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A review by streetwrites
Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman
5.0
Wow. Talk about a book hangover. I just finished reading this in the parking lot of Tinseltown in Bristol, five minutes before walking in to see the film adaptation (which was exquisite, by the way).
This was a stunningly poignant and profound read. It transcended my expectations and has become one of my favorite books of all time. Aciman writes with such an incredible refinement and a really attention to capturing the truth of his characters. The level of honesty with which he characterizes (especially) Elio is unmatched in probably any book I’ve read before this.
The settings in this book, combined with its almost dreamy, balmy pacing are intoxicating, and so immersive. And the emotional draw of the characters and their situations was, for me, the highlight of reading this incredible story.
I had only two complaints, but the excellent of every other element doesn’t even give these enough impact to detract from a 5-Star rating: 1) there were time when Aciman seemed to delve into using overly academic vocabulary “just because,” which, while I was able to figure out the meaning, detracted from my reading experience a bit, slowing the pace. And 2) there is (nearly) an entire section of the novel that, to me, seems to put the brakes on the established pace and completely shuts down the emotional connection I had been building with the characters. This occurs when the main characters travel to Rome for Oliver’s final days in Italy. Fortunately, the slow buildup leads to an extremely important final scene in that section, which perfectly sets up the gut punch that comes in the final 30 pages or so.
The last section of the novel is a montage of sorts...a series of fast-forwards, and each one will break your heart a little more than the last...until the last five words of the last paragraph on the last page absolutely rip you to shreds.
Not only what I think will be in my top reads of 2018, but likely to remain in my top reads of ALL TIME.
This was a stunningly poignant and profound read. It transcended my expectations and has become one of my favorite books of all time. Aciman writes with such an incredible refinement and a really attention to capturing the truth of his characters. The level of honesty with which he characterizes (especially) Elio is unmatched in probably any book I’ve read before this.
The settings in this book, combined with its almost dreamy, balmy pacing are intoxicating, and so immersive. And the emotional draw of the characters and their situations was, for me, the highlight of reading this incredible story.
I had only two complaints, but the excellent of every other element doesn’t even give these enough impact to detract from a 5-Star rating: 1) there were time when Aciman seemed to delve into using overly academic vocabulary “just because,” which, while I was able to figure out the meaning, detracted from my reading experience a bit, slowing the pace. And 2) there is (nearly) an entire section of the novel that, to me, seems to put the brakes on the established pace and completely shuts down the emotional connection I had been building with the characters. This occurs when the main characters travel to Rome for Oliver’s final days in Italy. Fortunately, the slow buildup leads to an extremely important final scene in that section, which perfectly sets up the gut punch that comes in the final 30 pages or so.
The last section of the novel is a montage of sorts...a series of fast-forwards, and each one will break your heart a little more than the last...until the last five words of the last paragraph on the last page absolutely rip you to shreds.
Not only what I think will be in my top reads of 2018, but likely to remain in my top reads of ALL TIME.