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Some critical thoughts on the CMBYN/Find Me books (spoilers): For those of you who have seen or heard about the film and the relatively massive critique that followed it, re: age difference and grooming, I want to say that the books handle the love story a little bit differently, if not much on the surface. Oliver still abuses Elio's trust completely and that's the big tragedy of it. It impacts Elio for the rest of his life, until eventually he ends up with Oliver again, their relationship a little bit poorer for it. However, that redeeming insight aside, Aciman still paints Oliver and Elio as a big "romance", when in reality there are definitely aspects of grooming and general assholery involved and that's the problematic aspects of the books: how the author doesn't reflect critically on their relationship and even has supporting characters like Elio's father and Michel interpret it as a beautiful thing, so Elio also doesn't get a chance to see it in another light.

With that analysis out there, this is the place to comment, if you don't want to engage with Elio. His relationship with Oliver is a major part of his characterization and talking about it almost can't be avoided, and he will talk about it in a positive, if very ambivalent light. Should this angle on age differences in a young person's romantic and sexual relationships not be for you for whatever reason, please leave a comment below with the journal/journals you would rather I avoid on bakerstreet and I will do so, no questions asked.

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