Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman

18 reviews

singalana's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Tämä kirja herätti ristiriitaisia tunteita, koska kokemus jakautui pääasiassa kolmeen tunnetilaan. Kirja kertoo, kuinka yhtenä kesänä 17-vuotias Elio rakastuu itseään seitsemän vuotta vanhempaan kesävieraaseen, Oliveriin. 

Kirjan alkupuoliskolla seuraamme Elion suorastaan pakkomielteistä ihastumista Oliveriin. Seuraa kiihkeä (ja hyvin graafinen) romanssi, ja sen jälkeen katkeransuloinen loppu, koska kesä on lopussa ja Oliverin täytyy mennä. 

Kirjassa kuvattiin elävästi kesää, Italiaa ja ihmisiä. Silti en päässyt päähenkilön kanssa oikein sinuiksi, ja osa kirjan sisällöstä sai aikaan vaivaantuneisuuden tunteita. Olisin halunnut tutustua enemmän muihin hahmoihin, etenkin Elion isään, mutta näkökulma pidetään hyvin tiiviisti Eliossa ja hänen suhteessan Oliverin. 

Suuren osan kirjasta vietämmekin Elion pään sisällä, siinä mitä hän ajattelee, suunnittelee ja muistelee. Hänen suhteensa Oliveriin on hyvin elävä, ja lopussa katkeransuloinen. Silti en voi antaa kirjalle tämän korkeampaa arvosanaa, sillä jotain jäi puuttumaan, ehkä jokin lopullinen yhteys hahmon ja lukijan välillä, jotain sellaista, joka olisi saanut lukijan rakastamaan Oliveria yhtä paljon kuin Elio. 

Tämän lisäksi loppua kohti kirjassa on paljon lainauksia italiaksi, ja itse koin ne hieman turhaksi.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Antisemitism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Excrement, Infidelity, and Vomit

thebookpaiges's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual content

luciovalencia's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Alcohol and Infidelity

Minor: Terminal illness, Death of parent, Cancer, Antisemitism, and Child death

awrathall's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cursing and Alcohol

Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Antisemitism

lindasoderlundd's review

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

The writing was beautiful and atmospheric, and I really liked the last part of the book. Other than that, this book was just... meh. There was a lot of stuff that I found boring, and a lot of stuff that weirded me out. And for the most part, the love story didn't even feel like one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Antisemitism, Child death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Transphobia, Vomit, Cancer, Dementia, Stalking, Biphobia, Cursing, and Excrement

vanesst's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent, Homophobia, Cancer, Infidelity, Rape, Vomit, Cursing, Drug use, and Death

oflifeandstuff's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This is one of the best books I have ever read.
It’s such a poignant capture of a young love that pokes at its drama as much as it takes it seriously. 
I don’t know how it’s possible to portray someone’s inner life so well. A literary masterpiece and one that will go down in the annals of literature.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Classism, Infidelity, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Vomit

Minor: Transphobia, Homophobia, Antisemitism, and Dementia

dniespal's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

We are not written for one instrument alone; I am not, neither are you.

Amazing, poetically written piece on desire and longing. Aciman is able in his words to take you to the summery italy and really feel the heat of the sun.
The only thing I can point out is that the main character, Elio, isn't a particularly believable 17-year-old. The way he express himself and analyse emotions and gestures is way too mature for his age. And his actions are somewhat toxic and a bit eerie.
But still, really worth a read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Vomit

Moderate: Child death, Grief, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

Minor: Homophobia

s_elsted's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Death of parent

ninascozydayreads's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

I could go on and on about what bothered me and what I hated about this book, and I will, but what I hated most (and yes, not even disliked, hated) was how unnecessary it all was. I have heard people describe this book as being "thought-provoking", and if that's the case for you, great! For me, whatever might have been thought provoking got completely buried under unnecessarily uncomfortable scenes. This book has ruined peaches for me. I love peaches! There was so much that I just wished I didn't have had to read, but unfortunately I did and this book will haunt me for the rest of my life in the worst way possible. 

I also want to talk a bit on the actual problematic part of the book: the relationship. This relationship has been romanticized over and over again by readers, which gained a lot of critique in and of itself, and I've heard people say "but it's not a romance! It's a tragedy". I'm sorry, this is a romance. A bad one, an uncomfortable one, an overly-obsessive-bordering-on-stalking-and-danger-one. Sure, Oliver sometimes raises his doubts about the age difference between him and Elio. But there is never any substantial critique; not in dialogue, not in plot. And sure, the Elio's flaws were a main theme in the book, I'll admit that. But like the relationship, those flaws were never substantially critiqued or worked on. The whole book he kept this unhealthy obsession with someone much older, and it was creepy.

Fifteen years later, Elio is still obsessed with Oliver and doesn't even give it a second thought how problematic that age difference was. Sure, 8 years might not seem like a lot, and it's fine if say one person is 35 and the other 42. But at 17 and 25 you're at two totally different stages of life, and a 17 year old is by all accounts a child. And yes, this relationship is extremely romanticized in the book and it's simply put, unhealthy.

 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Child death, Death of parent, and Infidelity