Call me by your name by Andre Aciman is a book unlike anything I had ever read before. I read it due to the recent film release and decided to read the book rather than watch the film. The book is a beautifully written book that explores the feelings of love and exploration. I wouldn’t usually chose to read a book about a summer romance or any sort of love story however this appealed to me as I had heard such good review about how different and well written it was. The structure of the book is also unlike anything I had read before as it is not chapter based. It is almost one continuous prose with four parts. I enjoyed this structure as it looked at their romance in a different way, it interprets their flourishing romance and friendship as a continuous event. It happens and develops throughout the summer as they find themselves and their love for each other. I think that this book is something I would recommend based purely on the style of writing and the story that is put to that structure is beautiful yet sad.
I find that this book is almost like a book of poetry as it is filled with metaphors and symbols that mean so much to the characters. It explores their stories in a symbolic and understanding way. There is no judgement at any point throughout the book and it is told in a completely unbiased way. It tells the story it wants to tell and allows you, as the reader, to decide what you think and feel about this book. There is a sort of repetition within the book that I think adds another dimension to the book which is unusual. I would normally get bored of a repetitive book but in this case is isn’t a bad thing. It shows their daily routine and how they spend their days throughout the summer. It gives you an insight into how the book progresses and how their relationship grows. It gives you further insight into the characters mind-sets and why they feel the way they do.
This book is not only about a flourishing relationship but the feelings of desire. At time it can be slightly explicit and have sexual experiences but they are not written in a crude way. It is written as an experience of the characters and isn’t anything more than important to them. I think that this also adds another dimension to the book as it adds a bit of realism and isn’t based upon a typical summer romance. It is more about desire, friendship and love.
I would highly recommend this book so that everyone can experience what it offers. Not only to explore the story but to enjoy the writing style and structure. I haven’t yet seen the film however I would suggest reading the book before or after watching it to enjoy the prose and poetry of the book on the page and it enjoy it as it was originally intended.
Many thanks, Caitlin x
(PS please feel free to comment your opinions on this book or the film adaptation)
Read and Drink Tea 