Call Me by Your Name: The Graphic Novel

by André Aciman, Sarah Maxwell (Illustrator)

On the Italian Riviera, Elio welcomes his father's house guest. Oliver is the picture of arrogance - all billowing shirts and snide comments - and Elio is convinced that Oliver will be someone he'll grow to hate.

Thrown together, a friendship blossoms as the pair spend endless hours walking treelined streets, enjoying sun-soaked lunches, and beating each other at tennis.

Soon, Elio finds himself longing to make Oliver laugh and relishing glimpses of his glistening skin sprawled poolside. Over the restless weeks of the summer, an undeniable connection deepens as the two become entwined in the one thing both fear they may never truly find total intimacy.

For the first time, from artist Sarah Maxwell, comes the gorgeous graphic novel adaptation of this international sensation.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Romance, Comics, Fiction, LGBT, Queer, Graphic Novels Comics

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 11, 2026

About the author

André Aciman was born in Alexandria, Egypt and is an American memoirist, essayist, novelist, and scholar of seventeenth-century literature. He has also written many essays and reviews on Marcel Proust. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times, The Paris Review, The New Republic, Condé Nast Traveler as well as in many volumes of The Best American Essays. Aciman received his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Harvard University, has taught at Princeton and Bard and is Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature at The CUNY Graduate Center. He is currently chair of the Ph. D. Program in Comparative Literature and founder and director of The Writers' Institute at the Graduate Center.

Aciman is the author of the Whiting Award-winning memoir Out of Egypt (1995), an account of his childhood as a Jew growing up in post-colonial Egypt. Aciman has published two other books: False Papers: Essays in Exile and Memory (2001), and a novel Call Me By Your Name (2007), which was chosen as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and won the Lambda Literary Award for Men's Fiction (2008). His forthcoming novel Eight White Nights (FSG) will be published on February 14, 2010

Reviews

[Henk]

Maybe not as brilliant and emotionally crushing to me as either the novel or the movie, this is still powerful and nearly made me cry on the Eurostar
Please, don’t hurt me, which meant, hurt me all you want.

I absolutely love the novel and the way it captures being in love and young and the sadness that comes with loss and not being able to be with the one you love, which for queer people is a fairly recent phenomenon.

The graphic novel captures the 80s and sun infused nature of the narrative in a glossy way. Oliver is less buff and seems almost the same age as quite square jawed Elio, and I think it is well done by illustrator Sarah Maxwell-McNicol in how the characters are not photocopies of the movie actors. Also the ear for selecting some of the most poignant sentences from the novel is well executed.
A welcome addition that allows re-entry to Elio’s and Oliver’s world and sunny Italy!

Quotes:
”I know myself.”
It intimidated me.

You make me like who I am, and who I become when you’re with me, Oliver.

They always said I got too easily attached to people

Did I want to be him? Or did I just want to have him?

Do you like being alone?
No. Bo one likes being alone. But I’ve learned to live with it.

I’ll take it - I’ll settle for less, even, if only to live with these threadbare scraps.

I wanted it to last forever, because I knew there’d be no coming back from this.

He was not allowing me to forget him

Will you be okay?
I’ll be okay.

I knew that this might never be given to us again, and I couldn’t bring myself to believe it.

Think of the pain before the pain.

To feel nothing so as not to feel anything - what a waste!

Bu remember, our hearts and bodies are given to us only once.

We had found the stars, you and I.
And this is given once only.

[Peter]

Once again, this book made me feel all the feels again. While certainly not as perfect as the novel, the graphic novel just a fine job adding emotion to the characters and capturing their feelings on page.

[Hope Fitzgerald]

I loved the original book, but I love this graphic novel even more. I’m blessed to know Sarah Maxwell McNicol personally, and I know the blood, sweat and tears & all the hard work Sarah has put in to make this book a success. Could not be more proud of her. If I could give it more than five stars, I would. It’s just incredible and so beautiful.

[David]

3.5 stars

[Zenitea]

I hate how after many years it still breaks my heart. But now on a different level.

I’m in a physical pain now

[Malena Hehn]

LAS ILUSTRACIONES????? estoy anonadada con lo bellas que son

[Sławek (Żółwie Książkowe)]

OCENA: 3,5 ⭐️ Nadal nie pokochałem tej historii, ale nieustannie zachwyca mnie jej klimat. 🍊⛱️ Choć i tak wydaje mi się, że dzięki powieści graficznej bardziej uwierzyłem w tę relację.

[Lars Dekker]

Two years later and their story still destroys me. Honestly, the movie never hit like the book did, but this graphic novel got it so right. The art captures that constant ache and yearning perfectly. It hurts to read, but it’s just a reminder that we, the queer community, deserve more than just yearning and deserve to experience a real love that deep.

[☆ Lara the Ninth ☆]

Very beautiful, but this is a fanfiction, not an adaptation of the novel. The original is simply not a romance as it is portrait here. Pretty sad that the essence of such a beautiful book couldn’t be translated faithfully into this new medium.

[Tobias van de Sanden]

Ik las de NLe versie, maar ja, die staat nog niet op Goodreads...

[Jen (Fae_Princess_in_Space)]

Ahhh that was so beautiful and so sad; I knew from the original that the ending is bittersweet but seeing it rendered in Sarah Maxwell’s beautiful artistic style really got me right in the feels 🥺

Call My By Your Name is a story about a summer romance between two young men in the Italian Riviera. American student Oliver spends his summer in Elio’s family home, and they dance around their mutual attraction to each other until finally the weight of if comes crashing down on them and they have to give in to it. This book is all about fleeting moments and the transient nature of young love. Honestly, I was in floods of tears by the end; although the summer was transformative for them both, it also did irreparable damage in that there is no way either of them will ever find what they had again.

The book is told from the POV of Elio, and I think that a lot of Oliver’s character you have to read between the lines for, especially in this illustrated version. Maxwell captures both characters expressions so beautifully that you never have any doubt what they’re feeling, even if they’re not saying it.

The artwork style is just gorgeous and perfectly encapsulates an Italian summer and the emanations of the characters. This is one that I’m going to be picking up again and again 💕 Thank you so much to Faber for gifting me a finished review copy, it’s available on the 11th August 🌞

Read for:
✨ Beautifully drawn graphic novel
✨ A fleeting summer romance
✨ The transience of young love
✨ A slice of Italian heaven
✨ Emotional and heartbreaking
✨ Bittersweet and thought provoking

[Jannus]

Tja, was dit nodig?

[Marith]

Tekeningen zijn 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!!

[nilo ྀིྀིྀིྀིྀི]

the graphic novel is so beautiful

[Abbey Jacobs]

Give me Elio and Oliver’s story in any form and I’m certain I’ll love it. This was actual magic. Possibly my favourite book I own now 🍑

“Call me by your name and I’ll call you by mine” 🥹

[suonnahbooks]

🥰🥰🥰🥰

[Christopher Louderback]

It isn’t that the art is bad, just that it is a strange juxtaposition alongside Aciman’s story. The style works against the tone of Call Me By Your Name and our protagonists look like Instagram Yaoi versions of themselves. Sarah Maxwell’s “retelling” of the source material reads more like YA than it does a fresh interpretation to complement the visuals. I’m certainly influenced by my, like many of ours, deep connection to the original novel, but everything here comes out strained and sterile. The heart of Elio and Aciman’s beautiful language is missing.

[Małgosia]

[ 𝑊𝑆𝑃𝑂𝐿𝑃𝑅𝐴𝐶𝐴 𝑅𝐸𝐾𝐿𝐴𝑀𝑂𝑊𝐴 ]

To była moja pierwsza powieść graficzna, którą czytałam, ale naprawdę miło się zaskoczyłam! Rzadko sięgam po takie książki, ale myślę, że dla takich warto spróbować.

Powieść bardzo szybko się czytało, bo jest napisana bardzo przyjemnym językiem, co sprawia, że nie wiesz, nawet kiedy, a jesteś już w połowie! Same obrazki są przepiękne i aż ułatwiają czytanie, co jest ogromnym plusem.

Mogłoby się wydawać, że tekstu w takiej powieści może być mało, ale akurat w tym przypadku wcale tego nie odczuwałam. Jedynym minusem jest to, że czasami jest on chaotyczny i nie wiadomo, od której strony zacząć czytać.

Było też dosyć sporo podtekstów seksualnych (scena z brzoskwinią też), co też sprawiło, że moja ocena lekko spadła, ale nie jest to jakiś wielki minus, który moje nastawienie do tej książki, bo wciąż z wielką przyjemnością skończyłam czytać książkę.

Napewno bardziej jest to książka dla osób, które chcą poznać Olivera i Elio z innej perspektywy niż film, czy oryginalna książka. Mimo to polecam to osobom, które chciałyby dopiero poznać ich historię, czy zacząć czytać powieści graficzne.

[bookfromdream_]

Cudownie było wrócić do tej historii🥹🫠

Dla mnie jako dla osoby, która dosyć dobrze zna książkę i film to było idealne uzupełnienie obrazu tej historii. Spojrzałam na tą fabułę z trochę innej strony, zauważyłam trochę inne atuty i istotne rzeczy zawarte przez autora, a piękne ilustracje cudownie dopełniły całość.

Czy byłaby to dobra pozycja dla osoby, która ma po raz pierwszy styczność z tą książką? Szczerze mówiąc, nie wiem. Jakbym miała wymazać z pamięci to co już wiedziałam i opierać swoją wiedzę tylko na tej graficznej wersji tej historii to uważam, że nie było w niej tak mocnej głębi jak w "oryginale" po prostu dla mnie całą kwintesencją tej książki są opisy.

Mimo wszystko była to świetna przygoda, pojawiło się sporo emocji, ilustracje idealnie wpasowywały się w klimat i niezwykle dobrze uzupełniały to co nie było napisane.

[Jenniferleest]

Call Me By Your Name heb je vast al eens voorbij zien komen. Ik in ieder geval wel, maar ik heb zowel het boek als de film nooit gelezen of gezien. Toen er een graphic novel werd aangekondigd, vond ik dat het perfecte moment om daar eindelijk verandering in te brengen. Ik besloot er blind in te duiken, zonder de synopsis te lezen. De illustraties zijn werkelijk prachtig: kleurrijk, warm en zó levendig dat ze tot leven komen. Bovendien is de graphic novel uitgegeven in hardcover (altijd een pluspunt, als je het mij vraagt). Het verhaal wist mij echter niet te overtuigen. Bepaalde scènes lieten mij zelfs met mijn wenkbrauwen fronsen. Behalve de scène met Elio’s vader, die vond ik oprecht heel mooi en ontroerend. Eén ding is zeker: Elio’s verlangen wordt duidelijk neergezet. Ik kan er kort maar krachtig over zijn, ook omdat ik spoilervrij wil blijven: dit was simpelweg niet mijn boek.

[belliebooks]

Ten eerste, wauw wat een illustraties! Dit is zo mooi geïllustreerd. Het hele boek voelt aan als een zonovergoten Italië en past perfect bij de sfeer van het boek. Het verhaal zelf moest ik even in komen. Het verhaal start vrij traag, waardoor het grootste gedeelte van het boek er niet zoveel gebeurde. Dit zette natuurlijk een emotionele lading vooral rondom Elio's verlangen, maar dat haalde niet weg dat het boek voor mij vrij traag begon. En toen kwamen de laatste hoofdstukken. Prachtig! Een mooi einde, vol emoties, en als je eenmaal denkt dit was het dan wordt er nog een schepje bovenop gedaan. Ik vond het een prachtig boek om te lezen, door de artwork en het einde, maar het volledige verhaal wist mij dus niet helemaal te pakken. Ik raad hem zeker wel aan voor LBTQIA+ romance lovers!

Bedankt voor het recensie-exemplaar Blossom Books

[dani]

never read the novel but i enjoyed the film. after reading this i might have to reconsider and pick up the book. the art is phenomenally beautiful. i would spend minutes on each page just looking over all the details because holy moly.

obviously this book has its negatives which i do find gross but this was such a lovely story. just the coming of age and the fleeting lingering love that comes from elios side was a tale done well. this book has some of the most brilliant and iconic lines which was translated so well in this graphic novel.

[Dimitar]

No, I’m not crying. 🥹
I knew how it would end. I knew where the heartbreak was waiting for me, and still, somehow, I wasn’t ready.
It’s strange how a story can break your heart more than once. How knowing every word, every moment, every "later" doesn’t make it hurt any less — it only makes you feel the weight of it sooner.
Some love stories don’t end when the book closes. They stay with you, quietly, like a memory of something you never had but somehow still lost. 💔
Elio and Oliver will always hurt.

[Shannon]

Sarah Maxwell’s stunning, dreamy illustration of my favorite novel is everything I could ask for. Her interpretation of Elio and Oliver was beautiful, her scenes of the Italian countryside simply serene. I was instantly transported to mine and Elio’s beloved B., falling over myself for /la muvi star/ all over again. Feeling every swell and crash of emotion within Elio, my fictional twin. While this didn’t tug at my heart as much as the original book or the movie, it didn’t need to. I loved this as a sort of separate thing. Absolutely worth the buy!

[Nat Nat]

nie znam oryginału, ale jeśli komiks jest wierną adaptacją, to o wiele bardziej podoba mi się ta historia niż ta z filmu. zwlaszcza wstawki o filozofii, więcej przemyśleń elio, no to nadało większej głębi tej historii niż po prostu tragiczny romans osób tej samej płci. zwłaszcza, że tutaj mamy rozważania i próbę zrozumienia własnych emocji, a na końcu swego rodzaju pogodzenie się ze stanem rzeczy

[Laura]

So beautiful. The yearning and uncertainty just killed me. I had to take breaks toward the end for crying. Highly recommend if this premise and format are at all up your alley, or if you've seen the movie or read the book and want to dip back in to this story. ❤️❤️❤️

[Chloe McEwen]

“Chloe consumes CMBYN in another media form” OR “fork found in kitchen”

“To feel nothing so as not to feel anything — what a waste!” Words that still my heart every single time in every single medium.

[scriptedknight]

rating: 5/5 stars
~
okay forgive me that my younger self couldn’t remember the gender crisis in this and how soft the book is.

[Adam]

4,5/5 ✨

[harry alebon]

we had found the stars, you and i