Do we spend eternity reliving our lives in different ways to be at last with your soulmate? This novel sensitively possits the possibility in a rather wistful and beautiful way. Set on the Amalfi coast in a luxurious hotel, a gentleman dining alone becomes the talking point of a group of fellow diners but only there because their boat had developed a few problems and was being repaired. A shoulder injury is the icebreaker and soon the the group and the gentleman are in conversation. Weirdly, Margot (of the group) is quite snappy towards the gentleman who is nothing but polite. You will have to read this most charming book to find out why.

The Gentleman From Peru
by Andrea Aciman

Like many previous reviewers I also read and adored "Call Me by Your Name" and was intrigued by this novella.

I was immediately captivated by the spirit of the Amalfi Coast, the sultry languidity of the luxurious holiday and the group who are reunited for the occasion. The mysterious gentleman and his healing power promised more than it ultimate delivered, and while the writing is beautiful and evocative, and could be read in a single sitting, or sunbathe, it won't stay with me as long as the freckles might.

Publication date: 4th April 2024
Thanks to #NetGalley and #faberandfaber for the eGalley

A group of young Americans are in a hotel in Southern Italy whilst awaiting the repair of their boat. After noticing an older gentleman follow a daily ritual, they are surprised when he helps one of their number with an injury.
What follows is a tale of lost love through the years.
A short book, but nicely written.

Thank you to Netgalley.co.uk and Faber & Faber for a review copy of this novel.

From the author of "Call Me by Your Name" comes a wonderful story of love, loss and regret.
"The Gentleman from Peru" is a poignant reflection on one man's life. It is a dream, it may be fantasy, but whatever it is, it is written in a beautifully descriptive, touching and sensuous way.
Eight college friends find themselves stranded at a beautiful hotel on Italy's Amalfi Coast, when their boat needs to be repaired. The 'Young Americans' begin to observe an elderly gentleman, sitting alone each night at dinner. One day, feeling curious about this older, suave, gentleman they decide to invite him to join them for lunch. He accepts their invitation, and so begins his story.
He imparts his wisdom, telling them secrets about themselves, and they are intrigued by his ability to see into their souls. He seems to be particularly interested in one of the women in the group, and so begins a life-changing journey for her.
Andre Aciman's writing not only reflects the epic poems of Homer and Virgil in my mind, he uses their works in his character's words, to impress upon the 'Young Americans' the depth of his knowledge about their lives.

I found this short story beautiful, poignant and it captivated me from the start. Andre Aciman instills the heat of the Amalfi coast on every page.

A perfect read for the summer, but would bring warmth and sunshine to you at all times.

Thankyou to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read The Gentleman From Peru.

This is a story full of uncanny, almost Gothic, vibes as the The Gentleman From Peru, whose name we learn is Raúl, slowly ingratiates himself into the circle of friends. After he mysteriously heals the pain one of their number gained from a sports injury which has been bothering him for weeks, they invite the man to join them at their dinner table. Following Raúl's intervention the pain is gone and Mark, along with everyone else in their group, is completely baffled by how that is possible. During their ensuing conversation it turns out that Raúl knows things about each of them which they thought no one else knew.

After the lyricism, believable characters, excellent writing and structure of Find Me (2020) and Call Me By Your Name (2021), The Gentleman From Peru is strikingly different from Aciman's previous novels lacking, as it does, their beauty, dream-like language and scene setting and exploring, instead, the realm of fantasy. It is not always a comfortable read.

Many thanks to the publishers and to Netgalley for the ARC.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but I struggled with the story and considering it’s only a short book took a long time to finish. I just didn’t find this engaging enough. There is some beautiful writing and descriptions but I didn’t connect to the story or characters.

🌅 REVIEW 🌅

The Gentleman from Peru by André Aciman
Publishing Date: 4th April

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

📝 - A group of young American friends find themselves in a small Italian coastal town after their boat breaks while travelling across the Mediterranean. While they relax in the sun, enjoying the pause in their life, they a meet an older man in the hotel who begins to change their outlook on life, for one of the members of the group in particular.

💭 - This was a very quick read for me, though the story itself is not a fast paced one. I enjoyed the reflective nature of the plot, the feeling of looking back and having unretrieved memories. I’d class this as a ‘quiet read’, one that focuses on introspection and reflection, so if you’re looking to take a break from fast-paced or thriller types, this could be a good reset. It definitely isn’t my typical type of read, and it also wasn’t what I was expecting based on the blurb and that it is classed on StoryGraph as a romance (not untrue, but a very different romance to expected). While it was an interesting read for me, it didn’t blow me away, and I did struggle with rating it.
With themes of fate, missed opportunity and perception, this is a quick (200 page) read that might get you longing for days on secluded Italian beaches, and unexpected meetings with foreign strangers…

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.