The forbidden lovers. Hearts full of desperate desire, but their own doubts and personal persecutions make their love all the more impermissible. 

Call me by Your Name by Andre Aciman is a book about a teenage boy who falls in love with a 24 year old scholar. Their love is not entirely accepted, but that puts no shame on their desires. 

Elio Perlman is a 17 year old American-Italian Jewish boy who’s curiosity and self awareness always takes hold of his mind. 

In the novel, Elio recalls a summer in 1986 when a doctoral student, 24 year-old Jewish American, Oliver, stays as a guest at his parents home to revise a manuscript for a book. Oliver is laid back, friendly, and intelligent. 

Elio takes a dislike towards Oliver at first but his feelings towards Oliver change as he spends more time around him. The two connect over their religion, their interests, and their admiration for one another. The book is similar to an enemies to lovers story, but shows Elio’s hesitance to let him love Oliver, and his hesitancy to chase him. 

At this point in time a relationship between a man and another man was still not widely accepted into society, so their relationship is almost hidden from everyone else they know. However, when Elio’s father recognizes their bond, he is nothing but happy for his son. No character in the book is close minded enough to resent the men for their affinity for one another. 

This novel is a coming of age story that deeply reflects the feelings and curiosity of a teenage boy learning to love who he wants to, and learning to accept himself. It beautifully entails the journey of a romance that is not traditionally written about in many romance novels. 

As the summer comes to a close, the two feel a sense of haste to experience their love towards one another and truly wonder if they will ever find each other again. 

The Plot 

The plot of the novel is very attention grabbing and will keep the reader intertwined in the story. The question of everlasting love is something both the characters and the reader fears. From hatred, to desire, to emptiness, human emotion is captured perfectly in the novel. 

The Detail 

The amount of detail the author gives in the book is extraordinary, whether it be Elio’s exact feelings or the sunset in the Italian Countryside, every scene is described with perfection and elegance. Every relationship between the characters is portrayed differently which gives the novel a very meaningful tone. 

The Difficulty 

The author recounts many thoughts along with actions in the book which at times can be difficult to separate one another. In some parts of the book, there is challenging wording, but nothing too difficult. 

Overall

Call me by Your Name is beautifully written and exceptionally entertaining. I rate this book a 9.5/10.