Andre Aciman and his ability to make you travel countries and time is incredible.
I'm a big lover of Call me by your name and I enjoyed three novels from Room on the sea.

The gentleman from Peru was my favorite out of three. I wasn't expecting it to have some magical/fantasy moments included, but I loved it.
Room on the sea was beautiful and heartwarming, while Mariana felt way too relatable and real.

Thank you NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for a chance to read this book.

No one writes about longing like André Aciman does. Each subsequent work since Call Me by Your Name I’ve picked up on day one of release. Even if I’m torn on the final product, there is always something to glean: a particularly cutting observation, a clean and beautiful sentence, a—what would be on the surface—throwaway line of dialogue that sticks with you instead.

Unfortunately, Room on the Sea is very much a mixed bag. Each novella comes with its own strengths and weaknesses.

The Gentleman from Peru is the first of the bunch, and by far the strongest. Its blend of magical realism, mystery, and blistering humor—treading a love story of past lives, tangential paths, and what-ifs—is both intriguing and concise. As its own short story it would be fantastic.

Room on the Sea, ironically the novella from which the main title of this collection stems, is where the real issues emerge. The two titular characters' voices are not distinct enough from Aciman's own prose, and it's difficult to tell where the author's own reflections begin and theirs end; no matter how beautifully written.

Mariana was… difficult to get through. The concept is not difficult to grasp, nor it's origin. But it was endlessly plodding, the brilliant sheen of the first two entries in this collection entirely absent.

All in all, an incredibly strong beginning... with a limp to the finish line.

(Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for allowing me the opportunity to preview this title before its release.)

Room on the Sea Is a collection of novellas from Call Me By Your Name author, Andre Aciman. Three stories about love and longing.

The first, The Gentleman From Peru, is about a mysterious man blessed with foresight, who impresses and befriends a group of Americans whilst vacationing in Italy. The second, Room On The Sea, is about potential jurors who strike up an instant friendship whilst waiting to be impaneled. The Third, Mariana, is a reimagining of a story told in the Portuguese Letters of a Portuguese nun who falls in love and is discarded by a French officer. From the perspective of a postgraduate student, Mariana tells of her turbulent and unsatisfying relationship with another student.

All stories have a post modern, ethereal feel to them. In the first two I found the speech direct and somewhat disjointed, whilst the narrator is a stream of consciousness that changes throughout. There is a romanticism and intensity to all of them, which people will either love or hate. Whilst I was reading it, it weirdly reminded me of Sally Rooney’s work so I can imagine fans of her books enjoying them.

I read stories quite quickly and found them quite heavy and samey when read together. I loved The Gentleman From Peru and the particular bitter-sweet tone of it, which I think also features in the Room On The Sea. Though, I would say it took me a while to get into it.

I found the Room On The Sea and Mariana a bit more contrived. I found the relationship between Paul and Catherine in Room On The Sea intense and weird, especially seeing as she is supposed to be a psychologist.

Mariana I found unhinged. I think the whole point is that the intensity of her feelings for the man she is sleeping with is reflected in her narrative but I found her somewhat frustrating.

Aciman himself draws parallels between Mariana’s story and his other work Call Me By Your Name. I think the tone and style are similar so I think fans of the book will enjoy these stories.

Lush, wistful, and deeply human, these novellas are a masterclass in longing and emotional nuance. Aciman captures the ache of love and memory with hypnotic beauty—every page is a sigh.

It’s always tough to rate a collection of stories, or multiple stories in one book. Overall, I really enjoyed Aciman’s writing and the elegant way he crafts characters. The relationship and love between people was also, as expected, beautifully explored and layered. I think my favorite of the stories was the titular one.

Andre Aciman kinda one of the best in writing romance stories not only because of how gorgeous and swoony his prose gets, but also because, and probably more importantly, he’s so unafraid to show just how painful and selfish and ultimately amoral love is.

This is a collection of three novellas, unmistakably written by Andre Aciman.

Set in an Italian hotel, the first follows an older gentleman who meets a group of younger holidaymakers. In classic Andre Aciman style, it really transports you to the area, like you're watching a hazy, indie film or dream unfold as you read it. There's also almost a touch of magical realism to it,

The second was my personal favourite. Now in New York, it follows an older (newly retired/end of career, respectively) man and woman who meet while on a jury pool. They bond over Chinese food and Naples and art. I loved the descriptions of food and drink, their reminiscences of life with their current partners, the thought of what could be or have been. This is exactly up my street, and I felt like it was a perfectly formed story.

For me, it was a shame it ended on Mariana as this was my least favourite. It's almost like the inner monologue of a woman recovering from heartbreak, often talking to her ex. It was a little too claustrophobic and stream-of-consciousness for me, but still 'not my favourite' Andre Aciman is better than most authors.

This was a solid 4.5/5 for the first two for me, but sadly the last story brought it down a little. I'd still fully recommend it to any fans of short stories, the author and hazy, wistful writing.

Room on the Sea is a beautifully written collection of three novellas: The Gentleman from Peru, Room on the Sea, and Mariana. As always in collections, you are drawn more to one than another.

For me, Room on the Sea was absolute perfection as it explores loneliness, love, connection, and missed opportunities between a man and a woman in their mid to late sixties. Paul and Catherine were such believable characters; I know I will think of them often in the years to come. Aciman can also bring a setting to life, and he definitely brought New York to life in this novella.

One also feels the intense heat and humidity of the Amalfi Coast in The Gentleman from Peru. I really enjoyed this oddly metaphysical tale, which raised some fascinating ideas and seemed much more the setting and the plot than the characters.. I love the ideas of The Gentleman from Peru and found it layered beautifully with Room on the Sea, with both exploring when people meet each other in their lives.

The third novella, Mariana, seemed jarring in this collection. While it, too, was beautifully written, it was so different from the other two novellas that I didn't feel it fit. I grew tired of Mariana's narration of her pain from being jilted by her lover, and I never felt that I could connect with her. It felt disconnected from the reader and bizarrely antiquated in its modern setting. Aciman's afterword did make me appreciate it more as I learned it was a modern retelling of a seventeenth-century novel about a love affair between a nun and a seducing aristocrat.

That said, I really loved this book, especially Room on the Sea. Faber & Faber Ltd published Room on the Sea as a standalone novella, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux will publish it on 24 June as this collection of three novellas. Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC.

Another book where Aciman makes you fall in love with a sordid affair. And did I eat this one up? Yes, I did.
4.25

What draws me to Aciman over and over again is his ability to capture the playfulness of intimacy, particularly in emerging relationships. I'm a sucker for his romances because he situates them in the early stages, when anything is possible. These three novellas are, if nothing else, about potentialities and imagined alternatives.

"The Gentleman from Peru" absolutely broke my heart when I realized what was happening. An enigmatic healer approaches a group of Americans at a resort and forever changes the most stubborn among them. "Room on the Sea" starts as an innocuous flirtation among potential jurors but reveals something much deeper about how we reflect on our relationships, choices and desires as we age. "Mariana," a retelling of Letters of a Portuguese Nun, captures the vulnerability we experience after having loved and lost.

Thank you to NetGalley and FSG for the e-arc.

Once again Aciman shows he is the master of love. He brokes our hearts at every turn and we love him for it!

I was not aware that this was previously published when I requested this title. I had listened to this on audio several years ago! No new rating for my social platforms (Goodreads and Storygraph).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

A collection of three of Andre Aciman's short stories all with love as the central theme.

I loved the three stories as Aciman's writing is engaging and so beautifully written when looking at the small and large details of love. I really enjoyed this collection and now want to read more of his novels.

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

Atmospheric and warm, this books transports you to New York and into the characters lives. You really feel like you're there watching these two strangers meet and ponder over big questions of happiness, friendship, relationships, careers, and time.
It was a rather charming book where not a lot happens, yet I loved the pace of the story. reading it was like taking a slow stroll on a warm night.

Messy love, missed chances, and what-ifs. Aciman’s writing feels like memories you almost forgot you had. Some parts dragged a little for me, but overall it hit so hard. If you love emotional, bittersweet vibes, you’ll totally get it.

I've read a few of Aciman's novels and this is my first time diving into any of his work with short stories/novellas. Room on the Sea is another winner for me and I'll be returning for another read at some point.

Each story has its own intoxicating atmosphere that is established with alarming fluidity. In The Gentleman from Peru I immediately felt the tension of an overwhelming social situation. You're thrown in with a number of names and faces, ill-defined but each of them still so three dimensional, and as clarity comes to the conversation the names grow fewer and you're allowed to remain focused on the most interesting conversation in the room.

Similarly, while I've never had jury duty in Manhattan, I understood the hushed and oppressive atmosphere of the courthouse and the joy of being released. The heightened nature of imagining yourself anywhere else lending itself to setting the scene for everything to follow.

And in Mariana, the feeling of wanting to hide because I've navigated those feelings before. Maybe not the exact same feelings, but the back and forth of reconciling how you wanted, maybe even needed a situation to be, with its reality.

Aciman always takes me somewhere. These stories each transport me not to a specific location but to an emotion. Through these stories, I felt like I'd glimpsed into three lives I want to know more about. I'd happily go back to the Room on the Sea.

These short fictions made me stare at the wall for minutes. I could not get over the obsession and the resounding regret in these stories. The beautiful and lyrical prose that is a signature of Aciman is still present in this book. Mariana and Room on the Sea's writing kind of remind me of Philippe Besson's Lie With Me.

This book contains three novellas: Room on the Sea, The Gentleman from Peru, and Mariana. Each deals with relationships and love in different ways. Room on the Sea, my favourite of the three, follows a middle-aged man and woman who meet on jury duty and instantly find a connection. The story follows them on the five days of jury duty and is very sweet, melancholic, and endearing. The Gentleman from Peru focuses on a group of friends who meet an older gentleman and have an interesting conversation that leads. I did not love the shift in tone from what felt like a teacher/student relationship to a romantic one, however, I appreciate the need for it as the story explores the idea of alternate selves. And lastly, Mariana is a story of obsession, which I hate anything to do with obsession, so this wasn't my cup of tea. Overall, three solid short stories that anyone can appreciate.


Thank you, NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux, for the ARC!!

There has been some relative confusion between two editions of Room on the Sea. Faber & Faber Ltd published the novella as a standalone, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux will publish it on 24 June as a collection of three novellas. These novellas explore overlapping themes of love, regrets, and “André Aciman’s never-ending love for Italy”. I thoroughly enjoyed The Gentleman From Peru and Room on the Sea. Mariana, although equally exquisitely written, was lukewarm, and I did not care much for the story.

The Gentleman from Peru—4 stars—unfolds with the arrival of a group of American friends who, after their boat breaks down, find themselves stranded on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Revelling in the luxurious hotel, with all expenses paid while waiting for the boat’s repair, the group notices a quiet and solitary sexagenarian man, who eventually approaches them, placing a hand on the bruised shoulder of one of the men. Then, no pain. Their meeting, foreboding and mysterious—who is he?

Aciman’s writing always transports me into a noir screenplay, with bourgeois cafés and lush love. The Gentleman From Peru explores themes of ageism, love, and spirituality. It is a poignant story of lost love, time, and loneliness, to be pondered and revisited—just like having afternoon tea with your grandma on a hot sunny day.

More details on: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Room on the Sea—4 stars—opens up against the backdrop of New York's scorching summer, as Paul and Catherine, alongside a hundred others, await jury selection. During the span of a week, these two strangers, entrapped in a universe of their own, are constantly reminded of the strings pulling them in opposite directions. The story offers a mature and thought-provoking exploration of the yearnings between two near-retirement adults—a seemingly accomplished life, where the unspoken words simmer beneath the surface, carrying more weight than what’s spoken.

Aciman's prose oozes sensuality, maturity, and love, with opposing subtlety and honesty. The character development, as expected from Aciman, is well-crafted; Paul and Catherine—both flawed and achingly human—are compelling characters. Their internal monologues, conversations, and banter—filled with desire, guilt, and possibilities—are the heart of the novel. The book delves into the complexities of human relationships, where unspoken words and desires occupy the veiled meaning between the lines. Aciman's ability to capture these nuances is remarkable. He creates an atmosphere of quiet urging, where every glance and every word carries weight, often coded. Room on the Sea was by far my favourite of the three.

Mariana—3 stars, the last and shortest of the three novellas, tells the story of an independent, intelligent woman who spirals into destructive and obsessive behaviour over Itamar, a toxic yet charming man. This story is a psychological exploration of a woman’s obsession disguised as “love” after being ghosted. The characters are complex and will likely resonate with many readers—though it wasn’t my personal favourite.

Ultimately, Room on the Sea: Three Novellas offers thought-provoking stories that demand to be savoured and reflected upon long after finishing. It's a testament to Aciman's ability to create a world from our everyday lives that is both beautiful and melancholic. I wholeheartedly recommend ANY of his novels to readers who appreciate exquisite prose, rich dialogues and reflections that explore the depths of human emotion and the elusive nature of life's choices.

Recommended reading!

Thank you, André Aciman and Publishers, for the review copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5, rounded up.

I already reviewed the first novella, The Gentleman from Peru, to which I gave 4-stars, so instead of cut & pasting, will just link to that here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

The second titular novella I really did not care for and would have given that only 2.5 stars. It seemed both overwritten and way too long. It concerns two late sixty-year-olds: Paul, a lawyer; and Catherine, a shrink - longtime married to others, who 'meet cute' while waiting to be impaneled for jury-duty, who then strike up a friendship which turns non-platonic, and them dithering what to do about that for a week. They act like romance addled teenagers, which I found unattractive, and I thought it was over as I hit each of the three final chapters, only to woefully discover it wasn't.

The third novella, 'Mariana', I actually thought the most interesting of the three - perhaps because it was the shortest and didn't wear out its welcome - I would give that one 4.5-stars. Aciman loosely based it on the 1669 The Portuguese Letters but setting it contemporaneously. Like the original, it concerns a young woman who cannot seem to forget or let go of a brief affair with a caddish man.

My thanks to the author, Netgalley and FS&G for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.