The Thing That Confuses Me About This Is... — Find Me Q&A

A Goodreads user asked: The thing that confuses me about this is that Samuel is dead at the end of CMBYN, and Elio and Oliver are seemingly meeting up again for the first time since Elio visited him in the states. Obviously, "Find Me" must take place before Samuel's death, so does it take place in those five years? Do Elio and Oliver meet up at all in "Find Me"? If they do, it seems to go against what happened in the final few pages of CMBYN flag

• 24 likes · like
• 6 years ago
• 10 answers

To answer questions about Find Me, please sign up. Ulrike Pehlgrimm I went to a reading with Aciman last week and I got the impression that the events at the end of CMBYN may not be a strict "this is what happens after that summer" at all. He talked a lot about there being different versions of our lives or parallel lives and he elaborated on this idea of the San Clemente Syndrom (the church that was destroyed and build up again and again). So maybe the end of CMBYN, as we know it now, is one version of how Elio and Oliver's lives could have gone on and in Find Me, we learn a different version of events where the characters may have made different choices to end in different places. flag

• 15 likes · like
• 1 comment
• 6 years ago

View 1 comment Write a comment... Matthew There aren't inconsistencies. FIND ME has four sections, each of which take place after various chunks of time have passed. flag

• 6 likes · like
• 2 comments
• 6 years ago

Christine There are many inconsistencies. Andre has even said himself he doesn't cross-check or fact check, and just writes what he likes. The four sections in There are many inconsistencies. Andre has even said himself he doesn't cross-check or fact check, and just writes what he likes. The four sections in Find Me interlink with the last chapter of CMBYN. Thinking about all the things that don't add up gives me a headache. ...more Nov 04, 2019 02:50AM Marc Aciman always said people made too many assumptions about CMBYN. It's is pretty clear the Sami died in both books. I agree I see no inconsistencies Aciman always said people made too many assumptions about CMBYN. It's is pretty clear the Sami died in both books. I agree I see no inconsistencies ...more Nov 19, 2019 08:05PM Write a comment... Lucas Hárt This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)[Child - why is this so difficult for so many?I am literally stood here wondering if I read the whole thing wrong for a minute - but lets go over what I read.First chapter is around 10 years after Oliver's exit (Elio 27, Oliver 34): in CMBYN Elio's parents call him to tell him Oliver is back, after 9 years - so technically they haven't divorced yet, and Sami says himself that a while after their son left they realized that their marriage was just together for him. We even get a sense of this from Sami, as he speaks to Elio and envies what he had with Oliver.Second chapter is around 15 years after Oliver's exit (Elio 32, Oliver 39): This is when Elio eventually goes to see Oliver at the university, and when he is dating Michel (which he doesn't tell Oliver about at the time, because they break up as soon as Elio leaves for the US, as their relationship has an expiration date set by Michel himself). At this time, Sami is still alive and there is word of a small child, which means that little Ollie is just a toddler, around 2-3 years old. Also, Oliver refrains from asking Elio about his parents as he knows what's happened with them and their divorce (in CMBYN, that is) and doesn't want to bring it up. Third chapter is 20 years after Oliver's exit (Elio 37, Oliver 44): Oliver has finally come to terms with himself and is ready to go back to Elio, not even knowing what he will be greeted with. He is ready to give up everything in order to go back and give it a chance. Little Ollie is 7 years old, and Sami is officially dead at this time (which means he died sometime the last 5 years). Oliver comes back and reunites with Elio.Fourth and final chapter is 20+ years (Elio 37+, Oliver 44+): This is the happily ever after chapter, that gives us a short but resourceful insight to what their lives looked like once Oliver made the right choice for him and Elio, and came back to where he belonged. Not sure how many years pass through this brief chapter, but who cares - it's ending with a bang (literally). Miranda and Annella are both living in the house with Elio, weirdly enough (no mention of the man that Annella left Sami and flew away to Milan for). It is mentioned that Annella is quite weak and can no longer walk up the stairs, and that Miranda has Elio's old room with her son, Ollie, in the connecting room. It is also mentioned that Miranda travels a lot, hence Oliver and Elio raising little Ollie. And that's it, folks! I was kinda upset that this book didn't go deeper into the lost years between Oliver and Elio, but rather focused on their turning points. For instance when Michel tells Elio to go find Oliver because they are meant to be together (which is the first time Elio takes initiative to see/talk to Oliver again after all this time). Or at Oliver's party, when he is leaving to go back to New Hampshire but realizes that is not the home he is meant to go back to, and returns to Elio (finally seeing what we were all seeing this whole time). At first I didn't see why it was necessary giving half the book to Sami and Miranda and their 3 days of glory, but after finishing the book I realized this was the best way to make sense of Sami and Annella's storyline... and at the same time bring Ollie into life, in a way that would benefit Oliver and Elio (in raising him and re-bonding over that). But, having said that - this *older* Samuel we met (presumably in his late 50s?) was a real fresh breath of air! Sami is who he was obviously talking about with Elio, explaining how he didn't really do what he wanted to do and didn't find his real route in life. To then finally give him the ending he deserved, but cut it short - was bittersweet. All in all, I imagine that if there would ever be a movie adaption, the first chapter would be cut way shorter and the focus would rather be on Elio and Oliver with the events of the final pages of CMBYN, and the last three chapters of Find me. Also, if they start the movie 10 years later, I wouldn't be mad if they had to change the actors as they would be 10-20 years older through the movie! I absolutely loved Timothée and Armie as Elio and Oliver and somehow they fit right in my imagination of them, but seeing the reports lately... lets just say that if they have to change Hammer with another actor, I'm sorry, but they would have to change Chalamet as well. Not facts, just my opinions. (hide spoiler)] flag

• 3 likes · like
• Comment
• 4 years ago

Write a comment... Artgroupie This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)[Based on Andre Aciman's interviews, this is the timeline of Find Me: the first part takes place ten years after Elio and Oliver's summer, and this part concerns Samuel's visit with Elio in Rome. The next part takes place five years later, so 15 years after Elio and Oliver's summer, in Paris where Elio is a pianist and teacher, bringing us to the time period of Elio and Oliver's reunion at Oliver's university. The next part takes place 5 years after that, so 20 years after Elio and Oliver's summer - taking us to the time period of the end of CMBYN. This part deals with Oliver, who's estranged from his wife. Samuel's death has to take place in the window of time after that ten-years-later visit with Elio, but before the twenty-years-later visit to the villa by Oliver.Nothing that's out there so far indicates that Elio and Oliver meet up in Find Me at any point prior to the 15-year mark visit in CMBYN, nor in the five years after that meeting until Oliver comes to visit Elio at the villa, but we'll have to see what Aciman actually does. I'm expecting that not everything will match up perfectly to CMBYN. (hide spoiler)] flag

• 3 likes · like
• Comment
• 6 years ago

Write a comment... Katharina Hello there —I don‘t know if anybody‘s still interested but I‘ve read and watched “Call me by your name“ (and “Find Me“, too) only this year for the first time. I had lots of questions myself, I really couldn‘t understand Oliver most of the time, so I‘ve started writing my very first fanfiction. It‘ll be from Oliver‘s point of view because I want to try and figure this guy out. Anyway, in order to make it fit and as authentic and believable as possible, I‘ve been going through both novels again and put together an extensive timeline. It‘s definitely accurate, I‘ve been very thorough and have all the textual evidence. Unfortunately, I can‘t attach any files in the comments here but whoever is interested, I‘d be happy to share it via email or DM. flag

• 1 like · like
• 1 comment
• 4 years ago

Sophie Apps hey I'm interested if you still had copies! hey I'm interested if you still had copies! ...more Jun 12, 2023 12:54AM · flag Write a comment... John School Miranda and Sami's son is 7 years old when Oliver meets him. That tells me that Miranda met Sami 13 years after Elio first met Oliver that summer at the villa, and 7 years before Oliver arrived back at the villa. So Sami died during the years after Miranda gave birth to little Oliver. flag

• 1 like · like
• Comment
• 5 years ago

Write a comment... Paul Bugeja But the final chapter occurs over far more than 5 years from memory...although admittedly it's been awhile since I read it. Wasn't it over 15 or so years? flag

• 1 like · like
• Comment
• 6 years ago

Write a comment... Dianah (onourpath) At first I worried about this same thing, but when I started reading, I realized that I trusted Aciman to do justice to the story. I'm assuming that he took pains to make the timeline work, and if there are mistakes, I'm fine with that. flag

• 1 like · like
• 1 comment
• 6 years ago

View 1 comment Write a comment... Daizi's Bookish Odyssey This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)[Let me start by saying that I am very excited about this new publication. I think Aciman has a magic wand for a pen and an ability to depict and stir human emotions incredibly well and exceptionally sophisticatedly. With that being said, I believe you may be correct, Mikayla, in writing that "Find Me" could take place within those five years before Samuel's death. Unless it has different sections that skip long periods of time, just like "Call Me By Your Name". However, the cover of the book does say "A Novel." This leads me to think that we have to look at and read the novel as a separate piece from "Call Me By Your Name," even if we are visited by the same characters. Its events may not line up well with the events in "Call Me By Your Name", and it may be a new exploration into those characters, their lives, and the idea of "true love".Whether we are correct in what we have already written here, I guess we have to play the waiting game until the novel's release to find out. (hide spoiler)] flag

• 1 like · like
• Comment
• 6 years ago

Write a comment... Dimitar Y For me the end of CMBYN is not definitely a departure or goodbye between the two. Or maybe at that time Aciman didn’t plan a follow up of the story, and only decided to write Find me after the huge success of the first book. I believe Oliver returning to Italy that happens to be the end of both books, refers to the same time period but is also open for interpretations by everyone so it fits their own version of the sequence :) I think this is not important really, this story and both books have many other strengths. But definitely a good idea for more clarity would be to write the year at the beginning of each chapter. flag

• like
• Comment
• 5 years ago

Write a comment... More questions about Find Me… Find Me by André Aciman (Goodreads Author) Want to Read saving…

• Want to Read
• Currently Reading
• Read

Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more

Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account.