Call Me by Your Name by Andre Acima

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A warning: this novel will shock and offend some people.  The subject matter is controversial, and there are scenes that would not be found in the most torrid Harlequin romance.  But for those who can get past these hurdles, Call Me by Your Name is a rewarding read, full of beautiful writing and a powerful narrative voice.  Aciman's first novel depicts the all-too brief romance between Elio, the 17-year-old son of a respected, illustrious Italian professor, and Oliver, a 24-year-old graduate student living with the professor and his family in their summer home for six weeks.  The book is written from the perspective of Elio, reminiscing about the event at least 20 years later, but he narrates the story with such immediacy that one is quickly caught up and forgets that it took place in mid-1980's Italy.

The writing is wonderfully literary, containing allusions to Virgil, Primo Levi, and Hayden, among others.  Because Elio is the son of a professor, these references, and indeed his entire style, come across as perfectly natural.  As mentioned, there are scenes of explicit lovemaking, and Aciman does not shy from calling the appropriate body parts involved by their names.  But there are also scenes of extraordinary tenderness, such as when Elio and  his father discuss Oliver after the visitor has returned to America .  

Despite himself, Elio ends up revealing more than he intended to his father, saying of Oliver “I think he was better than me, Papa.”  Without explicitly referring to the subject, his father demonstrates his full knowledge of what occurred between the two young men, and his compassionate words of understanding are deeply touching.  Reading Call Me by Your Name is like remembering one's own first love affair, with all the apprehension, misunderstandings, and jealousies, along with the passion, tenderness, and intimacy.  It is a powerfully intense and unforgettable novel.