Call Me by Your Name
Ratings365
Average rating4
sajnos ugyanúgy jártam ezzel is, mint a summer that melted everythinggel.
(elkezdtem, föladtam, beleolvastam az áradozó kritikákba, újra megpróbálkoztam vele, aztán némi szenvedés után eszembe jutott az a cikk, amibe a seveneves olvasásának idején botlottam, és amiből megtudtam, hogy ez a hosszas leírásoktól hemzsegő stílus nem az én agyamnak való, aztán megnyugodtam, hogy nem vagyok én rossz ember és végleg lemondtam róla.)
“We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster than we should that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new. But to feel nothing so as not to feel anything - what a waste!”
“I'm like you,' he said. ‘I remember everything.' I stopped for a second. If you remember everything, I wanted to say, and if you are really like me, then before you leave tomorrow, or when you're just ready to shut the door of the taxi and have already said goodbye to everyone else and there's not a thing left to say in this life, then, just this once, turn to me, even in jest, or as an afterthought, which would have meant everything to me when we were together, and, as you did back then, look me in the face, hold my gaze, and call me by your name”
“We had the stars, you and I. And this is given once only.”
Listened about half, couldn't get over how everything was in Elio's head and nothing much actually happened. Which is good cause the age difference is bordering on pedophilia.
Contains spoilers
Algunas partes son muy incómodas de leer, pero en general me gusta mucho cómo está escrito el libro y también el final. Destaco mucho el final, ya que me gusta como los personajes recuerdan, a medias quizás, lo que vivieron juntos y el hecho de que ya son lo suficientemente maduros para concluir su historia, pero enfatizando el hecho de que siempre tendrán la marca del otro en su vida.
This is probably my favorite read of the year so far.
A story that is so beautifully written and romantic. You may not agree with the actions or thoughts of characters, but you understand them. The author understands his characters so fundamentally and is able to bring them to life with just words on a page. Sure having seen the movie helps bring to life the characters you do know, but there are different aspects in here and they were just as clear in my head as if they had been in the film as well.
My favorite thing about this novel is definitely the writing style. It matches so well with the lyricism of Sufjan Stevens, that I was able to throw on any album of his as I read this.
Truly a wonderful read that enhances the movie in my eyes as well.
Es ist schon schön geschrieben und so aber dass mit der obsession am anfang ging mir dann doch ein bisschen zu weit. Im film finde ich geht es eher um liebe und im buch um obsession und gefühlt halt auch seine fetische. Außerdem passiert halt irgendwie nicht so viel.
I should have read this way sooner. I have been thinking about it for awhile But it was not untill now that I finnaly did and I do not regret that
What a devastating story of doomed lovers.
I originally watched the movie and bawled my eyes and heart out. The story pained me, with its beautiful well drawn out sceneries and great moments full of rich visuals, no speaking.
I was told I HAD to read the book, and my goodness I'm so glad we get 15-20 years later worth of Elio and Oliver.
The audiobook narrated by Armie Hammer was so pleasant. Great timber and inflection of voice, it truly felt like a diary. The accents were very beautiful as well.
I understand public scrutiny of their age gap, the peach scene, and vulnerable bathroom scene. After some analyzation, here are my thoughts.
Oliver never groomed Elio. Elio was always seeking something more and Oliver seemed open and encouraging for Elio to experiment and explore in a safe space with a seemingly safe person. Oliver does not seem manipulative, but it's obvious we like them bc their dynamic is romanticized. Oliver is experienced and guiding, Elio is curious and clumsy, learning how to grow into himself by mimicking Oliver.
I saw the peach scene coming (HAHA
i have very mixed feelings about this book the writing is so beautiful but there's obviously its flaws but it's good in other ways like idk it was so easy to just keep reading nonstop
This was BEAUTIFUL.
SO BEAUTIFUL.
LUSH. EXQUISITE WRITING.
My favourite part about this book is how much Elio longs for Oliver. Just, burning, intense, desire, so raw, so fresh. Unbelievably beautiful.
This is definitely an all time favourite book for me, because the way they characters are built, and the direction this took, and the writing obviously makes it so perfect and unlike anything else I've ever read.
5 stars.
It's the stream of consciousness of an overthinking self absorbed fickle teen. i think what people liked was this lifestyle reminiscent of the 60s, no mentions of phone or technology, days spent under the sun, reading playing classical music on the piano. Throughout i could not understand in which decade the story is supposed to happen in cause it did not mention anything of the present so it could've happened at any time, which adds to the ephemeral mood of the book, but other than that there really is nothing (I had to google to see that the story was happening in the 80s, which makes a lot of aspects of the book anachronistic, I'm sure the writer didn't care one bit about the period of the book, only reference of time is “after ww2” and “televisions exist cause there were mentioned once” homosexuality doesn't seem to be an issue and no pop song was mentioned in that supposed 80s book)
It seemed the writer wanted to reproduce a 60s book where being gay felt tragic in itself, for that you might read Tenessee Williams, Truman Capote, Baldwin or Isherwood. This is just a cheap knockoff and if it weren't for the film no one would've care about it. Where is the damn conflict? You have a teen overthinking a relationship no one minded (that summarizes the book well)
*** I had in mind rating it 3/5 cause of the mood, but minus 1 star for the two positive mentions of Israel.
Really struggled to make it through, though it's not bad though, I just never felt inspired to read it. Greatly preferred the movie.
A super-lush, atmospheric tale of the intense infatuation/love of a super intellectual bougie American-Italian teen and the summer guest at his parents' Italian house. NSFW. NSFA(irplanes) - seriously, shit gets kinky and I was very awkwardly trying to hide my Kindle out of sight from my seatmates.
Haaanyway, so Elio is Timothee Chalamet. Okay, it's impossible not to see Chalamet. I haven't actually seen the movie yet. But anyway, Elio is this gorgeous, uber-intellectual professor's son living in someplace, Italia. It's the summer, the cicadas are buzzing, the apricots and peaches are in full bloom, it's the 1980s, it's ITALY, BABY. And, every summer, Elio's professor dad (who is the American one, I believe?) invites a new grad student to their villa to do grad student things. I think the dad was a prof of art history? Or European philosophers? Something very very humanities.
Anyway, in comes Oliver, this year's grad student, and Elio's heart and loins are IMMEDIATELY AFLAME. What follows is a verrryyy wonderfully (and accurately!) portrayed love story, entirely from Elio's perspective, a real sexuality explosion. Elio's 17 (iirc?) and Oliver is 24 and super dashing, American, New Yorky. Elio didn't realize he was attracted to men (I guess?) but BOY IS HE ATTRACTED TO OLIVER. The bulk of this book is Elio's gloriously articulate pining for Oliver; and who among us has not pined like this, like a real crazy person. It's aww-inducing and eyeroll-inducing; Elio is both so over the top dramatic, and so sweetly in love.
Anonymous 1980s Italian summer, btw, is also portrayed beautifully - and with some authenticity. Grazie, grazie... Not guaranteed in non-Italian writing!
So I loved the first 2/3 of this book, and found the writing just pitch perfect. The atmosphere, the interior of Elio's adoration for Oliver, is just gorgeous, moving, and lovely. BUT! The spell broke for me when Oliver had to inevitably return to the US, and the two men take a Roman holiday weekend. I love Rome, and felt the city (and the bougie intelligentsia glitterati they party with) was accurately drawn, but - here - at least, I felt like Anciman's wry, loving, “isn't this kid crazy” distance - which worked so well in keeping us grounded in reality while Elio flew away on his flights of horndog amore - anyway, that all went out the window. At least, I thought the party people were totally lame, and I was disappointed Anciman's portrayal of Elio's adulation of them seemed so, bleh, uncritical? I was like, ugh, these people are just boring snobby Dolce Vita types. (They were like the party people in La Grande Bellezza - I mean, this whole “Roman upper class intellectual parties amidst general decay” is kind of a stereotype, and has been for millennia. But at least La Grande Bellezza - like La Dolce Vita, like Seneca - is somewhat satirical. It doesn't take these people and their parties seriously - and certainly doesn't worship at their feet, as Elio does!)
Similarly, I won't spoil anything, but the coda was also just bleeghhh, oh come on. The spell was TOTALLY broken for me, by that point. Maybe that was the point? But given the critical reviews of the sequel to this, maybe the wheels just came off?
Either way, I am very excited to watch the movie.
Mmmmm. I now get why a lot of readers take issue with this book. To me, the whole first-person, fever dream narration was just too much at times, and the MC's unhealthy obsession with Oliver was borderline all sorts of wrong. I draw the line at the MC wanting his love interest to die so that he doesn't have to deal with the emotions he's feeling, or even imagining his own death as being a possible solution to his teenage angst.
No, this line of thinking isn't cute, quirky, nor romantic. That's just plain wrong. Also, the stalking: this isn't cute, quirky, nor romantic either. That's one step away from assault, which the MC actually plans out in great detail (creeping into Oliver's room at night to force him to sleep with him??).
Overall, I'm glad I read it just so that people can stop annoying me and telling me I “have to read it,” but I'm equally unhappy I read it because I'll never get those hours back.
I really didn't think the story could get sadder than the movie told it but towards the end it just showed me how many aspects of it I took for granted. When I tell you I was crying. I usually despise romance but I absolutely adored every second of it. If passion and overthinking were a book this would be it.
my first slow burn romance, but also after rethinking, I don't think it deserved the five stars because let's face it, the age gap was not okay. the way oliver played with elio's feelings, gave him mixed signals and decided to finally “give in” only to leave and get married and also have children? idk about you but this is not a love story but an adult exploiting a child.