Point of View

The novel’s narration is written in the first person and the past tense. Chapter 1, “Tempo,” is narrated by Sami. Chapter 2, “Cadenza,” is narrated Elio. Chapter 3, “Capriccio,” is narrated by Oliver. Chapter 4, “Da Capo,” is narrated by Elio. These juxtaposed character perspectives complement each other in terms of themes, as the narrative highlights the ways in which the character’s concerns and experiences are very similar. Specifically the novel focuses on the characters’ search for love and romantic connection. Moreover, almost every major character in the novel has the experience of finding a fulfilling romantic relationship after years of disappointments.

The narrative shapes its use and presentation of perspective not only in terms of individual characters, but also in terms of time. The novel is fairly brief, but it covers a large amount of time in total (about ten years.) Moreover, by the end of...