Call Me by Your Name is a novel by André Aciman, first published in 2007. It is a coming-of-age story about love, desire, and self-discovery set in the summer of the early 1980s in Italy. The story is narrated by Elio Perlman, a 17-year-old living with his parents in their Italian villa. Each summer, his academic father invites a graduate student to stay and assist with his research. That year, a 24-year-old American scholar named Oliver arrives. When summer ends, Oliver returns to the U.S., leaving Elio heartbroken. Years later, Elio learns that Oliver has married, and the novel ends with a poignant reflection on love, memory, and the passage of time.
“We had found the stars, you and I. And this is given once only.
Never again. No matter how many lifetimes you live. Do with it what you will. Forget me, forget me, forget me. But you’ll remember. I know you’ll remember.” (p. 243)
This quotation expresses the idea of a once-in-a-lifetime love or experience which is something so rare and heartfelt that it can never be repeated, no matter how many lives one lives. Even if one tries to forget, the memory of it will always remain.