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Call me by your name by Andre Aciman: A book review

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I picked up this book only because it won an oscar. All I knew before I began reading this was that it was a love story between two guys - a seventeen year old and a twenty four year old. I had not even watched the trailer, and therefore had no idea what the story was going to be like. I could imagine why a gay themed story was raking up nominations, so I thought I'd give it a try. But the story itself was way too ordinary. I might have enjoyed it if I was a teenager. Maybe it was meant for one and I wasn't the target reader after all.

The story is set in a small beach town in Italy in the summer of 1983. A family that includes a seventeen year old boy, Elio, hosts a new research scholar every summer. This year it is the charming Oliver who has come all the way from America to work on his book. Oliver is so charming and seemingly has such airs about him that he is likened in attitude to a movie star. Love blossoms even though there is hardly any interaction between them. And, this is what makes the first two-thirds of the story really bland and boring. Nothing ever happens, and most of the conversation takes place in Elio's head. One day, out of the blue Elio confesses his attraction for him and just like that they are lovers. There is very little build up to reach this point. This is one major flaw in the novel. The story picks up pace once it shifts to Rome, the last three days of Oliver's stay in Italy. That part of the story really shows how a teenager might be fascinated by the all night parties and glamour of the literary world and the freedom that a big city like Rome provides. The semi-tragic end of the story is beautiful in a sad, poetic manner and it is only in the end that you finally connect with the characters. And, to think, it is the last part that the director decided to leave out in the movie adaptation! Can't for the life of me understand that!

So, I don't know. I have mixed feelings about the book. It is very hard to feel for the characters when there is no lead up to their romance. But, the beautiful prose in the very last chapter almost makes up for it. You feel bad for Oliver's lack of courage and Elio's longing and pain because of that. Maybe, as Elio's father had rightly figured, Oliver was really just shy and couldn't overcome it even later in life. His "later" was probably symbolic of that. So, I guess I would recommend it if only for the last one-third of the novel.

An aside: Won't be able to eat a peach at least for a few years! :P

xxRS


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