Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Call Me by Your Name - Ruf mich bei deinem Namen by André Aciman

26 reviews

kimberlyswalters's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Cancer, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

emilyandthewhippet's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

3.0

Bloody hell. I mean, it's well written but Elio just gives total serial killer vibes doesn't he?

Like his

low key stalking, wishing Oliver was dead, forcing sex on others, his secretly wanking into Oliver's swim trunks when they're not even on speaking terms, wanting to EAT his swim trunks...

!? And that's just the start. Or perhaps it's his wanting to

cut Oliver's heart out

?

And that's before we get onto him

fucking the peach

!? Then describing it like

it'd been raped

? Not to mention

leaving it for hours on the side whilst he has a sticky nap covered in peach slush, only for Oliver to pop right in and willingly, INSIST on EATING. THE. DAMN. THING

!

When I read the blurb, I thought this was going to be, and I quote "like Saltburn but without the disturbing stuff". If anything, this felt more disturbing than Saltburn 😂

Ultimately is a book about obsession. Is it love? I'm not sure. At it's heart it's about a horny 17 year old, obsessively lusting over 24 year old college professor who's only there for the summer.

One quote from Elio sums the story up pretty well:

"Do I like you? I worship you"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

marc_le's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Rape, Terminal illness, and Grief

logopolis's review against another edition

challenging 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? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content

Minor: Grief and Death of parent

sageparty's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

The plot was basic but didn't take away from the story. I think it was written well too, and isn't too long of a read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content

Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Grief, and Alcohol

amaralh's review against another edition

emotional reflective relaxing sad 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Grief, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Child death, Excrement, Vomit, and Death of parent

theway's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Grief and Alcohol

Minor: Homophobia, Vomit, and Death of parent

kimveach's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

The narration was outstanding.  I loved listening to this story.  It perfectly captures the feelings of first love and the lust that goes with it.  I didn't listen to Part Four but read it instead.  And I'm so glad that I did.  It gutted me, and if I'd been listening to it in the car (my usual place for audiobooks), I wouldn't have been able to see through the tears.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Homophobia, Sexual content, Vomit, Grief, Outing, and Alcohol

stormeno's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Death, Drug use, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

sauvageloup's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

4.5

very poetic, very reflective and human

pros:
- beautiful language, beautiful dialogue that I definitely want to read again. a rawness to the expressions and a lack of concern with moralising. 
- elio is much more complicated and contradictory in the book, he wants so badly and doesn't shy from portraying that in the book,  even if the character isnt always so brave. 
- a poignant reminder about not being afraid of seizing your desires, no matter the difficulty or taboo or opinions of others. that people grow and change and die but some experiences can be so powerful. 
- the film had a much less controversial or deep view than the book, which had elio acting hot and cold and cruelly at times, and Oliver somewhat the same, which made me like the characters less perhaps, but also added a much more human element. also, the end is far richer in how it stretches into the future, though it's very sad.
- I liked the exploration of different seasons of life, the burning spark of youth, the deeper, longer burn later on. and the depiction of memory, since elio has moments he remembers better, and Oliver adds details that illuminate bits of the story we weren't originally told. it felt more real and like a diary that way. even if it took a bit of getting used to, and irked slightly at the start when I just wanted all of it, not just the bits older elio remembered. 

cons:
- few cons included above
- I did feel less compassion towards the early characters perhaps because of the on and off, the lack of communication. but this is understandable and I didnt hold it against them as the book progressed.
- I didnt agree with how little joy Oliver seemed to get from his future life, nor elio really. to call living with his wife and children a coma seemed cruel.
- the lack of important female characters is a real shame. the women who are there are for sex and to fulfil society's expectations of a picket fence life and little else. even elio's mother really has a very little role compared to his father. the other female characters are just flings, the house keeper or a sick, pre-publescent girl. while I understand the nature of the book is to focus on elio and Oliver's relationship, the lack of value given to relationships with women, platonic or romantic, and the lack of loyalty they seem to inspire was noticeable. although elio does make a throwaway mention that it could have been a man or a woman who caused such a fundamental shift for him.

overall, a strong, poetic, shockingly but refreshingly intimate and raw book with beautiful depictions of lust and love.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Terminal illness, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Child death, Homophobia, and Death of parent