Call Me By Your Name

    As a huge movie with many fans, I thought it would be the right thing to do to read the book "Call Me By Your Name" by André Aciman.

    Oliver, a postdoc from Columbia, travels to the Italian Riviera for six weeks to stay with an esteemed scholar, his wife, and his seventeen-year-old son, Elio. Elio is naive but bold and quickly realizes he is falling for the man staying in his bedroom. Aciman describes Elio's longing and yearning in great detail while he hopes and prays that Oliver will finally make a move. 

    As soon as Oliver does, the two spend the rest of the summer caving into their desire and learning to understand each other and their feelings. However, the end of the summer comes quickly, and Oliver needs to travel back to the States. There is no big fight or argument; they both understand that their relationship has a distinct timeline. 

    The book ends with them meeting 15 years later and discussing their impact on each other's lives. While the ending seems almost anticlimactic, it depicts a sense of nostalgia and growth for both men. Aciman describes Elio's obsession and desire as a boy while trying to figure out his own sexuality in such a powerful way, transporting the readers into a hot Italian summer. While it is classified as a coming-of-age story, this novel goes beyond the typical 'young adult book' in a way not many authors have been able to so eloquently. 

    I think this book was beautifully written and encapsulates the struggles of a relationship and growing up. Although the relationship between the two has a large age gap, I think the emotions and feelings are incredibly raw and heartbreaking. 

Rating: 3.7/ 5 Stars