Call Me by Your Name is a novel that portrays the story of a 17-year-old boy, Elio, who is highly intellectual, curious, and pompous, and Oliver, a 24-year-old graduate student, working as an assistant to Elio’s father during the summer. The novel is set in the early 1980s in the village of Crema, located in northern Italy.
This novel is a captivating and touching coming-of-age story that delves into the intricacies of first love, attraction, and self-discovery. The author, André Aciman, has a poetic and expressive writing style, and the characters he has created are intricate and realistic, despite Elio’s pretentiousness, which might make the reader shout at him (as I did), knowing that they were probably the same at that age. Elio’s character is particularly well-developed, and readers will find themselves rooting for him as he navigates the unfamiliar territory of his first love.
The book is also noteworthy for its emphasis on the themes of time and memory. Elio is a writer, and he frequently contemplates his own and his family’s past. He is also cognizant of the fleeting nature of time and is determined to capture the moment of his love affair with Oliver in his writing.
Call Me by Your Name is a compelling and unforgettable novel that will linger with you long after you have read it. It is a must-read for anyone who has experienced the ups and downs of first love.
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