Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Call Me By Your Name by AndrƩ Aciman

5 reviews

theuncannydani's review against another edition

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dark 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
Contains pedophilia, grooming, transphobia, homophobia and racism.

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kaadee's review against another edition

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

1.0

After reading other peoples reviews, I have come to a conclusion. I think itā€™s important that this book was made because it gives a glimpse into the the thought process of the groomed. We as readers know that itā€™s gross, uncomfortable and upsetting and while Elio also realizes this, his feelings are much different. Through Elioā€™s thoughts, we are also being groomed by Oliver to care for their relationship (see other peoples reviews calling this an amazing love story) itā€™s a good story, but not one about love. Itā€™s about obsession, itā€™s about craving an experience but ultimately itā€™s about the power imbalances teenagers have with adults. How teenagers are easily taken advantage of and made to think they are in love. I honestly donā€™t think the writer wrote it to have this kind of meaning whatsoever which makes it worse for me. The deep dive into Elioā€™s sexual thoughts was disturbing. I mean, I really didnā€™t need to know what a 17 year old was thinking while he was going at it into a peach. I think itā€™s important to understand his thoughts but the amount of detail into the desires was gross. Also the writing style??? What pretentious person decided they would just add every word from the dictionary, put it into run on sentences, and then publish it? Some quotes were good but itā€™s too much philosophy without actually making any sense. People who praise this book for the writing and the feeling that you get while reading are weird. Honestly, the writing just made me want to finish it 10x faster just so I could be done. I love the movie compared to this. Also the fetish for Jewish people, GROSS!!! The author isnā€™t even Jewish which I didnā€™t know while reading. I was weirded out but I just went along with it because maybe he was just being expressive of his faith/background BUT NO, he just fetishized Jewish people.Ā 

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gabrielleclarke05's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective relaxing sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

Wow.. this was gross in multiple parts.Ā  Elio compared the peach to a SA victimšŸ§ Iā€™m glad the film cut out the problematic bits. This book just felt like the author writing down his weird fetishesĀ 
The movie overall is better and this book just felt creepy and the author is a self proclaimed pedophile so take that as you will

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riella_reads's review against another edition

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

2.0

Ā I was bored honestly and super close to dnfing, but this was written beautifully so I'll give it that.Ā 

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grayisasleep's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25

i was around 14-15 when i first read this book and i wanted to reread it now, when iā€™m 18 to see how my opinion has changed. i plan to do this again in my 20s. when i first read it i rated it a 5/5 easily. i thought it was the most beautiful, emotional, raw piece of writing on intimacy ever written. but i was 15.

looking back on this story now i have many mixed feelings. my love for this book was so strong that it has deepened how i feel about it now. i want to resent this bookā€” and i do, i just wish i did more. this is not a love story. it is a story of grooming, and it is difficult to see that because we are in elioā€™s mind. i was so deeply infatuated with this book at 15,Ā  and while rereading it i felt those feelings come back. the giddiness, the ā€œbeautyā€ of this bookā€” of this ā€œrelationship.ā€ reading this at 15 has my warped perception on it just as elioā€™s perception of oliver was warped. i hope by my next reread in my 20s iā€™m over it.Ā 

iā€™m not going to write a whole essay on this book because hundreds of people already have but thereā€™s just so many problems with it. the author adds in incredibly gross scenes because he thinks he can just excuse it as ā€œcomplete and total intimacy.ā€ like no dude itā€™s just straight up gross.

the writing is what really saved this for me the second time around though. it really is the most beautifully written book iā€™ve read in my life (thus far that is.) i need so many quotes from this book engraved into me.

but yeah, in conclusion; pretty writing but oliver is a disgusting, manipulative person and i wish more people saw this book for what it really was.Ā 

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