Reviews with content warning for Antisemitism - Call Me By Your Name

Reviews tagging 'Antisemitism'

Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman

30 reviews

stuff3danimalzintheeclo5et's review

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emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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kaadee's review

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

1.0

After reading other peoples reviews, I have come to a conclusion. I think it’s important that this book was made because it gives a glimpse into the the thought process of the groomed. We as readers know that it’s gross, uncomfortable and upsetting and while Elio also realizes this, his feelings are much different. Through Elio’s thoughts, we are also being groomed by Oliver to care for their relationship (see other peoples reviews calling this an amazing love story) it’s a good story, but not one about love. It’s about obsession, it’s about craving an experience but ultimately it’s about the power imbalances teenagers have with adults. How teenagers are easily taken advantage of and made to think they are in love. I honestly don’t think the writer wrote it to have this kind of meaning whatsoever which makes it worse for me. The deep dive into Elio’s sexual thoughts was disturbing. I mean, I really didn’t need to know what a 17 year old was thinking while he was going at it into a peach. I think it’s important to understand his thoughts but the amount of detail into the desires was gross. Also the writing style??? What pretentious person decided they would just add every word from the dictionary, put it into run on sentences, and then publish it? Some quotes were good but it’s too much philosophy without actually making any sense. People who praise this book for the writing and the feeling that you get while reading are weird. Honestly, the writing just made me want to finish it 10x faster just so I could be done. I love the movie compared to this. Also the fetish for Jewish people, GROSS!!! The author isn’t even Jewish which I didn’t know while reading. I was weirded out but I just went along with it because maybe he was just being expressive of his faith/background BUT NO, he just fetishized Jewish people.

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kashby's review

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emotional reflective

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25

first book ive cried to

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sillih28's review

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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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lenamar's review

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emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

Well this book was a rollercoaster.

I started reading it sitting in school in one of my free hours and only one page in I said to my friend: "I already love this book"
I was amazed by how detailed the author has written this book. And this wonderful poetic writing style accompanies us through the whole book. Never have I read a book with figure of speech. The intertwining of philosophy, art and music is beautiful and unique. There aren't many authors who are able to write like this, one worthy comparison can be drawn to Donna Tartt.

Content wise, well let's put it this way, it was everything but not what I was expecting. I thought I would read a cute and fun LGBTQIA lovestory. Dont get me wrong, I love to be surprised.
Written from the point of view of Elio who is clearly obsessing over our dearest Oliver, it made me feel and think things I never would've dreamt of.
I had to put the book down several times out of (I'm not even sure how to call this feeling) a mixture of secondhand embarrassment and disgust, I think. Never will I see peaches the same way as I did before reading the book. There were some passages that made shake my head, scream at the characters but also laugh. And I loved every second of it. I love it when books make me feel this way or another. And believe me when I tell you that what I felt wasn't innocent. My poor brother next door when I started yelling at the book at 2 in the morning...
Anyway, what also fascinated me was that the characters, let's take Elio's thoughts as the example, thought and acted so raw, humane and uncensored. What would be a taboo for the majority of authors to write like this.

What I didn't like about the plot was the adult-child relationship. Mentally I had the feeling that Elio wasn't 17 but 14/15 and Oliver around 30. In reality they have a 7 year age gap but still, I couldn't get this out of my mind and it stopped me from being happy for both of them many times.

My favourite part was probably when Oliver and Elio went to Rome and on their first evening, they went to this kind of book party. This was so beautiful and reminded me a lot of "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

The fact that time didnt seem to matter at all, was pretty fascinating for me. No matter how late or early it was, there was always something happening. And the people were so open. It was pretty heartwarming.

For example, when they were in Rome and were left alone in the bar because the waiter trusted them. Or when they went to this big market place or whatever it was and they sang and danced with complete strangers.

All in all it's a masterpiece which deserves the five stars, but I didn't give them, because my mind cant deal with the mental ages, the foot fetish and the possible fruit fetish. Sorry André

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wastedheart's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective relaxing sad slow-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

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grayisasleep's review

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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.

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onion's review against another edition

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mysterious 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? Yes

3.0

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luluslittlelibrary's review

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emotional reflective sad slow-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

0.5

I did not like this book. First, the age gap is really concerning. This book is definitely supposed to be a "first love" story (especially for Elio) but it isn't written correctly for that kind of story. It might have worked better if they were older (and had a smaller age gap) or if they had even a drop of chemistry. There relationship feels very forced and is clearly written by a straight man. The only good thing about this is the author's ability to write a beautiful setting and atmosphere of Italy.

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emmaoline's review

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challenging dark 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? Yes

I am left with one question after reading this book and that is how was this ever published?
Not just in terms of content but the writing seems like nonsensical drivel only found in a first draft. At times it felt like Aciman had recently purchased his first thesaurus when writing this book, but had yet to learn anything about punctuation. Whilst what is supposed to pass for plot feels more like horror than romance.

There are no likeable characters in this book. There are no people in this book, only aliens masquerading as people. Although I did enjoy the character Ada whose only purpose was to say "I am Ada," in a crowded room. If this was spoken to the main characters or not, or in the background is not really clear, which made it funnier.

But in the end, I am left reeling from the racist colonial ideology that came out of nowhere and had way too much time spent on it as if it were Shakespeare. This disgusting language was so disturbing I forgot the earlier passage where a peach was described as "bruises and damaged, like a rape victim,"[sic]

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