I went into this one with the wrong mindset, and the wrong expectations. I read the blurbs from some of my favorite authors comparing this to “Call Me By Your Name”, and allowed myself to expect the same quality, the same experience, and the same portrayal of desire. That was my mistake.

Don’t get me wrong, this is damned good. Besson beautifully depicts young love, exploration of a forbidden lust, and, of course, desire. He just does so in a manner unlike Andre Aciman. The pain, and longing are as palpable in the story of Philippe and Thomas. That the boys entered into their relationship, and their exploration fully aware of the limitations is impressively mature.

Where Besson differs from Aciman is his brevity. He uses fewer words to tell his story, allowing the reader to fill in the empty space themself. Aciman gives much more detail and fills the pages with more weight. It’s not to say one manner is better than the other; they both accomplish similar feats laying bare the desire, yearning, and loneliness that can come with love. Just like Elio, Philippe wants what his partner is unable to provide. I’m sure we can all relate to that in some way. I went in with undue expectation, but left sated.