A review by bazayas
Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman

emotional reflective 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

4.0

During one summer in a small Italian town, 17-year-old Elio finds himself falling for Oliver, a grad student who comes to stay with his family and help Elio’s scholar father.

Enjoyed, but this is one of the cases where I do prefer the movie. Alciman’s writing is beautiful, to the point where I had to start underlining my favorite quotes, and the additional chapters that go on where the movie ended are interesting. The problematic nature of the age gap feels heightened here, with Elio less confident in the relationship, and the themes feel different. There’s a level where the writing itself felt homophobic (and def biphobic) but that may be due to the time it was written. 

CW/TW:

age gap; adult/adolescent (over age of consent in Italy but still); ableism; homophobia; biphobia; racism; transphobia 

For fans of:

the movie obviously; coming of age stories; voicey narratives (Catcher in the Rye); dreamlike writing; the Italian countryside