Swimming in the Dark and Reductive Comparisons in Media

[@WellTraveledBooks]

As a native Polish speaker, this was great to watch haha it's not an easy language in terms of pronunciation. Adding this book to my TBR 👌🏼

[@notesbyalex]

Hah hopefully you can appreciate that I was trying really hard to get the correct pronunciation (despite failing, I think). Ah I’m glad it’s on your TBR, it’s really good!

[@AlbertoAmoni]

At first I found it funny that you decided to focus this review on the Oprah's comment, then I remembered that that particular comment was what convinced me to get the book in the first place and then forgot about it haha. You are totally right btw, they are nothing alike, it's a bit insulting towards gay themed stories that she said so, or whoever writes those articles anyway haha

[@tomaszmikoajko6327]

reading it rt now and enjoying, would recommend

[@_SincerelyEden]

Will buy the book now because of your review 🎉🎉🎉

[@katjazofia3932]

I totally agree with you about the comparison of CMBYN and SITD!!!! There are no similarities other than both being love stories between gay men. I kind of find it disrespectful and tone deaf to compare them because they’re really different. Anyways SITD is a great book and I especially love it because I can relate to it in many aspects. Greetings from Poland!

[@DrVVVinK]

I wonder if the CMBY comparison is only in the American/UK markets? The book may have been marketed differently in Poland and Germany (where the author is from). I do know CMBYN wasn't as popular as it was in non-English speaking European countries, as it was in America.

[@katjazofia3932]

@@DrVVVinK I’m from Poland and it wasn’t marketed differently or anything. I just think people shouldn’t compare books only because they’re about gay people.

[@DrVVVinK]

@@katjazofia3932 I agree, but I said what I said because in the American POV (who maybe hasn't really traveled) all European countries are the same, LOL. And I thought the marketers were maybe thinking, "coming of age gay love story, in a European Country in the 1980s". Which is a very big leap.

[@katjazofia3932]

@@DrVVVinK Yeah, I guess you’re right! They’re both in the same timelines, didn’t think about that!

[@jaishalba8519]

Gonna read the book this month. Great video! I sub

[@trevorlocke]

Jedrowski never uses the word 'gay' anywhere in SITD. Only once does he write the word 'homosexual'. Interesting!

[@tomaszmikoajko6327]

there's a reason to it - back then (80*) the word hasn't been used in Poland

[@mariog8297]

In spite of your arguments i cant shake the feeling that reading Jędrowskis book seems to be very inspired by the way Aciman uses metaphores.

[@shanicegrande8631]

I have to read this book because it was assigned my my english professor.

[@zhisu2665]

I am so sick of basically every MLM/Gay novel being compared to "Call Me by Your Name" like we get it article writers, you've never actually branched out and read other mlm novels

[@notesbyalex]

1. Agreed 2. It took me a second to realize you aren't referring to multilevel marketing

[@mariog8297]

Thank you for the video! It was very informative!

[@TimeIdle]

Another similarity is the age difference between the two lovers, one is older and more experienced with life, the other younger and idealistic. And didn't both love stories started in a summer as well? I don't think it's homophobic to compare to CMBYN b/c CMBYN was clearly a very popular book that was made into a major film, so the publisher probably wanted to cash in on that. But I do agree that it's a bit reductive, but what ya gonna do?

[@ismalaz9448]

I really liked the video and unrelated but I love your face too!!!!

[@2xanadu]

An Honest Man by Ben Fergusson is also well worth the read.

[@notesbyalex]

I’ve added it to my list on goodreads, it definitely looks like the kind of book that could pull me in. Thanks !!

[@rayanneflowers]

i loved this book

[@helllooooo9353]

I think the story is more similar to your name engraved herein than call me by your name

[@gmir1397]

Yeah, there are other better comparisons to make!! I would compare it to “giovannis room” considering the deliberate dialogue jedrowski seems to make with it :-)

[@themarktauber]

There are a few more similarities. There is a younger man and an older man in each book in which the older man initiates the younger into a mutually loving relationship. Also, in both stories, the older man responds to life's demands in a way different from the younger. In that sense, both books are a coming-of-age story for two men in love. Clearly, Opra is trying to sell this book to a female demographic since many more women read and relished Call Me than man.I agree that the capsule review is disingenuous. But in a time when there are very few readers of anything, pegging a gay story next to a successful one even if you can't map one on the other, I'll take it.

[@mariog8297]

I think SITD has close to no explination of the relationship between the two characters. Which was really sad because it resulted in Januszs charachter sounding flat.

[@youbuymeorangejuice671]

Love your video.