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sofiaamelia's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content
sagescassette's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
The plot was basic but didn't take away from the story. I think it was written well too, and isn't too long of a read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Cursing, Grief, Alcohol, and Drug use
anntrautmannm's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
There's a lot to say about this book, which I would not have read unless prompted to by family. I am very glad that I did. Although it starts in an idyllic setting (the Italian Riviera) as the story of intense attraction, first love, and longing, it has a lot more to offer. First, the way the author lets us into the mind of the young man, 17 YO, and his desire for a student living with this family for six weeks is so realistic. Haven't we all had those thoughts about someone we are crazily consumed by? Questioning every single thought and going back and forth enough to drive yourself mad. And being stared at by total strangers in awe of your happiness that you are unaware of wearing like clothing; the strangers enraptured by their happiness! So beautiful.
In the beginning, references are made to philosophers and Heraclitus in particular. Unfamiliar to me, I looked him up and briefly understand his main concepts to be that the world is constantly in flux, and (from the Greek translation) "No man ever steps in the same river twice." Of course, I did not look this up until after reading, but I loved it because I had felt throughout the book both a sense of time travel (not in the silly commercial sense of blockbuster movies) and of time and life being like a river, touching so many points simultaneously, always changing, people always changing, everything in flux, and (trying to avoid a spoiler) towards the end of not being able to hold/keep/go back to a moment/moments in time--like trying to hold water in your hand and watching it just slip out. Elio also often imagined himself in the future and considered who he would be in light of his action/inaction. The awareness of time slipping away . . . (All of that may make more sense if you have read the book to its conclusion.)
Other themes or items of note for me included:
- The freedom these young fellows had to explore their desires. The setting, in part, made that easier than it would have been in a different country/place.
- Also with regard to the setting, it was magical. And then Rome! So magical.
- I thought it was interesting (and good!) that there was no meanness--no revenge, ill intent, mean thoughts or words. Pretty cool.
- Related to the above "river/flux" theme, the fluidity also of gender; of names, the Bangkok person.
- The one statement that conveys the sense of being unable to "hold" time or revisit it, where (paraphrasing) left is false, right is false, up is false, down, forward, backward, etc. All "false" because they won't allow you to go back. Can't hold time in your hand.
- The beautiful line that the stars are only granted once. You should treasure and cherish and protect them. That's the main point, for me.
And I won't be buying peaches for quite some time. ; )
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
amaralh's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Hate crime, Cancer, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Vomit, and Excrement
mals_library's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Vomit
Minor: Death of parent, Misogyny, Blood, Terminal illness, Body shaming, Excrement, Child death, and Rape
theway's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol and Grief
Minor: Death of parent, Homophobia, and Vomit
ryliereadss's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.25
I read half of this book as a physical copy and then listened to the other half. I enjoyed reading about young love that makes you kind of crazy and over analyze everything. The ending was heartbreaking. I don’t know if I’ll read the second one, it felt like a nice wrap up at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
lexaprose_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
At first, it was cringe and bordering on Limerence. It felt like the male version of My Husband by Maud Ventura. The Rome trip was the beautiful turning point. The dad's speech at the end made me tear up.
FYI: The pacing is really slow. There are some graphic sexual scenes.
Later!
FYI: The pacing is really slow. There are some graphic sexual scenes.
Later!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
logenthielke's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content
Minor: Rape
The book could’ve been perfectly normal, had the Elio been 20 or 21 years old instead of 17. I guess this book shows how easily someone can be groomed, but I truly don’t think the “age gap” was a necessary contribution to the story. A 17 year old boy being preyed on by a 24 year old man is not an age gap, it’s grooming and pedophilia. Hard pass.lia_mills's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
3.25
Method: audiobook
Note: I think this book works better if you treat it as literary fiction rather than romance fiction (partly because the age gap in question makes the central relationship ethically questionable in a way I think the story is aware of but doesn't fully engage with, but mostly because the book is far more interested in Elio's internal life than it is with this central relationship - it's just that most of Elio's internal life over the course of this story was him obsessing over this man).
Since listening to the audiobook, I've seen the film, which I prefer, but I'm glad I did the book first - the book is so entirely rooted in the protagonist's inner monologue, and the film relies on everything except a direct inner monologue (which it doesn't have) to explore his perspective, which makes for an interesting contrast.
The film wins over for 4 main reasons for me: 1) it has (slightly) more of an interest in other people's perspectives (i.e. treats Marzia more as an actual character), 2) the cinematography and landscapes are beautiful, 3) it almost entirely removes the "San Clemente Syndrome" section of the book (which did absolutely nothing for me), and 4) it has a different ending point, which I found more emotionally fulfilling in part because of its directness and in part because of the nature of the story.
To me, the film changes the story from being about remembering something (as it is the book) to being about experiencing something (and, at the film's ending, reflecting on that experience and really feeling the bittersweet pain of its aftermath), and I think the film does a stronger job with the latter than the book does with the former.
Note: I think this book works better if you treat it as literary fiction rather than romance fiction (partly because the age gap in question makes the central relationship ethically questionable in a way I think the story is aware of but doesn't fully engage with, but mostly because the book is far more interested in Elio's internal life than it is with this central relationship - it's just that most of Elio's internal life over the course of this story was him obsessing over this man).
Since listening to the audiobook, I've seen the film, which I prefer, but I'm glad I did the book first - the book is so entirely rooted in the protagonist's inner monologue, and the film relies on everything except a direct inner monologue (which it doesn't have) to explore his perspective, which makes for an interesting contrast.
The film wins over for 4 main reasons for me: 1) it has (slightly) more of an interest in other people's perspectives (i.e. treats Marzia more as an actual character), 2) the cinematography and landscapes are beautiful, 3) it almost entirely removes the "San Clemente Syndrome" section of the book (which did absolutely nothing for me), and 4) it has a different ending point, which I found more emotionally fulfilling in part because of its directness and in part because of the nature of the story.
To me, the film changes the story from being about remembering something (as it is the book) to being about experiencing something (and, at the film's ending, reflecting on that experience and really feeling the bittersweet pain of its aftermath), and I think the film does a stronger job with the latter than the book does with the former.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Adult/minor relationship