Reviews

Call Me By Your Name - Screenplay by André Aciman, James Ivory

ashiqtriestoread's review

2.0

Meh. It was a struggle to finish this book and after the first few chapters, I phased myself out and powered through the rest of the pages because I hate abandoning books in between. The writing seemed high-handed, the sentences were never-ending, the style was too ornate. The story of Elio and Oliver, the first love and all that - was just meh. (Note to self: Get my heart checked because going by the other reviews those were all the reasons why they related to the books and saw themselves in the story). Maybe, hearing only good reviews about this book from my club, I probably placed high expectations from this one. Anyway, watch the movie if you are interested in the story – at least, it doesn’t take more than a couple of hours.

kylieboyer's review

3.0

I didn't start liking this book until the section about the San Clemente Syndrome. "Who I am when every part of me seems miles and centuries apart and each swears it bears my name." Other than that section, it wasn't my favorite book. Loved the setting though, it makes me excited for Italy this summer.

essikert's review

5.0

i don't really go in for in-depth goodreads reviews but i just have to say i l o v e d this book. i have talked about it at length with at least three people and i have a feeling i will be doing so for many months to come.

oatmilklatte's review

5.0

“we had found the stars, you and i. and this is given once only.”

i’m writing this at 12:20 am, listening to sufjan stevens and fully covered in my own tears, so bear with me —

call me by your name is intoxicatingly beautiful and heartbreaking and captures the ache of longing and infatuation in some of the most candid and luminous prose i’ve ever come across. so!!!!! soft!!!!!! and!!!!!!!! magical!!!!!!!! nothing about elio and oliver’s relationship ever felt forced. it is written about with such feeling and tenderness that continuing to read becomes a maddening desire in its own right. it’s dreamy and enchanting and raw and introspective all at once. aciman captures true intimacy and attraction, masterfully so. occupies a special place in my heart and will continue to do so for a very very long time

mlytylr's review

5.0

there were many moments that were over-the-top and ridiculous ... but it is about a teenager's first love, so how could it not be? in the end, this book completely won me over.

corcordium's review

5.0

I don't have words to describe everything this story made me feel. I finished it last night and I was a mess. I'm still an emotional mess just thinking about this book. There's something so bittersweet about this story that I can't even put it into words. I can't explain how it made me feel, I can only say that this book has left a mark in my life and will forever stay with me. Do yourselves a favor and read this.

noonebutchels's review

5.0

Do you know that feeling you get when, after sweltering in the mid-summer sun for hours, you take the first bite of a fresh, cold grape?

Yeah.

rat's review

3.0

The movie adaptation of "Call Me By Your Name" is one of my favorite films to date so it seemed like a logical next step for me to immediately go out and buy the novel. After receiving the package from Thriftbooks my excitement began, how could this possibly go wrong?

Huh, well it turns out that without the sprawling Italian landscape, without all the Sufjan Stevens, and without Timothée Chalamet's perfect little face Call Me By Your Name wasn't my favorite read (though certainly not the worst).

Aciman's writing is phenomenal, his prose are lovely and enchanting, but I guess I just never cared enough about Oliver to get into the plot. Also, the characters are wealthy and maybe this is just me projecting, but my socialist ass just couldn't get behind their whining. "Oliver wanted to take the first taxi. I wanted to take the bus instead. I longed for crowded buses,.., but seconds after hopping on the bus, we decided to get out. This was too real, we joked". (169). That whole scene just rubbed me the wrong way.

loren's review

4.0

This book is beautiful. It is moving and captivating and has a devastatingly powerful message about love which would be incredibly moving if every word of it wasn't completely wrong. That aside, I loved it.

rachelcomplains's review

5.0

this book really just tried to kill me