Andre Aciman has always been a bit hit-and-miss for me. Much like the rest of the world, I absolutely adored the sumptuous, sun-dappled intensity of Call Me By Your Name. But I was sadly disappointed by Find Me. I really enjoyed his collection Enigma Variations, but struggled to enter the world of Eight White Nights.

Unfortunately, I found myself once again underwhelmed by The Gentleman From Peru. I found it a little rambling, with grating characters and far too much aimless pontificating. Thankfully, Aciman characteristically excels at scene-setting, and it's no doubt a decent means of escapism. Not terrible, but certainly a far cry from his more heartfelt masterworks.

The Gentleman From Peru is a novella by Egyptian-born American memoirist, essayist, novelist, and scholar of seventeenth-century literature, André Aciman. A group of eight Americans in their late twenties are stranded in on the Amalfi coast when their hired vessel develops mechanical problems. They’re enjoying free accommodation in a hotel, and their people-watching notes a dapper, bespectacled gentleman in his sixties, armed with notebook and fountain pen, about whose background they make guesses.

When Raúl approaches Mark, it’s to relieve the young man’s distressing shoulder pain. His healing touch amazes, but that is eclipsed by what he seems to know about each of the friends, facts that some don’t even know themselves. He is invited to join them, and happily chats about himself when asked, but his knowledge about each of them leads to a philosophical discussion that includes the concept of past lives, future lives and parallel universes.

“We may no longer be the person we once were, but what if this person did not necessarily die but continued his life in the shadowland of our own, so that you could say that our life is filled with shadow-selves who continue to tug along and to beckon us in all directions even as we live our own lives– all these selves clamouring to have their say, their time, their life, if only we listened and gave in to them!”

One of their number, Margot is a little irritated, and perhaps more sceptical about Raúl’s intentions than the others. Is that why he focusses on her? Is that why he invites her to lunch, and convinces her to accompany him to see certain places off the tourist trail? What might his agenda be?

In less that two hundred pages, Aciman gives the reader characters with depth and appeal, evokes his setting with gorgeous descriptive prose, and crafts a plot that is intriguing, moving and thought-provoking. An entrancing read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Faber & Faber.

A short novel, perfect for fans of the Amalfi Coast? Absolutely sign me up. I enjoyed the writing style and found it an interesting reflection on the characters. Not my favourite of Aciman but definitely one to pick up for a beach trip!

Keenly Observed..
A luxurious hotel on the Italian Amalfi Coast, a group of marooned friends and a mysterious stranger. Who exactly is the enigmatic and alluring man who takes to the veranda alone to smoke? When the group decide to invite him into their fold they have no idea what potentially life changing events will transpire. Amidst a well imagined sun baked and wholly atmospheric setting comes a deeply moving, lush and affecting tale of life, love, regret and loss. Beautifully written and keenly observed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

A story of many friends, who, while vacationing together, encounter an older man at their hotel, who knows far more than he should, indeed far more than he possible could, and possesses a gift unlike any other they have known.

I’ve always loved the story of the mysterious stranger, of the person who happens to be where they are for the time they need to be there, and this novella explores that with wit and sagacity, building an intriguing premise with the other characters of the story before settling down to weave the cloth of the story whole with only two of them.

If I give details to the story, then I will give away the delicate magic woven here, I am a writer of some thirty years experience, but rarely have I seen words crafted in such a way to bring the longing for life that all of us possess to such vivid realisation.

By the end of the book, a glimmer of a tear brimmed upon my eye, and while I am stoic in my nature, I was moved by the beauty of the prose.

This was superb, if there were a sixth star, I would give it.

This is a atmospheric short novella from Andre Aciman with elements of magical realism set in the beautiful location of the Italian Amalfi coast. In what is my first taste of this author, a large group of American friends unexpectedly end up stranded in a up market hotel as their vessel is in the process of being mended. They find themselves intrigued by one of the guests, a suave older man with his own particular gifts, the eponymous Raul, leading to a surprising healing experience which cannot help but ensnare their interest. How on earth does he know so much about them? This is a well written tale of the past, love, and reincarnation. A wonderfully appealing and engaging read that I recommend. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

A short novel about a group of friends holidaying on the Amalfi coast meet an older gentleman holiday maker and what transpires is an epic and timeless love story.

I had never read any of Andre Aciman's work before and I was not disappointed. Although this was a short novel it was beautifully written and the story was unexpected. I loved he writing and the book left me with such a bittersweet feeling that left me thinking about the book long after I'd finished it. A must read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the noel in exchange for an honest review

Whilst holidaying on the Amalfi Coast, ten American friends notice a mysterious older gentleman who also dines each evening at the same hotel. A chance encounter brings them together, and in particular him and Margot strike up an unusual bond. Together Margot and the mysterious Raúl revisit the landmarks of his past as he reveals to her a magnificent love story that defies time and space.

I was absolutely captivated by this tale. Just like Call Me By Your Name, the setting is beautifully-drawn, the language is rich, and the narrative poignant. Though only small in length, this story encompasses powerful themes of lost love, loneliness, and reincarnation. André Aciman never fails to capture and communicate both the beauty and tragedy of the human experience. And for that, I highly recommend this novella!

Thank you to the publishers for the ARC of this book!

I will admit that I have yet to read this author's most well known piece of fiction, Call Me By Your Name, although I have seen and enjoyed the movie. So I was going into this book pretty blind and not knowing what to expect in terms of writing style etc. I enjoyed the story as a whole, but it felt quite underwhelming and like there was room for more to be told. Perhaps this would be better as a novel instead of a short story/novella? I also felt like a lot of the time nothing was really happening and overall, for me, it was just lacking oomph.

I often enjoy novellas because it takes a lot of skill to deliver a good story in a short time. I wasn't sure where this would go after reading the blurb and was pleasantly surprised. It was a refreshing concept, I liked the mysterious agenda of Raul and how we find out about his past and the connection between him and the group of young Americans. It was sweet and sentimental and I didn't expect to like it as much as I did but it was a wonderful little gem.

“the tiny miracle of life, the tiniest yet most imponderable miracle, is when we stumble on people who see us for who we are and want us just for who we are – and these are the ones we spurn the most, the ones we let into our lives with resentment, scorn and boundless apathy, sometimes even with hatred.”

Brief glimpses of beautiful writing, but largely nonsense a premise that could have / should have been a short story.

"The Gentleman from Peru" is an easy reading experience, skilfully crafted and a thoughtfully written novella.
The story centres around a group of young Americans unexpectedly find themselves stranded on the Amalfi Coast and become increasingly drawn to a mysterious, white-bearded stranger from Peru.

From the author of Call Me By Your Name, this new novella is set in a luxurious hotel on the Amalfi Coast. It opens with a group of young Americans on holiday and stranded while their yacht is repaired.

During their evenings on the hotel terrace, they notice a debonair older man who sits alone. This is Raul, the titular Gentleman, and, when invited to join the friends, he perturbs them with his knowledge of them and their lives.

Raul takes a particular interest in Margot whom he takes on a day trip to a local beach. There, we learn more about Raul and the story slips into magic realism.

I loved the evocation of place and could almost feel the summer heat. Raul was intriguing and enigmatic but I was never quite sure how trustworthy he was. The themes of lost love and yearning stayed with me after finishing - would be a great holiday read for next summer.

A group of young Americans on a trip in Italy end up stranded at a hotel on the Amalfi Coast, after the boat they are on develops unexpected engine trouble. The Americans make the acquaintance of a mysterious fellow guest at the hotel: an elegant, elderly man, who seems to have magical powers and who also appears know a lot about them. This leads to a love story, which is as much of the present, as it is of the past...

Many readers know André Aciman from Call Me By Your Name. I never read that book – or anything else by Aciman, for that matter – except for Abingdon Square, a short story I had come across in a Granta issue many years ago and which has haunted me ever since. I therefore had great expectations for The Gentleman from Peru. Unfortunately, they weren’t really met.

More a novella than a novel, this book is based on an interesting premise with elements of speculative fiction whose full potential, however, I felt remained undeveloped. As a result, the “magical” aspects of the story did not really convince. The protagonist also tended to come across as pompous and sanctimonious. Now, I don’t normally rate a novel on the basis of how “likeable” its characters are, but when a story is based on an unlikely romance, a sometimes-unsufferable lead does not really help matters.

This is a quick and overall enjoyable read with some interesting ideas, but little more than that. I need to look up Abingdon Square again.

https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-gentleman-from-peru-by-andre-aciman.html

"Here's another book by Andre Aciman that might bring back old memories and feelings you haven't thought about in a while. The whole tale unfolds at a fancy hotel on the Amalfi coast, where a bunch of friends find themselves stuck for a while because their boat's engine needs fixing, and it's been a whole decade since they graduated from college." It's a fascinating story that explores some deep questions.

This needed to be a full-length novel! A missed opportunity. The writing is beautiful but it felt very surface level.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for sight of a pre-publication copy of this book.
This short book is really a novella. A light read. Well imagined and well written. A love story based on the premise of re-incarnation and the possession of unusual powers. An interesting idea but not a book to get your teeth into.

A group of young Americans unexpectedly find themselves spending a few days on the Amalfi Coast and become increasingly drawn to their mysterious hotel companion - the titular gentleman from Peru.

The only other book I have read by Andre Aciman is Call Me By Your Name, and I must admit that this has fallen rather short in comparison. It is a novella that would have benefitted from being longer, the short piece is flimsy and insubstantial and there is almost the sense that it is half-finished or rushed. Almost all of the characters other than the two protagonists become practically irrelevant after they are introduced and the narrative quickly focuses on the interactions between Raul, the gentleman, and Margot. Even then, I never really felt that I established an emotional connection with either of them, nor gained any kind of understanding of them and their minds or histories.

Much of the book is entirely dialogue, using conversation to paint the picture of the Italian coast. Slowly, a tale of time and love with a tinge of magical realism unfolds although it is not a tale that covers any particularly new or exciting ground. While there were certainly moments that were quite beautiful, and turns of phrase that deserved attention, this novella felt like a mere shadow of something greater. I imagine that if it were longer and more fleshed out, my rating would be higher, but as it stands this was quite forgettable for me despite its occasionally lyrical and captivating prose.

André Aciman came to widespread fame with Call Me By Your Name; a novel of exquisite beauty and tenderness. The Gentleman From Peru is very much a novella - a fable about love - recurring love - missed love and loneliness.
Raul has a gift - he can cure injuries through touch , he can look into people’s lives and see their past and to some extent their future. When a group of young Americans find themselves in the same hotel as this curious and some what elusive man on the Amalfi coast,they initially joke about the aged loner but through an encounter where he heals an injured shoulder, the relationship between the group and this enigmatic man takes a new path.
They are intrigued and he of them ; in particular Marya. A bond grows between Raul and Marya and she finds herself taken on a journey to a hidden beach and an ancient villa and also into the past - into a story of love unspoken- and where she feels she knows and is aware of her surroundings although not having been there.
Aciman raises the question of unrequited love and lives lived again and again with paths crossing never reaching the point of true love and union as one. This is a curious tale and exudes a form of seduction upon the reader. The question arises do we find the love of our lives or if not do we miss the moment only to have to wait for it in the future in another reincarnation of ourselves.
Aciman’s prose is hypnotic and alluring - a gentle read with hidden depths

The Gentleman from Peru was a quick read (I finished it within 90 minutes), but it's hard to decide how I feel about it. The prose was easy reading and I enjoyed some of the thoughts and sentiments expressed; it was an intellectual piece of writing. However, when it ended, I wondered what the point had been. Most of the characters were extraneous to the plot and could have been left out all together, and even the main two never fully captured my interest in an emotional way. I guess it felt a little flimsy and undeveloped. The only book I have read previously by Aciman is Call Me By Your Name, which I adored. I was hoping for more of the same with this title, but it didn't manage to live up to my expectations sadly. It had some pleasing moments though, and presented some thoughtful ideas, so I am giving it three stars.