3,5*

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Wow, Andre Aciman, the writer you are. While I was only in love with the second story, all stories show the talent that Aciman possesses. His use of complicated words, but doesn't come across as wanting to show-off, and the way he writes obsession, longing and general human emotion is so well done. I already knew this about him, Call Me By Your Name being my favourite book of all time, but it's nice to see that he isn't a one-trick pony.

The first story (The Gentleman of Peru) was interesting, but in general I have no interest in the supernatural, so it did not resonate with me.
The second story (Room on the Sea) is a new favourite of mine. The romance being so pure and I love it when a story is focussed on older people who want to reclaim their lives.
The last story (Mariana) was well-written but did not grip me... While it is the shortest of the collection, it felt like the longest. Maybe I'm just a little too tired. I skipped about 4 or 5 pages and still did not really miss any information. I think the themes of the story are repetitive for a reason, but that made reading it a less pleasant experience. Reading his explanation of the story afterwards did make me appreciate the story more.

Room on the Sea by André Aciman is a lyrical and atmospheric novel that captures the beauty of desire, memory, and fleeting moments of intimacy. Aciman’s prose is elegant and immersive, evoking the sensual landscapes and emotional undercurrents that define his storytelling. The novel explores how longing and connection can shape our lives, often lingering in memory long after the moment has passed. While the plot unfolds gently, the richness lies in its introspection and emotional resonance. Readers who enjoy reflective, character-driven narratives with poetic language will find Room on the Sea a moving and beautifully crafted work.

“Her blunt reply was unforgettable. I don’t know how to apologize.”
I haven’t read Call Me By Your Name, so I stepped into Aciman’s new collection with no set expectations. But my affection for short stories and novellas — paired with the striking themes and the promise of varied settings — drew me in instantly.
And I was not disappointed. Not in the slightest. What Aciman offers here is prose that shimmers between intimacy and ache, love imagined in forms both luminous and unsettling.
The Man from Peru: An enigmatic elderly gentleman attracts the attention of a group of young Americans. His mysticism wins them over — even the icy Margot, who emerges as the true heart of the story.
I admit I approached this with extreme scepticism. At first, Raúl’s philosophical overreach and a tedious, Coelho-style mysticism (which I abhor) felt unbearable, and the Amalfi Coast setting struck me as little more than a gimmick for atmosphere.
But everything turned the moment Raúl began to narrate the story-within-the-story. Suddenly the prose revealed a sensuality that was charged and haunting, erotic without ever being explicit. The “enemies-to-lovers” trope was given rare justice — tension giving way to surrender. Love, loss, grief, devotion, a bond that transcends time itself: all rendered in piercing, unforgettable language.
It is, simply, a masterpiece of the short story, down to the Heathcliff-like tone Raúl uses to shape his ode to love.
“Catherine and Heathcliff had very little time too. What would they think,” she asked, trying to make light of what she'd just said.

“They had the afterlife and an indelible past”

Room on the Sea:Catherine and Paul are two strangers in their sixties who meet while serving jury duty during a sweltering August in Manhattan. Reflective, self-conscious, astute, they slip into an unexpected bond through witty exchanges, shared lunches, and memories of life — all anchored by the imagined image of a room in Naples.
What happens when intimacy becomes possible? When openness, courage, and mutual respect create the backdrop for a serendipity neither dared hope for?
It is impossible not to melt at the sincerity and calm between them — the what-ifs, the Italian elegance conjured in the haze of New York’s summer. A tender story of possibility, luminous in its restraint, crowned by a perfect ending.

“I hate Sunday afternoons, especially in early winter, now that I've shut my window and sit here watching the light start to fade over the water. I hate how I've let you turn my life into a dreary, sunless Sunday that begs for twilight.”

Mariana:This is the darkest of the three novellas: a letter written by an obsessed woman to a worthless scoundrel she convinces herself she loves. Written in haunting, feverish language — sexually charged yet hollow — it is almost embarrassing to read when faced with her relentless confessions.
She clings to the illusion of passion, stripping herself of every shred of dignity. Lust blinds her judgment as she throws herself into degradation, trapped in a pitiful state of permanent arousal.
And for what? A few months of rough sex? The premise is absurd, laughable — impossible for any sane reader to understand, sympathize with, or condone. There is no redemption here, only the unsettling spectacle of a woman degrading herself beyond repair.
If you are a woman: never be a Mariana. Ever. She is a disgrace to our sex.
Though Room on the Sea is a masterful collection — two novellas that reach rare heights of beauty, intimacy, and resonance — the third, Mariana, left me unconvinced. Exquisite prose cannot disguise the degradation at its core, and I cannot condone mistaking obsession for love. Were it not for that final story, this would be a flawless five-star work. As it stands, I give it 4.5 stars: luminous, unforgettable, and deeply worth reading, though not without shadows.

Many thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/

Seeing this book published was a pleasant surprise, having read 2/3 of the novellas it contains already. However, I’m definitely not mad about it! Acomam is my favourite author, and his prose is fantastic. The three novellas sit together quite nicely side-by-side. I do think Room on The Sea needed to be a bit longer, in order of the audience to keep up with the speed at which their feelings progressed.

This is the first time I have tried to read Aciman after having so many people tell me how much they love his work (esp Call Me By Your Name). Obviously I missed something somewhere along the way.

This book is three previously published novellas - they are romantic, nostalgic and I’m going to say it, trite. Clearly I am not his target reader. I started all three but was unable to finish any of them. But I see there are plenty of 3, 4 & 5 star reviews from readers who do appreciate this type of storytelling.

From what I can see Aciman writes pure romance, now I know. Not for me, but if you love being swept away by romantic idealism then this could be for you.

Aciman’s three novellas are about reincarnated lovers, new lovers, and former lovers, respectively. In other words, the persistent centralized theme about some variation of idyllic, blissful, “there’s-one-in-this-world-for-me-and-it’s-you” love will perhaps resonate better for those interested in this idea. Personally, I could do with a smaller dose of the romantic storylines if they lack some nostalgic, unrequited quality. I wonder if this preference might change with age. Aciman’s older characters, particularly in the first and second stories, re-find love, and this reminds me of the flood of books that’ve come out in more recent years that give voice to mommy guilt and extramarital affairs (I have in mind July’s All Fours and co.). In a similar way that contemporary books shine a light on post-menopausal women’s lives, essentially arguing that women matter, Aciman pushes back against coasting through the mundane, familiar estrangement and underscores the need for a romance that values partnership and adventure, even for seasoned adults.

My thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for an ARC. I shared this review on GoodReads on July 27, 2025 (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7776777357).

This book is a collection of three novellas: “The Gentleman from Peru,” “Room on the Sea,” and “Mariana.” I have had my eyes on the first two for some time and was so excited to finally read them this summer. I have, of course, read “Call Me By Your Name” and it is one of my absolute favorite books, so I had high hopes for this collection. “The Gentleman from Peru” had me hooked immediately. The ending felt a bit rushed but it is an intriguing and atmospheric story about soulmates, mysteries, and what-ifs. The second story, “Room on the Sea,” was my favorite and I wish it had been longer. I think there are beautiful and romantic moments interspersed throughout. However, it did seem to drag on at times. I found the characters enjoyable and charismatic. I didn’t enjoy “Mariana" as much as the first two and struggled to get through the pages. It is a story about despair, desire, jealously, and passion.

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Room on the Sea is a beautiful collection of novellas. They share a central theme, but the overall stories are so different from one another. I especially loved the twist in "The Gentleman from Peru."

these short stories are low plot, so you're really reading it for the prose. the stories kind of blended into each other / not that distinctive.

3/5. I really enjoyed this book as a new reader of Andre Aciman, until the third story. It was thoughtful and felt truthful, but man, did it feel tedious. If you love rich language and lots of detail, this is more your style.

Rating edit: 3.5 stars.

‘Room on the Sea’ by Andre Aciman is a collection of three novellas

‘The Gentleman from Peru’. It was such a unique and mysterious love story; unrealistic yet beautiful. I loved it, though it filled me with a sense of loss. It should have been a novel, as I wanted to know more but maybe that lingering feeling was the beauty of it.

‘Room on the Sea’: The first story piqued my interest and expectations, however this one turned out to be a little monotonous. Maybe, because it was very similar to a movie called Brief Encounter that I watched recently. Perhaps, I would have liked the story more if I hadn't watched the movie.

Mariana: This one is a beautifully written soliloquy. It's about a woman deeply in love with a man who has abandoned her. I won't call it entertaining, but it was a good, poignant read.

Thank you, Netgalley.

This book was so magically written and struck me like no other. I found myself rereading these stories over and over and each time I was captivated from start to finish.

Not my favorite of Aciman’s books. That would be his first, the autobiographical Out of Egypt.
I’ve enjoyed others too, for the elegance of the writing and the commitment of the narration. Here, there was elegance and stylishness, but a kind of suffocating romanticism in the first two stories and a devotion to obsession in the third that frankly wore me out. I’ll carry on being a fan but will hope for something stronger and less indulgent next time round.

Since Room on the Sea is a short story collection, I feel it is a bit difficult to rate the book as whole. In my case, I really disliked the last story so it just left this terrible taste in my mouth, souring the entire reading experience. Ultimately, this is a book about love, in its most all-consuming, romantic and sometimes a bit obnoxious way. I have to admit I am a bit of a "tough crowd" for this type of story, I do love love stories, but I am not a "romance" fan for the most part.
Although these stories are quite well written, I didn't feel like they were realized to their full potential. The first story in particular was quite intriguing at the start and then the conclusion felt quite rushed and the actual reveal to the mystery didn't have the impact it might have had in a complete novel where we felt like we actually knew the characters and the tragedy of it all would feel meaningful.
The second story was definitely my favorite, the dialogue and the circumstances all felt real and there was genuine chemistry that built up gradually between the leads of the story, but it genuinely feels like it just ends, there could have been an entire book written after that.
The last one was really a chore for me, after reading the afterword the intentions made sense, but it wasn't enough to forget the struggle. It might be personal bias, but I have listened to too many people in my life complain about not being loved back and it is exhausting. It is true to life, but I was hoping for something more insightful or at least some subversion, but I never got it.
Overall, this is a book that I would only recommend to massive André Aciman fans or readers that just can't resist a love story.

This book is a collection of three novellas together and each story is good in it's own way and i loved this book. it was delightful

In a triptych of novellas, Aciman presents tales of romance and yearning. In the initial story, the titular gentleman from Peru, Raul, is observed by a group of thirty-something Americans stranded at a hotel on the Amalfi Coast as they wait for their boat to be repaired. Raul is in his early sixties, well-dressed, and keeping to himself, until one evening he approaches the group’s table and, without any introduction, lays his hand on Mark’s right shoulder. Immediately, the pain that had been crippling Mark for days disappeared. Raúl charms the Americans with his psychic abilities, correctly guessing their birth months, revealing a secret unrequited love between two of them, warning Malcolm, who had to stay behind although he financed the trip, to resist any last-minute transactions before the markets closed that day, and revealing to Oscar where he could collect an inheritance that would change his life. Margot, however, believes the whole thing is “one big hoax” and dismisses Raul as “the hotel magician, hustler, and con artist who comes with breakfast, free Wi-Fi, and cable TV,” until Raul reveals to her a past life and a fiery passion that she had not recalled.

In the title story, two sixty-something individuals, Paul Wadsworth and Catherine Shukoff, are in a jury assembly room in Manhattan, when they strike up a casual conversation about the book she is reading. Paul is a retired attorney and Catherine is a practicing psychotherapist. Over the course of the week, Paul and Catherine have lunch at a Chinese restaurant, enjoy coffee and pastries served in a cafe by a barista from Naples, return to an art gallery where they both favor a particular painting, and have pointed discussions as they walk on the High Line. Katherine sums up their easy intimacy: “we’re just two ordinary, lonely people who happen to be married and at this point may not want the furniture moved around too much.” Paul disagrees: “we’ve been happier and more thrilled to meet than I’ve been in a very long time. It’s been years since I’ve felt as welcomed to be who I am or feel as interesting as I have been these past few days. I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be with someone who is eager to laugh with me, to know what I like, what I think, and with whom I’m dying to speak every day.” The question is whether their relationship will have a life beyond jury duty.

In the final story, “Mariana,” the young narrator is seething after having been abandoned after an intense, brief affair. Mariana knew that her lover was a liar and a womanizer, but he awakened in her a newly discovered passion: “It’s me I miss,” she writes to him, “the me I didn’t know existed” Aciman explores universal themes of love — realized, unrequited or fleeting -- longing, regret and aging. In beautiful prose, Aciman depicts the life-changing impact of love in these exquisite novellas. Thank you Farrar Straus and Giroux and Net Galley for an advance copy of these beguiling tales of love.

I will start with what I did enjoy. The references to Greek tragedies, the dreamy atmosphere, and a few interesting ideas in the background.

I picked this up thinking it was a brand-new release, but at least one third, if not more, seems to have been published separately before. That was something I had not realised going in.

Who might enjoy this book? I think fans of Call Me by Your Name would likely appreciate it. The writing can be aesthetically pleasing in places. It is not aiming for high-brow literature, which is perfectly fine. Sometimes you just want something more digestible that still plays with complex themes. If that is what you are looking for, this could be a good pick.

For me, though, I am coming to realise that Aciman is not the author for me. This is the second of his books I have rated on the lower side. The romance in the first novella left me feeling a bit uncomfortable, and I found it hard to shake that feeling through the second and third novellas.

I’m a huge fan of Andre’s. I loved his novels Call Me By Your Name, and Find Me.

What I admire about Aciman’s work is that he can take the most boring and mundane people,, and weave their lives into a long poem that resonates with so many people!

In Room on the Sea, it is a collection of three novellas. While not explicitly stated, I think the major themes are love, and the grief of loving someone.

In the first novellas, Gentleman from Peru, we are taken on a journey where a mysterious older man somehow can predict various aspects of each of the members of a young American group on vacation/holiday. The gentleman focuses mostly on one of the women in the group, who continuously is rude to him, and tries to discredit all things he predicts. But, much to her dismay, he continues to prove her wrong.

What happens next is only something I would say to read this story, then for me to tell you. It was beautiful, sad, poetic, visceral all at the same time. This was my favorite of the three stories, and I hope in time Andre can expand it to a larger piece of work! Mysterious, funny, introspective, romance that was always just beyond reach with a pairing of deja-vu, and reincarnation. I want more!

Aciman has this skill to portray everyday people in a lens that keeps you captivated, while the entire time you think anyone else and this would be boring. His portrayal of two beings finding love again even though they’re both married—an affair has never been portrayed so innocently or so excusably before. The complexities of human emotions and their connections to one another are so wonderfully explained in this novella.

Marianna’s story was the final tale to be told. At first I didn’t like this one. Not because it wasn’t great, but because it was so surreal. I realized because I have lived this before. You have lived this before. We have all lived this before. Who amongst us hasn’t loved another and it not be reciprocated. Or it hasn’t been returned in the way we wanted or needed? Filled with desire, lust, inhibitions, freedom, confusion, jealousy, stalking, domestic abuse and more, all of the variations to the human character.

This book was on my summer reading list, and it's the perfect complement for the deep contemplation and reflection summer offers.

In Room on the Sea, André Aciman returns to familiar territory—chance encounters, emotional affairs, and the ache of “what if”—but this time, in a trio of novellas that examine love, regret, and longing through the lens of late adulthood. As expected, his prose is elegant and sensual, but the emotional terrain he traverses is even more poignant here, shaded by the knowledge that time is no longer limitless.

The centerpiece of the collection—and, in my view, the emotional anchor—is the titular novella, “Room on the Sea,” which follows Paul and Catherine, two strangers in their sixties who meet during jury duty and explore the possibility of a different life. Their interactions are subtle and intimate, charged with the quiet urgency of two people who are both settled and restless, content and starved. This story could have been a novel in its own right; it was such a powerful story of desire, routine, and the yearning to feel alive again, especially after years in marriages that have grown too comfortable. As a newlywed, I found it both a cautionary tale and a call to action: to keep love thrilling, pay attention, and not let intimacy become inertia.

I think these two would make the perfect Paul and Catherine, if this was to be adapted into a film. Maybe I missed my calling as a casting agent.

“The Gentleman from Peru,” the first novella, introduces a mysterious older man who enchants a younger woman . While the premise is intriguing and plays into Aciman’s signature themes—age-gap romance, hidden pasts, unfulfilled desires—it feels underdeveloped, almost like a sketch of a larger story. I wanted more time in that world, more psychological depth. The story ends away before we can fully grasp it.

The final piece, “Mariana,” is sweet and quietly devastating. It centers on youthful obsession and the tender pain of unreciprocated love. While it captures the vulnerability of the first heartbreak, it lacks the dynamism of the earlier novellas and feels more like a reflective coda than a climax.

This is all to say, I’d highly recommend picking up Room on the Sea. The beautiful prose - the nostalgia it stirs and the longing it provokes —are as vivid as ever. He writes love as it exists in memory: elusive, idealized, and tinged with melancholy. But the true brilliance of Room on the Sea lies in its middle: Paul and Catherine’s story lingers like a possibility not taken, urging us to examine the lives we lead and the ones we dare only to imagine.

Three shorts stories by the man that soaks his words into wine and pours over you like honey. Thank you so much for this summer read.

Thank you NetGalley and Faber & Faber for the arc!