Call Me by Your Name
by André Aciman
Italy, 1983. Seventeen-year-old Elio falls for Oliver, a 24-year-old American scholar spending the summer at his family's villa. Most of the book is longing, misreading and nerve.
At a glance
- Genre
- Contemporary
- Trope
- First Love
- Heat
- Steamy
- Published
- 2007
- Length
- 256 pages
Reading Options
Call Me by Your Name
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Why You May Love This Book
You may love this if…
- During a golden Italian summer, a seventeen-year-old boy experiences the transformative and painful awakening of first love with an older visiting scholar.
- Fans of atmospheric, introspective fiction
- Readers who enjoy character-driven romance
- Reflective
- Features First Love
This may not be ideal if…
- Readers looking for purely happy endings
- Slow pacing
- Tragic ending may be polarizing
The Romance
Tropes, dynamics, and the chemistry that drives this story.
Relationship Dynamics
Details
Type: Contemporary Romance
Pairing: unknown
Power balance: Age gap creates a dynamic where the 24-year-old is the mentor/older figure and the 17-year-old is the student/younger partner.
Age gap: 7 years
How It Feels
The emotional landscape you'll move through while reading.
High tension.
Heat Level
Based on available metadata and editorial review.
Who Is This Book For?
Best for
Reading mood
May not suit
Recommended audience: Adult
Content Guidance
The Story
Spoiler-Free Synopsis
Set in the Italian countryside in 1983, the narrative follows Elio, a teenager who finds his life changed by the arrival of Oliver, an American graduate student. Over the course of the summer, the two navigate a complex, burgeoning relationship defined by intellectual curiosity, mutual attraction, and the psychological burden of uncertainty.
Central Conflict
The tension between Elio's intense desire and his uncertainty regarding Oliver's feelings, compounded by their age gap and the temporary nature of their summer proximity.
Setting
An Italian villa, 1983.
Strengths
- Atmospheric setting
- Deep emotional insight
Consider before reading
- Slow pacing
- Tragic ending may be polarizing
Discussion Guide
Questions to deepen your reading experience or spark a book club conversation.
- 1
How does the central conflict shape the relationship between the main characters?
- 2
How does the setting influence the characters' decisions and their relationship?
- 3
How do the relationship dynamics evolve throughout the story?
- 4
Who would you most want to recommend this book to?
- 5
How did the pacing affect your reading experience?
- 6
Which aspect of the story did you find most compelling?
How This Profile Was Created
Eikna uses book metadata and AI-assisted analysis to create structured romance profiles. Public profiles are reviewed and approved by an editor before publication.
- Editor reviewed:
- Yes
- Last reviewed:
- October 13, 2026
- Confidence:
- Moderate confidence
- Profile version:
- eikna-public-book-intelligence-v1
About the Author
André Aciman
What Readers Say
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Publication Details
- Publisher
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Published
- 2007
- Length
- 256 pages
- Language
- English
- ISBN-13
- 9780374118044
- ISBN-10
- 0374118043
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This is my book — sign inReading Options
Call Me by Your Name
As an Amazon Associate, Eikna earns from qualifying purchases. Learn more.
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