THE GENTLEMAN FROM PERU by André Aciman

Reading André Aciman is a bit like having a warm bath: gentle, relaxing, edifying and a little sensual. And while there is often a strong emotional dimension to his stories, they rarely do anything to rip you from everyday reality. The Gentleman From Peru, then, is something of a departure because pious picarones, this book is weird.

A group of young American friends are stranded on an island in Italy after their boat has engine troubles. Sitting at breakfast, they are approached by an older man who places his hand on one of their shoulders, instantly curing some severe muscle pain. They get chatting. He’s Raúl, from Peru. And he knows an unsettling amount about each of them. Secrets, some of which they don’t even know themselves. But it is one woman, Margot, that he is most interested in.

The Gentleman From Peru is Aciman’s attempt to explore kismet, and the sliding doors of history. There’s a sense of Buddhism-lite, where lives are lived and relived, and we continue to encounter one another until we can meet at a perfect moment for love. It’s beguiling and sweet and self-consciously odd, though a little treacly in the Coelho way for my tastes.

The Gentleman From Peru by André Aciman
Faber, 2024
169 pages