express himself and analyse emotions and gestures is way too mature for his age. And his actions are somewhat toxic and a bit eerie.
But still, really worth a read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Vomit

Moderate: Child death, Grief, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

Minor: Homophobia

caitlin1066's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I read cmbyn last year and gave it four stars, despite it starting my love for Timothee Chalamet’s acting. However, after this years reread, I loved it even more than before. Very odd, especially the peach and toilet scene. But such a beautiful depiction of pure love and dependence on someone romantically. The elephant in the room is the paedophilic undertones and its as bad as it sounds. It definitely had the opportunity to be a coming of age lgbtq+ book about two men who were in love. And whilst it is this on the surface, the age gap between Elio and Oliver is disturbing. Definitely could have gone without the line about the bruised peach laying on its side like a r*pe victim??? Rather odd, to say the least. But the environment is calming and its a really good summer read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Chronic illness, Child death, and Death of parent

aliceloyallaleon's review

emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Vomit, Chronic illness, Child death, Terminal illness, and Cursing

Minor: Blood

ellivander's review

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content

Minor: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Vomit