You’d like to find a thoughtful, well-written novel about like-minded men (or like-minded boys in this case). You don’t want two naked men on the cover because you might want to read it in a restaurant or on an airplane.
Andre Aciman has written one I highly recommend. It’s rare when you find yourself involved in the muscle and grit of a character’s innermost emotions, including desire that you’ll probably identify with and feel on the tips of your fingers. This is one you’ll want to read twice; perhaps not right away, but the day will come you’ll want to relive this story.
From School Library Journal
Seventeen-year-old Elio faces yet another lazy summer at his parents’ home on the Italian coast. As in years past, his family will host a young scholar for six weeks, someone to help Elio’s father with his research. Oliver, the handsome American visitor, charms everyone he meets with his cavalier manner. Elio’s narrative dwells on the minutiae of his meandering thoughts and growing desire for Oliver. What begins as a casual friendship develops into a passionate yet clandestine affair, and the last chapters fast-forward through Elio’s life to a reunion with Oliver decades later. Elio recalls the events of that summer and the years that follow in a voice that is by turns impatient and tender. He expresses his feelings with utter candor, sharing with readers his most private hopes, urges, and insecurities. The intimacy Elio experiences with Oliver is unparalleled and awakens in the protagonist an intensity that dances on the brink of obsession. [...] His longing creates a tension that is present from the first sentence to the last. -Heidi Dolamore, San Mateo County Library, CA. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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