I hadn't realised this was a novella until my Kindle showed that I was progressing rather rapidly through the book. It's not at all as I expected.
A group of brash Americans marooned in an Italian hotel near the sea meet an enigmatic stranger, the titular Gentleman from Peru. It seems he knows all about them, including things they do not know about themselves.
It was fascinating premise which could have been fleshed out more satisfactorily had it run to a novel-length book. It seemed to be missing something and left me feeling disappointed, hence the two star review.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I’ve seen a few people read Aciman’s novels trying to chase the high that Call Me By Your Name gave them (myself included), and unfortunately The Gentleman from Peru left me wanting that little bit more.

I know two stars sounds brutal, but hear me out. I feel like this novella could have offered so much more if it was a full length novel. The main characters could have been developed further; we would be given the time to delve deeper into Raúl’s past to add to the present day dynamic; and we would have more of Aciman’s achingly poignant prose to relish.