"He came. He left. Nothing else had changed. I had not changed. The world hadn't changed. Yet nothing would be the same. All that remains is dream making and strange remembrance."
Call Me by Your Name is an impressive debut novel overflowing with the yearning and obsession of first love. Aciman’s artful writing is characterized by equal parts introspection and intellectualism, and he skillfully immerses the reader into the mind of 17 year old Elio, filling us with insecurity, self-doubt, and raw desire towards Oliver, the 24 year old house guest staying with Elio’s family for the summer. Never will you feel more acutely the agony of unrequited love, and the sheer excitement of sexual awakening as when reading these pages. It comes with the territory to feel frustration at the missed opportunities that arise from Elio and Oliver’s miscommunications and stubbornness, but at the end of it all, reading this novel was a pure delight. 4.5 stars!