Ever since I saw the movie version of The Notebook before I read the book (loved both by the way), I have always tried to read books before I watch the movie. See The Mountain Between Us as an example. This movie had serious Oscar buzz, but let’s not let that stray us from tradition here.
Book Read: Call Me By Your Name
Author: Andre Aciman
Number of Books Read: 36
I knew the general premise of this book going in. Young man and a slightly older man develop feelings for one another one summer in Italy. The slightly older man is staying with the younger man’s family while writing a philosophy book. And things progress from there.
Elio is seventeen, trying to figure out life. His family frequently hosts young scholars each summer, selected by the entire family. In 1987, Oliver, a 24 year old scholar, is selected. Elio is taken by Oliver immediately.
Elio acknowledges his own bisexuality, and flip flops on if Oliver feels the same about him. When moves are finally made, Elio reacts with fear. But feelings persist. For the remainder of the summer, Elio and Oliver embark on a romance with experimentation and an openness with each other that is never really written about.
For both Oliver and Elio, it is a summer to remember. The remainder of the book follows them across twenty years and their few interactions together. Both reminiscing about the summer of 87.
Reading this book was different. I still can’t decide how much I liked this one. I definitely didn’t NOT like it. There were parts of this book that I didn’t understand. But boy, Aciman can write. His technique is unlike others, and he keeps you turning the page. I didn’t predict completely what this novel was about, which is always good. I’d suggest reading more about the plot if you’re interested in this one.
But now, I can watch the Oscar nominated rendition. As I do with any book made into a movie, I hope they stayed true to the book as much as they can. Maybe in 2019, I’ll write about all the movies I watch instead.
Next Read: We Own the Sky by Luke Allnutt
