Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

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

382 reviews

shaleen64's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

3.75

The exploration of sexuality and love is beautifully detailed. As are the views surrounding these topics.  

Each of the characters have a lovable or relatable quality to them. However, for me the most impactful scene was the conversation between Elio and his dad. 

Had the book not been overly wordy at times with exceptionally long chapters, making the beginning in particular difficult to get through, I would have rated higher but nevertheless I would still recommend this book.

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emmabagshaw's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.0


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juliarenae's review against another edition

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challenging fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

it was ok, happy it brought awareness to predatory behavior but i wish elio felt different at the end and didn’t miss him.

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brittonmc1221's review against another edition

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2.0


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emilybacher's review against another edition

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

4.5


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librarymouse's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-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

3.25

Call Me By Your Name really reminds me of Bernhard Schlink's The Reader, and despite its literary merit, I am similarly unsure that I enjoyed reading the novel. The writing is beautiful in some parts, but Elio's unhinged obsession and Oliver's acquiescence to the sexual advances of a minor are both cause for concern and not particularly enjoyable to read. Elio is damaged from the experience, unable to let his history with Olive go in order to form new and lasting bonds in adulthood, in a way that Oliver is not. The power imbalance in this novel is stark. Call Me By Your Name is considered a romance, but I don't see it as such. It's about obsession, miscommunication, and social expectations. There are also an egregious number of scenes that focus on feet.

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logopolis's review against another edition

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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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rosiesreadsx's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

it is the best book ever, guaranteed to make you cry atleast twice while reading🥹🥹

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leahloura's review against another edition

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

4.0

Aciman's prose are truly jaw dropping. The prose in this book are lyrical, and honestly almost homeric. The setting in a beautiful Italian summer in the 80's had me hooked.  That said, there is controversy surrounding this book because of the adult-adolescent romance that is the main focus/ plot of this novel, and because of that I would say that this is a book that should be read critically. I think that this novel is intended to make us reflect on how disturbing, strong, and complex human desire can be. I think it is a book that could make anyone who has experienced intense romantic obsession, infatuation, or lovesickness feel seen. Elios thoughts and feelings are written in a way that is so honest,  it feels like you are reading someones most unfiltered and confidential thoughts and actions, the sort of things people would never say aloud. 
I would recommend this book, especially as a summer read. Approach it like you're reading a diary, with enough open-mindedness to empathize and love the characters, but also enough objectivity to cast judgement where it is due.  

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natraf_reads's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad 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? No

3.0

have a lot of mixed feelings about this -

The first being the prose was beautifully written. It felt like poetry the way descriptions flowed off the page. However, I felt that this thought stream coming from a 17 year old boy was incredibly unrealistic. 

17 year old Ellio, finds himself magnetically drawn to 24 year old Oliver, a postdoctoral student studying abroad and staying with Ellio’s family. What starts as a fascination becomes more of an obsession. Every waking thought Ellio has is of Oliver. 

Having a young person interested in an older, seemingly cooler, more put together person seems normal. But Ellio’s thoughts become focused on fantasies he has had about he and Oliver’s pairing. There is a lot of sexual content that seems very one sided. These are Ellio’s thoughts and fantasies. It’s not until over halfway through the book we see Oliver reciprocate any feelings or interest. 

At which time there’s the pretty disturbing scene with Ellio and the peach that I’m just going to pretend I never read… but it’s fine.

Once joined, I feel that Oliver has continued to take advantage of Ellio and his obsession with Oliver. 

We see once Oliver moves back home and comes back a few months later to visit, that he is engaged. He has a woman he’s been seeing the last few years, and pretty much just ends everything he and Ellio shared. 

Years later, he still has pieces of memories they shared, Ellio who is still hoping for a chance to see his long lost love , knows he still wants more with Oliver, but can’t. Oliver even acknowledges that his eldest son is the same age as Ellio was when they met, and that he would never want that for him.

I thought the writing was beautiful. I felt that the emotions conveyed and the deep feelings Ellio held were beautiful - but kind of crossed into the territory of obsessive. I feel that Oliver took advantage of him. I feel that their whole relationship was unsafe. 

It’s a hard balance between seeing the true romance this was intended as, and the twisted obsession it was.


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