Call Me By Your Name Summary & Review

Call Me By Your Name Summary

Key Points

• Call Me By Your Name is an LGBTQ+ Romance Book, featuring two bisexual characters.
• Period-typical-attitude, Characters are not out of the closet.
• The Book’s age rating is   16+, due to sexual content.
• The Book doesn’t have a happy ending.
• Call Me By Your Name has a sequel named Find Me by André Aciman

Call Me By Your Name Summary

Summer Romance

Both protagonists get along right from the beginning. From morning jogs to sunbathing to prolonged eye contact, everything is exceptionally fine until Elio’s desires take over him like a hurricane. He can’t help but want Oliver, he even worships him. His hopes and desires are reduced to thin air when Oliver; out of the blue, starts to take a liking for Chiara: an Italian girl.

Elio is disoriented by his own feelings and sexual awakening, even ashamed of them but unable to suppress them. Oliver’s sudden disinterest in him; again out of the blue, disrupted him.

The Inevitable

Thankfully by the end of July, Elio gathers the courage to express himself. In a very cryptic and misleading way, he finally says what has been slowly killing him. The spell breaks between them for a short while until they reach Monet’s Berm; a soundless, hidden alcove. They share their first kiss at Monet’s Berm which ignites Elio’s suppressed desires into forging flames.

He aches for Oliver but all he is offered is his silence and ignorance afterward. Unable to continue their cat-and-mouse game, eventually they decide to meet one midnight. They finally give into their sexual desires that midnight. In the aftermath, Elio is ashamed but blissful at the same time. He presumes that Oliver is finally out of his system ignorant of his self-consuming desires.

After a while, what follows is the infamous peach scene, some reassurance, anxiety, shame, and intimacy. They fall into the routine of morning swims, afternoon naps, and lovemaking at night. Until the dreaded reality of Oliver’s departure kicks in.

He is to leave for the States, in the second week of August. He is also to spend three days in Rome before the final goodbye. Elio’s parents allow him to accompany Oliver to Rome without any fuss.

Call Me By Your Name Ending Explained

Their momentary stay of three days is filled with traveling, drinking, lovemaking, and meeting people of all different kinds until dawn. Elio and Oliver slip out of the crowd and wander around the alleyways like two beautiful lovers meant to be together, almost inevitable. Oliver leaves the next day and Elio’s misery begins. His state is depressing and mournful; as if losing a part of himself. Elio’s father much to Elio’s surprise shares his life wisdom in a monologue with him, soothing his wounds.

Oliver and Elio keep in touch for two years until Oliver arrives on Christmas with unpleasant news; Oliver’s upcoming marriage in spring. After that years ascend and Elio learns to deal with the pain, at least to an extent. After fifteen years he visits Oliver on the college campus and they reminisce together.

They talk, they drink but come to a single conclusion by the end of the day; They have left unfading imprints on each other. After twenty years, Oliver visits for an overnight, They rekindle the memories because that’s all they have. Nonetheless, their tale ends.

Call Me By Your Name Review

I picked up the book after reading a particularly moving quote on Pinterest. Having already watched the movie, I was familiar with the plot. The book might be difficult to read for beginners. It is extremely lyrical, poetic, and metaphorical. More than the plot, I fell for the writing style of the book. Andre Aciman’s ability to capture the complexity in simplicity is astonishing.

A teenager’s sexual awakening and feelings are often underestimated but the true intensity of it is captured perfectly in the book. This one is definitely one of my favorites. If you pay attention to words and sentences along with the plot, it’s a good fit for you. Elio’s Father’s words are one of the wisest words I’ve encountered. The beauty of first love and the grief of losing it alongside the confusion of one’s own sexuality, altogether it’s a great book.

FAQs

• Do Elio and Oliver end up together?

Ans. Yes, Call Me By Your Name has a sequel named ‘Find Me’, in which Elio and Oliver do end up together.

• What happens to Elio at the end?

Ans. In the Call Me By Your Name, Elio is left heartbroken in the end as Oliver marries and abandons him.

• Is Call Me By Your Name book spicy?

Ans. Yes, the book has some love making scenes although not too explicit or direct. Nonetheless, Call Me By Your Name is more intimate than spicy.

• How much older is Oliver than Elio in Call Me By Your Name?

Ans. In the book Oliver is 24 years old and Elio is 17 years old.

• Why did Elio regret sleeping with Oliver?

Ans. Intitially Elio thought that by sleeping with Oliver he can get him out of his system but the realisation that Oliver is more than just a passing attraction scared him. He knew then and there that Oliver will scar him for life.

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