Enigma Variations

by André Aciman

'Magnificent.' New York Times'Unforgettable.' Times Literary Supplement'Exquisite.' New YorkerFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author of Call Me by Your Name and Find Me, now available to preorder in paperback.From a youthful infatuation with a cabinet maker in a small Italian fishing village, to a passionate yet sporadic affair with a woman in New York, to an obsession with a man he meets at a tennis court, Enigma Variations charts one man's path through the great loves of his life. Paul's intense desires, losses and longings draw him closer, not to a defined orientation, but to an understanding that 'heartache, like love, like low-grade fevers, like the longing to reach out and touch a hand across the table, is easy enough to live down'.André Aciman casts a shimmering light over each facet of desire, to probe how we ache, want and waver, and ultimately how we sometimes falter and let go of the very ones we want the most. We may not know what we want. We may remain enigmas to ourselves and to others. But sooner or later we discover who we've always known we were.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, LGBT, Queer, Short Stories, Contemporary, Gay

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 3, 2017

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

[Larry H · Rating 5 out of 5]

André Aciman's debut novel, Call Me by Your Name , utterly blew me away. I remember reading and re-reading paragraphs, mesmerized by his poetic language, and at times dissolving into tears from the emotional power of the story. While I could never seem to get into his second novel, and didn't know he wrote a third, when I stumbled on his latest novel, Enigma Variations , I thought I'd give his writing one more try.

This book is staggeringly beautiful. Powerfully emotional, haunting, frank in its sexuality and its romanticism, this is a book about love, infatuation, longing, and lust. It's a book which explores the divide between wanting the familiar and wanting what you do not (or in some cases, cannot) have, and makes you realize that the things you think you cannot live without lose their appeal as soon as you get them. I felt this book in my heart and in my head, and I don't think I'll be able to forget it anytime soon, nor do I want to. I don't doubt this will be among the best books I read this year.

"Perhaps in this, finally, lay the leanest proof of love: the hope, the belief, the conviction that she knew more about me than I did myself, that she, not I, held the key to everything I felt. I didn't need to know anything; she'd be the one to know."

Enigma Variations consists of five novellas, each focusing on a man named Paul at a different time in his life. In "First Love," 22-year-old Paul returns to the Italian island where his family spent summers in his early adolescence. He remembers in particular one summer, when he was 12, and he became obsessed with the village's cabinetmaker, a ruggedly handsome man who seemed to show an interest in Pauly (as he was called back then), and awakened desires in the boy he was never aware of before. When Paul returns to the island he finds while certain things are as he remembered them, certain things are as far from memory as possible, yet he realizes things about that summer that young Pauly would never have understood. And that was the first time he realized the loss we can suffer when we don't say the things we most want to.

In "Spring Fever," Paul is dating a woman, Maud, whom he believes is cheating on him. While he is slightly dismayed by this fact, at the same time he feels freed by it. At a dinner party with friends, where he meets Maud's suspected lover, he discovers that perhaps she isn't the only one with secrets, and he is more of an open book than he thinks. "Manfred" follows Paul as he becomes obsessed with a younger man who plays tennis at the same club he does, and Paul longs for Manfred to recognize him, to see him as a man and not just a person, to desire Paul with the same fervor Paul feels for him.

In "Star Love," Paul is reunited with a college girlfriend, Chloe, with whom he had a fitful yet intense relationship. They seem to meet up every four years in a similar setting, and yet each time they leave one another indelibly changed, yet immobilized from expressing their true feelings, even when both are with other people. And in "Abingdon Square," an older Paul meets a younger writer and starts to wonder if she is his last chance at true happiness, yet he is afraid of rejection and putting his feelings out there.

"When I'm with you, I feel I can take what others call my life and turn its face away from the wall. My entire life faces the wall except when I'm with you. I stare at my life and want to undo every mistake, every deceit, turn a new leaf, turn the table, turn the clock. I want to put a real face on my life, not the drab front I've been wearing since forever."

Aciman's storytelling draws you in, holds you by the heart, and envelops you in the story. I found these novellas so powerful, so beautifully written, and they provoked so many emotions in me. I found the way Aciman and the other characters treated Paul's bisexuality very interesting—in a less-talented author's hands this could have been fodder for melodrama. This is a book about love and the intensity of that love; it is not a book that truly cares about the sex of the people Paul loves.

This is probably not a book for everyone, but it is so bold and poetic, so emotionally rich and exquisite, if it sounds like it might appeal to you, pick it up. Perhaps you'll identify with some of Paul's emotions, or perhaps you'll just understand the enduring power of loving and being loved.

See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo..., and see my list of the best books I read in 2016 at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2016.html.

[Jaidee · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8 " reluctant, conflicted, disappointing" stars !!

The Most(est) Disappointing Read of 2017 Award

I really struggled with much of this book.

Mr. Aciman is an immensely talented writer but has great difficulty in distillation as well as writing a story that I care very much about. His writing is occasionally profound and moving but more often is overwrought, adolescent, saccharine and at times very dull and/or crass.

The protagonist is one of the most self-centred, miserable, selfish, sonofabitches in modern literature. He offers nothng to anybody and wants to take and suck the life and love of everybody he meets. He reminds me of the main character in Andre Gide's The Immoralist but in that book the villain's selfish debauchery, cheating and self-delusion is couched in meaning for the reader. This book glorifies the suffering of somebody who has absolutely nothing to complain about. This is vile and painful and a waste of time. We are seduced by beautiful language and lamenting and yet all I want to do is shake this parasite who feels he is entitled to destroy everybody in his amorous wake. He is the type of narcissist that women want to heal and men want to take care of until they become shells or fall into these malignant patterns themselves.

Paul the protagonist is handsome, intelligent, fairly affluent, well-spoken, fashionable, talented, erudite, and healthy. A fine specimen of the top 1 percent and yet all he does is suffer and often cause others to suffer by his suffering, selfishness and dark poetic ambivalent soul. He is absolutely insufferable. The type of man that every woman has fallen for at least once in her life and either regretted it at best or become emotionally destitute.

Having said this there were two stories I quite liked and I will list the stories, their ratings and just a brief phrase of my impression:

First Love...3.5 stars....very good writing with moments of profound beauty but much of it was extraneous and grating....much too long for what it is !!

Spring Fever..2.5 stars ...insipid, trite, self-indulgent but with some interesting observations

Manfred....2.5.....Drawn out agony.....Narcissus see his reflection and falls in lust !

Star Love....3.5 stars...Beautiful, meandering...so glad I am back to some profundity although Paul remains the most selfish of twats !

Abingdon Square....2 stars....if there was a sixth story of Paul's insufferable drivel I may have had to commit hari kari....

I think the following would be two more apt titles for this book:

The Pinings, Whinings, Laments and at best Musings of a Bisexual Malcontent

or
Even the Psychoanalyst got Irritated !!

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot to mention one more thing when I wrote this this morning... PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT LARRY'S review!!! Its wonderful-- and he was my inspiration for reading this!!!


"We make assumptions about how our lives are being charted without knowing that we are making these assumptions--which is the beauty of assumptions: they anchor us without the slightest clue that what we're doing is trusting that nothing changes. We believe that the street we live on will remain the same and bear it's name forever. We believe that our friends will stay our friends, and that those we love we'll forever. We trust and, by dint, of trusting, forget we trusted."

This entire novel -- linked stories-- scintillates with brilliant fragility. It zings with fresh insights about the big themes relating to love and inspired writing!!!!

Seductive- character driven - universal feelings in a tangible & deeply intimate way!!!!!
Rare.... truly a work of art!!!!

Kinda phenomenal!!!!!!


One more excerpt....
"Wood is unforgiving. A painter, even a great painter, can change his mind midway or paint over a serious mistake. But you can't undo a mistake on wood. You need to understand how wood thinks, how wood speaks, and what each sound it means.
Wood, like very, very few living things never die."
"One might have thought he was Michelangelo speaking about marble".

[John Mauro · Rating 3 out of 5]

The "Enigma Variations" referenced in the title are a set of orchestral pieces by the English composer, Edward Elgar, consisting of 14 variations on a common melodic theme. The use of the word "Enigma" in the title has led classical music lovers to wonder if there may be some hidden puzzle buried in Elgar's work, for example, a hidden melody that may appear when the "Enigma Variations" are played together with some other piece by another composer. Whether or not this hidden melody exists remains a mystery to this day.

Aciman's novel of the same name tells the story of Paul, who experiences five variations on a common theme across each of the five chapters of the book. Each chapter is essentially a short novella presenting a vignette of one brief period in Paul's life. The common melodic theme centers on Paul's carnal desires.

The first and best of these vignettes tells the story of a young Paul's infatuation with his parents' cabinet maker while living in southern Italy. Paul finds any excuse to spend time with the cabinet maker, becoming his apprentice just to smell his sweat and gawk at his shirtless mentor. But the relationship of the cabinet maker with Paul's family is not what it seems, something that Paul doesn't realize until many years later.

This first chapter is excellent and worthy of five stars. Unfortunately, the melody falls flat in the remaining four chapters. The common theme of carnal passion is repeated in each chapter, while the object of Paul's obsession alternates between male and female characters. Whenever Paul achieves his goal, he just ends up pining for someone else.

Bonus points to Aciman for bisexual representation, but I wish he would have given Paul some character development. Throughout the book, Paul remains completely focused on fulfilling his carnal desires. There is no depth to his character. He doesn't grow or form any meaningful relationships. Each chapter has an interesting plot twist, but these twists do not contribute to anything more meaningful.

Is there a hidden melody buried somewhere in this enigmatic novel?

I don't think there is.

Paul is a hollow caricature, empty of any real meaning. His bisexuality is treated like a bad stereotype rather than like that of a real person. I left this novel, as Paul, feeling empty and disappointed.

[Kyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was an emotional detachedness to the novel for me. Never once did I feel any sort of deep connection to the protagonist, which left me feeling listless the whole way through. I guess I expected more— something along the lines of the sweeping romanticism and longing of Aciman’s first novel— but expectations and reality didn’t coalesce.

Paul is a frustrating MC. His romantic contradictions and incessant whining threw me off completely. At first, I was bored with him. Part 1 was a grueling trudge of first love (infatuation?). At 12, he thinks it’s the end-all-be-all with Nanni. He pined (and pined some more), and complained and whined when his feelings didn’t turn into how he expected. Older, still, he holds fast to this deep, irrational line of thought. “He’s still feeling himself out, though”, I told myself. So, I let it slide. And then Part 2 was a lesson in patience, because Paul’s irrational paranoia over his girlfriend and her alleged adultery, is just more cause for him to complain and think himself “freed”. His über-pretentious friends and dinner conversations also didn’t help me connect in a positive way. I just wanted these well-to-do New Yorkers to shut the fuck up and be real for once. Part 3 comes along, and Paul has grown into quite the walking contradiction, and fallen so thoroughly for someone else (while he and they are both with someone else). He’s back to longing from afar, and Aciman makes it seem like THIS is the quintessential love of Paul’s life. The story felt like it could be picking up at this point— Our aggravating protagonist has finally settled. That is, until we arrive at Part 4, and all of Paul’s feelings are once more like, “Wait, no, I love this person now. I always have.” It’s too much.

I’ve never been in “love” (let alone multiple times, like Paul). I do fall for many often, and love them each in my own way, but I’m not IN anything. So, I can’t necessarily speak to jumping from one extreme infatuation to the next. And it annoyed me. Aciman made each particular lover sound like the ONE , and that’s just ridiculous to me— falling so madly for one person, and then years later another and another and another. Paul so casually flits from caring so deeply for this man, and then his relationship with this woman is wonderful, but that man over there is surely his soulmate (“oh, and couldn’t she and I have something, too?”) but of course no... after years his TRUE soulmate comes back, and he wants her now, but that can’t last, no. And then times goes until he finds someone else to obsess over. It reminds me of that song by Hozier, ‘Someone New’, the lyrics go: “I fall in love just a little, oh, a little bit every day with someone new.” But in Paul’s case, it’s not remotely a “little bit”. I don’t get it. Maybe I never will.

Part 5 finally slogged in, but by then, I was totally indifferent to the story. Again, Paul’s pretensions put me off. Of course, he’s so very cultured and intelligent, and everyone he meets/falls for, are also the type of people that, in my experience, are vaguely condescending and untouchable on a social level— I doubt I could ever tolerate them for very long (not to say that I’m a moron. No. I think I’m well-educated and quite a bit the polymath, and can hold a conversation as to the ones expressed herein). But everyone in this novel... they’re so very grandiloquent in the sense that they never seem to spend any time with people outside of their posh, ‘la-di-da’ circles.

Paul is searching for himself; to understand— Constantly, in fact, until well past his quarter-life. But here’s the thing: he’s a fucking douche about it. Paul’s a cheater, plain and simple, and he doesn’t seem to have any qualms with infidelity or cuckolding. And he uses his bisexuality to excuse himself (although, never explicitly) and his lifelong self-discovery. He gives the ‘B’ in LGBTQ+ a bad name. The little “twist” (if you want to call it that) at the very end, surprised me, but infuriated me. It made me hate Paul more than I already had.

I didn’t find much to say in a positive regard to this book, but what little good there was came again from how, when you least expect it, André Aciman perfectly captures the crucial, seemingly-insignificant little moments in a life. Whether it be longing to hold a hand, or touch another’s cheek, or the ways in which we wait and regret and break our own hearts... he can really spin feelings to pull you in. I was caught off guard a few times with how well he writes.

I shouldn’t compare this novel to Aciman’s other work, but where I appreciated the isolation and dreamy slowness of Call Me By Your Name, in which the love felt self-contained in a bubble of hazy romanticism, Enigma Variations took that and made a mockery of it. Where Call Me By Your Name’s pseudo-pretensions felt unaffected and appropriate, Enigma Variations’ came off gaudy and superficial, and in the end, so did the “love”.

[William2]

My response is decidedly enigmatic. Like Call Me By Your Name, this is a book that cries out for rereading. No stars for now.

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book blew me away, in a way I was not expecting. It is told in five vignettes/stories, all which took unexpected turns. But these were not shocking story twists that would get old, but surprising moves by characters that ended up feeling more realistic than most writing. The characters get to be complicated. Sexuality is not black and white, nor is fidelity or even hope. There are statements about the longevity of love and connection, the realities of how some people only work in the short-term or in the imagination, and how we can accept people even when their flaws won't change.

I had a review copy so can't type up the bits I marked, but I will be recommending this one to others in 2017. Somehow I was unaware of the author but I see he has quite a catalog, so I will be looking into more of the titles.

[Lobstergirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The homosexual desire here was so much more convincing than the heterosexual desire, I was surprised to find the author is straight. Thus the last two chapters didn't work for me at all, although you need to get to the last page to find out something which (I suppose) is important. Aciman's writing is very nice but he has a tendency to overuse similes and create aphorisms that trickle on for a long paragraph.

[Jessica Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I live for this. And if this is all there is, well, this is all there is.”

No one understands and communicates the myriad desires and agonies of the human heart quite like Andre Aciman. This series of five connected stories follows the life and loves of a bisexual man named Paul from adolescence to middle age.

There's the cabinetmaker, his first love; his tennis partner, with whom it takes him two years to make a move; the college sweetheart who he reunites with every four years but never for longer than a weekend. Aciman's speciality is transient, fleeting love—those passionate and intense relationships that may or not sustain their fervor if given the chance.

Paul spends his life chasing the highs of new love, always yearning for something more, longing to "drink the wine of life at last" and not realizing that maybe he has been all along.

Like Call Me By Your Name, Enigma Variations is intimate, analytical, sensual and infused with weighty nostalgia. There are little revelations throughout concerning side characters that are just as poignant as Paul's own character arc—these remind us that love is similarly perplexing and agonizing for everyone.

In Aciman's world, sorrow and pain are just as integral to the human experience as love and happiness. There's comfort in this conviction, since the former are unavoidable. Aciman transforms these challenging human emotions into something beautiful and true and edifying.

[Gerhard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Aciman, but this just did not work for me. The strongest section is the first; there is little to tie the five together, so this is really just a loosely bound collection of disparate novellas. Plus the fact that the central protagonist is so reprehensibly louche and dissolute that I had not the slightest ounce of empathy at his plight of being unable to find love. Moral of the story: a dick is a dick.

[N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evocative, poetic and hopelessly romantic, Andre Aciman has written a cerebral narrative of love undefined.

Narrator Paul's declarations of love to the men and women of his life: Nanni, Manfred, Chloe and Claire are all emotional and sexually charged, written as interior monologues reminiscent of Manuel Puig's moody and haunting storytelling- blurred between reality and fantasies; both consuming and questioning.

Aciman has written a novel that is a high-octane soap opera; richly magical and privileged, steeped in cafes, sports clubs, hotels, academics, and the magic of the movies.

It is an ethereal and swoony novel, often carrying the reader into emotional bouts of both sadness and relief.

Note: I read this in 2017 and read that current heartthrob Jeremy Allen White has been announced to play the protagonist of the film adaptation. I am sure we will see plenty :)

[Anjal · Rating 2 out of 5]

n-n-oooo-oooo *in jessie j’s voice*

boy was this book a drag! i generally appreciate character driven books but reading this felt like a chore and guess what, i hate doing chores. this has got to be longest 266 pages i’ve ever read, even after skim reading the whole book! i found the main protagonist, Paul, shallow, kinda gross and mostly stalker-ish.
the only thing that excited me was when i found a typo in the 2nd story lol (page 85, incase you’re wondering). it seems like im cursed with boring books in august, one after the other! hopefully the next book that i read will be MUCH better. sorry for not reviewing this book properly cuz the whole time i was just waiting for this book to get over and also cuz the book was boring as fuck.

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Variaciones enigma es la historia de Paul, de sus recuerdos, de lo que le marcó, lo que tuvo, lo que le queda y lo que va soltando en el camino. Todo esto plagado de nostalgia, remordimientos y muchos sentimientos contradictorios. Sobre el tiempo perdido y el paso de los años. Pero más importante, trata sobre el amor; de las personas que han entrado, salido y a las que les ha dejado la puerta entreabierta en su vida. Son un conjunto de historias y conexiones que definen la vida del protagonista, cargadas de momentos compartidos con hombres y mujeres, donde la pasión y el descubrimiento a través de los demás es significativo.

Aunque a mí me ha gustado la historia y me ha transmitido ciertos mensajes, me ha parecido un relato bastante frío en diversas ocasiones. No porque los personajes lo sean, sino más bien por la atmósfera tan decadente que se crea por la melancolía misma del protagonista, quien siempre te habla como un amigo cercano. Es un buen libro, dentro de lo que cabe, pero no ha sido tan trascendental como creía.

[Sofia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Aciman's words, his writing, but I got bored with the person he was writing about. For me the first story 'First Love' is 5 star material.

Like musical variations, Aciman uses this method of using the same theme in different ways to show us Paul and his playing musical chairs with his lovers. I realise that we see Paul in a rather one sided manner because even though we have different stories, different times, the subject matter is still his obsessive thoughts about new love. Paul appeared to me as rather fickle unfortunately hence the boredom.

[Tarneem Maitham · Rating 5 out of 5]

André is one of my favorite writers, his writing is extremely vulnerable and sensual.
he has this style in writing that you can’t shake it out of your head.
His words always seem to haunt me in every book i read.
This definitely one of the best books i read this year.
Highly recommended.

[Meli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ah, quien pudiera ser un millonario esnob aburrido y lujurioso que no sabe lo que quiere.


La prosa y algunas reflexiones son maravillosas, pero Paul es un protagonista insufrible y es la segunda novela de Aciman en la que noto incongruencias argumentales (aunque no tan serias como las de Find Me). Su narración es un diez, pero debería prestar más atención en la construcción, es descuidado.

[Tyler Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5 Stars


A little bit disappointed in this one


André Aciman's Enigma Variations had very high shoes and expectations to fulfill after reading Call me By Your Name. Maybe that is on me, but I found that this book just didn't quite take me there in terms of emotion or even in its characters.

One thing that you're always going to find in an Aciman book is absolutely gorgeous writing. I mean, this book wasn't my cup of tea, but man did I eat it up just because of the power behind this man's words. He really is a great writer. One of my favourite things that Aciman does is that he is able to write emotions of people really accurately. Pain, lust, desire, love and longing all appear in great detail here. Another thing he does well is that he is able to make me feel that I am right in that exact same setting where the characters are. He can be a really great atmospheric writer at times.

Now, here's where things start to dip. The plot here really wasn't anything at all. I guess you can say that the plot of this book is that "a man named Paulo searches for who he truly is through the people that he meets throughout his life". Which seems kind of vague, but that's essentially what this book is about. Stakes and driving plot forces are almost non-existant. Honestly, Parts 1 and 2 were my favourite, and if Aciman wrote a book circling around those plotlines, then this book would've been fantastic. I feel like having each Part encompassing a different sort of era for Paul is actually a good idea, but the execution wasn't there. I feel like for the way Aciman structured this story, it should've been at least 500 pages (100 pages for each Part), to really allow for emotion and character growth to develop.

One thing I noticed in this book was that every character was extremely promiscuous. Nothing really wrong with that, but there was a lot of "cheating" that was really just thrown under the rug. In a sense that when two characters are about to engage in sexual activity, one asks "Does your boyfriend/girlfriend know?", and then the other person would say "They wouldn't care even if I told them. But no, they don't know". It was just really strange to read. It was like there were no repercussions for anyone's actions in this book. And when something did happen, it wasn't really a big deal.

In the end, I flew threw this book, thanks to Aciman's writing and techniques, and the first 2 Parts were so amazing, but then everything was just a huge miss for me. Maybe this kind of novel just isn't for me? Who knows. I still hold Aciman as a great storyteller, but this one just didn't do it for me.

I want to read his memoir Out of Egypt next!

[Read By RodKelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read everything this man has written. The lyrical, poetic writing, filled with passion and sparkling intelligence, carries this story of one man's love affairs to a place of sublime beauty. Aciman wrings out so many emotions from his intensely intimate scenes that it's hard to read at times but the book is pure poetry. If you loved Call Me By Your Name, you'll love this even more.

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Okay, look. I am FINE with dreary and annoying love interests who go and pine around like idiots for way too long. I love myself a pretentious unrequited love story. It gives me something to relate to (lol). This is why I absolutely ADORED the first three stories, especially the third about Manfred. I could have an entire (though short) book with the main character just pining for Manfred because I thought it was beautiful, which I know is an unpopular opinion in itself. The book had really set itself up for great things, and then FUCKED IT UP.

(this review will have spoilers in it, proceed with caution. Though, if I may, spoilers don't really matter because this book isn't about the plot in the first place)

For all you who didn't know, this book could be called something akin to "the five loves of Paul". It is set up essentially as a collection of five short stories about five different love interests in Paul's life, some of which stand independently, some of which overlap.

And that's a good idea. It's sweet, it's heartbreaking, it's versatile. And we all know that if our boy Aciman can write something, it's love.

And the best thing about a concept like this is that you can decide which was your favorite love story and be fine because technically they exist independent about one another. And for most of the book, this is exactly how it functions.

AND THEN THEY F*CK IT ALL UP.

Basically, the book is this:

story 1: a childhood crush on an older man
story 2: thinking he caught his girlfriend cheating, but essentially ending with him realizing he's cheating (this was AWESOME)
story 3: a bit of a backtrack: Paul has even during his relationship with Maud (the previous girlfriend) sort of been crushing on this guy, Manfred. For YEARS. It's beautiful. It all culminates in them meeting up and realizing their pining has been mutual and suggests them getting together. (Beautiful, gorgeous, pretty)

and...

story 4: actually, fuck those other stories because his REAL BIG BIG LOVE has ALWAYS been this random girl we'd heard nothing about, and even when he was pining for Manfred this chick was his true love, even through everything we've just read there has constantly been this other girl. Paul cheats on Manfred with her, he goes away with her, and THAT eventually culminates in the girl being like "yeah we'll never love anyone else like we love each other but we can't be together."

story 5: an affair with a young girl that I don't remember anything about. He may even be with Manfred during this as well, fuck if I know, because fuck Manfred I guess. What really matters, though, is the end, where it's shown that Paul has ended up marrying this random girl, who's been mentioned three times, and it's revealed like a sick plot twist we're supposed to care about but I'm just ??????

So yeah. It's no secret André Aciman loves this idea of, while not technically soulmates, this almost Greek 'higher love', the one that can't be explained, that doesn't function like 'typical love'. First, we think it's the crush. Then, we're SURE it's Manfred. Then we're told straight out that it has always been Chloë (I think that's her name) and that we should feel stupid for thinking something else. And then, it's this other chick (I don't remember his name).

The problem is that Aciman thinks every new love story needs to trump the others, which isn't true. We all completely rooted for Manfred and Paul, but we'd all be fine if they didn't end up together because this is book 3 out of 5. The next love story doesn't have to be this insane, decade-long affair. It's fine.

And I don't know why there is a 'plot twist' at the end. I mean, who cares? The strength of a book like this is that nothing matters, it's just love, it's sweet little tidbits. And now we're supposed to be told there's this overarching plot we should have paid attention to? A mistake, if you ask me.

This is all such a pity, because the first three stories are lovely. And I do like the idea of the next two; a big age-gap and a romance that seems like it should work but just doesn't. The problem is that the book tries to make these stories more 'important' than they are.

Anyway, the three stars are SOLELY given to the stories about Manfred and Maud. The half is for the concept. The rest can f*ck off.


*********

Wow, was that ending dumb.

This almost functions as a collection of short stories up until the last quarter of it, and every new ”love” very much exists in its own bubble. But with the last two, the two chapters I DIDN’T like, all of that was undermined by telling us that things had overlapped and pretty much ending with a ”plot twist” which was just weird and stupid.

However, the chapter about Manfred was one of the most beautiful, intoxicating things I’ve read in a long ass time.

So I don’t know what to rate this, because the last two were bad and the first were great. We’ll see, jury’s out.

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 No one writes as elegantly and eloquently about love and desire in all its myriad forms as does Aciman - nor does anyone delineate the bisexual life with such (seeming) accuracy. If his latest novel does not quite reach the heights of his debut, Call Me By Your Name, that's only because his earlier effort was more or less perfect. This presents five linked stories about protagonist Paul/Paulo, from his days as a 12 year old suffering (a perhaps reciprocated) lust for his Italian village's ebanista (cabinetmaker), through to his middle aged 'crush' on a budding female journalist half his age. Each of the stories ends with an unexpected and unforeseen surprise, and Aciman also excels in dropping offhand remarks about the characters which nicely link the stories. My only quibble is that the first story (with its unmistakable echoes of Call Me) is the definite standout, so that the following four suffer a bit by comparison.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

André Aciman attended our gay book club last night! As in, it was me, seven other readers, and Dr. Aciman in a small circle of chairs. I got my book signed. It was a treat.

Knowing my experience with Call Me By Your Name, I shouldn't have read this one last minute. Aciman's writing has a way of irritating me that requires distance before I have a complete opinion. Because his speciality is detailing the infinite vacillations of thought and desire. And it digs in so close to the damn truth! It's unsettlingly sharp, transparent yet opaque, annoying and illuminating.

Structurally, I like the choice of separate stories in Enigma Variations. I was initially unsure if each was a cohesive part of a larger whole - though, spoiler, they are. So the small novellas are like different selves we inhabit in life, the changed versions of us through time. What we desire at 22 is vastly different than at 42.

Aciman turns in a great work centered on a bisexual man experiencing relationships not by gender but by pure connection and desire. I wish we'd chatted more last night about the bisexual representation; there's plenty to be mined regarding a bisexual character "unable to choose" what he wants. I would argue Aciman instead treats his character like he does so many others of differing sexualities. In fact, last night he offhandedly suggested we each experience varying sexualities throughout our lifetime. Which I quite like.

Ultimately, Enigma Variations is about want. How we want things we can't have, and how desire evolves when we actually "get" those things. It's another winner for Aciman.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful novel that can be read like interconnected short stories on the meaning of love, identity, relationships, and longing. Aciman's prose is gorgeous and flows smoothly throughout the book, which makes it both easy to read yet something you want to savor. He cuts at the heart of human connection, what sparks relationships, sustains them, and makes them difficult. Overall, it's a book full of stories about what it means to be human and the desire to be surrounded by love and companionship. This is the first book I've read by Aciman, so excuse me while I go pile through his backlist.

[Jano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reseña completa: http://elcaosliterario.blogspot.com/2...

En este paseo por la vida sentimental del protagonista nos encontramos con varias historias que podrían haber sido mucho más de lo que fueron, ya que muchas de ellas no tuvieron un fin. Es una novela sobre el deseo y las emociones descritas con el particular estilo del autor.

El principal atractivo de André Aciman es su pluma. Podría pasarme horas leyéndolo. Tiene una magia especial y una manera de adentrarse en los sentimientos que es única. Sensualidad, erotismo y sensibilidad son los puntos clave en sus historias.

"Quizá todo está en mi pensamiento y en mi pensamiento queda, pero he vivido y amado solo a través de tu luz."

Mi parte favorita del libro es Primer amor, la primera del libro. La historia del protagonista engancha mucho porque es oscura y de mucho deseo, incluso en algunas partes rozando la obsesión. Tanto en esta parte como en las demás, mantiene la esencia de Llámame por tu nombre; por veces demasiado exagerado pero a su vez es imposible dejar de leerlo.

"Dicen que las señales siempre están ahí, que las tienes delante, pero que, igual que las estrellas de noche, son imposibles de contar, mucho más de interpretar".

En octubre se publica Find me, la secuela de Llámame por tu nombre y espero que llegue a España cuanto antes. Os recomiendo muchísimo a este autor porque estoy convencido de que no os va a decepcionar.

En resumen: el estilo único de André Aciman en una nueva historia sobre el deseo. Un repaso a los hombres y mujeres que han pasado por la vida del protagonista desde su adolescencia con muchos giros y una narración exquisita. Es uno de mis autores favoritos así que solo puedo recomendaros cualquiera de sus libros porque merece la pena. Una de las mejores novelas de este año.

[Sub_zero · Rating 2 out of 5]

Arropada por el arrollador éxito de la adaptación cinematográfica de Llámame por tu nombre, Variaciones Enigma se publica finalmente en castellano haciendo frente al reto de satisfacer unas elevadísimas expectativas que los que caímos rendidos ante la honestidad kamikaze de Aciman no estamos dispuestos a bajar. En cierto sentido, la historia de Variaciones Enigma guarda notables semejanzas con el bestseller del escritor de origen alejandrino, conservando, aunque solo en momentos puntuales, las mejores características de la prosa de Aciman. El protagonista de Variaciones Enigma es un joven llamado Paul que al comienzo de la novela regresa al pueblo de su infancia en la costa italiana donde experimentó, de manera confusa y precipitada, los mágicos e inflamables cosquilleos del primer amor. El final abrupto y frustrado de la historia, junto a las demoledoras revelaciones que trajo consigo, parecen acompañar a Paul durante el resto de su vida, marcando sus relaciones posteriores con el hierro de la insatisfacción y la falta de iniciativa. Haciendo gala de esa sensibilidad visceral que le caracteriza, Aciman desciende a los infiernos del deseo frustrado para retratar como solo él sabe la angustia que atenaza a su protagonista, víctima de un insaciable y sórdido anhelo por los pliegues más recónditos de la carne. Aunque posee escenas de una fuerza arrolladora, Variaciones Enigma no sobresale como un conjunto sólido; al contrario, se trata de una novela irregular, autocomplaciente, falta de inspiración e incluso rayana en el narcisismo más atroz. Un intento fallido de emular una fórmula irrepetible.

[XD · Rating 3 out of 5]

I WISH THE FIRST SECTION OF THE NOVEL (FIRST LOVE) HAD BEEN THE WHOLE NOVEL. That section was the most compelling, poetic, and well-developed of the sections - it felt like its own little novella- and I wish that had been developed into a larger work. The other sections just couldn't compete with the rawness, melancholy, and electricity of that first section - there was a real momentum and tone captured there that made all of the other sections pale in comparison.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enigma Variations follows Paul throughout his life and his relationships. The book contains 5 stories that show us his feelings, his actions and his romances.
I must say I expected more, I wasn't totally happy with this book and that's why I'm giving it 3 stars.
The story I appreciated the most was definitely Manfred even though the ending left me wanting to know more.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy the way Aciman’s characters think but overall I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed. It seems the main character, Paul is a coward and somewhat tragic stalker of his victims of ‘love’. Maybe his ferocity of love is simply beyond my comprehension...

I don’t know what I think

[Juan Naranjo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Después de enamorarnos (¿engañarnos?) a todos con “Llámame por tu nombre” André Aciman publica este libro que es, en realidad, la unión de tres o cuatro historias cortas de desamor a las que solo les veo dos puntos de unión:
- Son historias de interés moderado que, justo cuando empiezan a remotamente enganchar al lector, se cortan.
- Están protagonizadas por un mismo personaje del que el lector prácticamente no sabe nada a pesar de estar leyendo sus pensamientos 300 páginas.
Muy a mi pesar (que compré este libro muy emocionado) tengo que admitir que solo merecen la pena las 100 primeras páginas que, eso sí, son excelentes. Esa historia, con su principio y su final, habrían constituido un libro excelente. ¿Las 200 restantes? Sobran y, además, no tienen nada que ver con las primeras.
Le veo, eso sí, un punto positivo como novela: no son demasiados los ejemplos de novelas de masas en las que el protagonista sea un varón bisexual, por lo que este libro aporta, al menos variedad.

[Nigel Massey · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's not so much the insufferable and selfish protagonist that I found the problem. No wonder he can't commit: his bisexuality has nothing to do with his lack of a sense of loyalty or duty or fidelity. He's a spoiled, arrogant and solipsistic brat. Having said that, I very nearly gave it three stars after the first section; but the crashingly dull people surrounding him overwhelm the book. Pretentious, Sunday-supplement people drinking the latest New York Times wine-recommendation on a balcony that invariably overlooks some clichéd view in Manhattan; all of them having arch conversations about themselves and the people they know. Very disappointing indeed after Call Me by Your Name and Out of Egypt. I won't read another of his. Dreadful.

[Liina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would argue that it is a book about love, like many reviews and also the book cover state. Love is safety, finding comfort in the familiar. Most of those five stories are about the exact opposite. They are about the unknown. That tiny gap of time we all want to relive again and again - when you've met someone and you are driven insane by desire, can't function in a normal way and are driven by the novelty of this feeling. And Aciman knows that feeling well, very well in fact. His writing is so sensuous, frank and sexy. No fantasy is left untold and there is a strong air of nostalgia and longing throughout the novel.
And even though Paul, the protagonist, experiences a myriad of emotions through his different affairs I felt that there was a void in him that couldn't be filled. Not by anyone, not in any way. This made the book so incredibly sad that even though the prose deserves it, I know I could never bring myself to re-read it.