A Book A Week

"We had the stars, you and I. And this is given once only."

I wouldn't have been aware of Call Me By Your Name if the film adaptation had not been the critical success that it is. I try to watch all of the Oscar nominated films each year, but I skipped this one to read the book first. The book is almost always better than the movie, so I knew I would be in for a treat. I couldn't have anticipated the pure, raw emotional reaction that I was about to have to this novel.

Elio is excited to meet the latest student to occupy his parent's home on the Italian Riviera. Each summer, they invite one graduate student to live and study in their little slice of paradise. When Oliver arrives, there is an immediate connection between him and Elio. Though both try to hide their feelings, they simply can't be denied.

What follows is a love story that is so emotionally demanding that I could hardly bear to keep reading it. Through the course of the novel, Elio must come to terms with his sexuality and learn how to manage his feelings of love and lust. As people of academia, his parents are not too concerned about their son's sexual desires, but Oliver is less certain. Oliver is seen as a ladies man and Elio worries that the feelings may not be as mutual as he wishes them to be.

Call Me By Your Name has no right being as good as it is. Aciman's writing is bare bones and often leans to precariously into cliche. There's poetry, music, and the kind of daring sexual description that screams of an attempt at literary greatness. Still, there is something about the characters that drew me in and would not let go. Several times, I resolved that I wouldn't be able to write a positive review, yet here it is. I was deeply moved by the forbidden love of the story and heartbroken by the ending. My bet is that your reaction will be similar. I've yet to watch the movie, but if it comes anywhere close to the emotional triumph of the novel it will be great.

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(2018, 14)