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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Scritto da Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Narrato da Lin-Manuel Miranda
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A lyrical novel about family and friendship from critically acclaimed author Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
Azioni libro
Inizia ad ascoltareInformazioni sul libro
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Scritto da Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Narrato da Lin-Manuel Miranda
Descrizione
A lyrical novel about family and friendship from critically acclaimed author Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
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Although I’d heard fantastic things about this book, I was nervous about whether I’d be able to relate to a book about two teenage boys. I was so silly. The characters in this book are real, so much so that knowing nothing about being a teenage boy, I’m still convinced the author captured them perfectly. In fact, I’d say the reason I cried when I finished this book was because it was so raw and real and sad but also so beautifully happy all at the same time. I never thought I’d find myself saying this, since I generally avoid emotional books, but I loved it because it gave me all of the feels. Forget whether or not you get teenage boys (and really, does anyone get teenage boys?). This is a book about two people who are brought to life more vividly than any other characters I’ve ever read about. It’s also by far the most invested I’ve ever been in a fictional relationship.
Everyone knows this book as a book about LGBT issues, but the boys in this book also deal with everything from choices about sex and drugs to being part of a minority. These weighty topics were covered in a way that was profoundly moving and thoughtful without ever being preachy. Seriously, I don’t usually even notice quotes in this book and every few pages, the author was saying something that captured a truth so perfectly, I had to go write it down. The writing was fantastic in other ways as well. As you might guess from my raving about the feels, the author does a great job capturing emotion. For instance, when Ari and Dante meet, the author has a description of how it feels when you meet someone and just know you’re going to be friends. He described the feeling in a way that really resonated with me – hey, I’ve been there! And his pacing was spot on. I liked the short vignettes of Ari’s life which let me get to know him bit by bit. And the staccato sentences of conversation popping back and forth between good friends was part of what brought the characters so much to life.
In short, I think the author tackles incredibly difficult issues in a moving and thought-provoking way. I think he makes great points about acceptance and responsible choices without explicitly saying anything to that effect. He perfectly describes the turmoil of being a teenager and the challenges of being human. So go hand this to a teenager. Then get a copy for yourself.
This review first published on Doing Dewey.
Rating: 5Everyone knows this book as a book about LGBT issues, but the boys in this book also deal with everything from choices about sex and drugs to being part of a minority. These weighty topics were covered in a way that was profoundly moving and thoughtful without ever being preachy. Seriously, I don’t usually even notice quotes in this book and every few pages, the author was saying something that captured a truth so perfectly, I had to go write it down. The writing was fantastic in other ways as well. As you might guess from my raving about the feels, the author does a great job capturing emotion. For instance, when Ari and Dante meet, the author has a description of how it feels when you meet someone and just know you’re going to be friends. He described the feeling in a way that really resonated with me – hey, I’ve been there! And his pacing was spot on. I liked the short vignettes of Ari’s life which let me get to know him bit by bit. And the staccato sentences of conversation popping back and forth between good friends was part of what brought the characters so much to life.
In short, I think the author tackles incredibly difficult issues in a moving and thought-provoking way. I think he makes great points about acceptance and responsible choices without explicitly saying anything to that effect. He perfectly describes the turmoil of being a teenager and the challenges of being human. So go hand this to a teenager. Then get a copy for yourself.
This review first published on Doing Dewey.
I loved this, but not as much as The Inexplicable Logic of My Life. Perhaps because I read the latter first. I felt that Dante's Dad was a not-so-over-the-top version of Sal's Dad. I did love how Aristotle and Dante "discovered the secrets of the universe" over time and with the help of family and friends. Saenz knows people and writes beautifully about them.
Rating: 4I’m removing my 5 star rating after seeing emails the author sent to people who didn’t like his book. I think this is worth a read but I find that whole situation to be gross.
Rating: 1Ari(stotle) and Dante, two Mexican American teen boys living in 1980's El Paso, both feel like outsiders until they find each other and quickly become best friends. Ari has trouble relating to his father, is angry at his parents for not talking about the older brother in prison, and is struggling with self-hatred and finding his place in the world. Dante knows who he is and what he wants to be, but that comes with its own set of issues. Over the course of a couple of summers, the two save each other in all sorts of ways and begin to find themselves in relation to each other and the world.Beautiful, this is. Ari and Dante are wonderfully drawn, and the issues they face are so important and relevant and so realistically handled. Highly recommended. And Lin Manuel-Miranda's fabulous job as narrator is pure icing.
Rating: 5Sáenz has written a beautiful novel about friendship, family, love, coming of age, and coming to terms with your identity as a teenager. Set in El Paso in the mid-1980s, the book is narrated by 15-year-old Mexican American boy Aristotle - or Ari - who has learned to repress his feelings from his parents. His father won't speak of the horrors of fighting in the Vietnam War and neither of his parents will talk about Ari's much older brother who is in prison. The story begins when Ari meets and befriends Dante, another Mexican American boy his age, at the swimming pool. Dante and his family are more open in their feelings and he draws out Ari over a series of meaningful conversations. The two boys deal with the typical trials of teenagers as well the specific problems related to understanding their identity as Mexican Americans and masculinity. They suffer injuries when hit by a car, are separated when Dante's family goes to Chicago for a year, and explore their sexuality. Without giving too much of the plot away, this is an absolutely beautiful book and one that I think a lot of young people (and formerly young people) can identify with.
Rating: 5Let me say up front that this book makes me like the author...as a person. As the saying goes, "He's a good man." His eye for many details of life comes through, and his empathy for people leading their lives is clearly evident. Having said, I do not think he was consistent in his writing skills. At his best, he captures dialogue between key characters that is fresh, insightful, and very entertaining, regardless of its tone. That, in my mind, makes the book worth reading. On the other hand, the author has the text of letters written back and forth between two key characters that is stilted and not at all reflective of the conversations that they have in person. The first time I read one of these letters in the book, I thought it might have been a joke. It turns out that's how the author thought these two would write. In between these extremes is mostly the internal reflections of the main character, a high school student, about life around him. While most of this is reasonable, it bothered me throughout the book that the character had dramatic mood swings, so much so that I wondered if this was eventually going to be about manic depression. Emotions, yes, but anger, for instance, at people, pages before that were fun and pleasant? Ultimately, the author makes a couple key points about the main character and life in young adulthood. One, lesser point is about how really great parents/adults really are, despite what teenagers may think of them. My own personal experience proved otherwise, but I can accept that as just an individual difference with me and not the norm. The more important point made at the end was of a person not knowing their own likes and dislikes. I just didn't buy it as sold, but I'm willing to consider that this, too, may have just been the difference in my upbringing and not the norm. I've made plenty of wrong decisions over the years, but they were errors in choices and the weight of the "facts". I'd hate to think that I was ever as clueless about my core values as this author seems to portray his main character as being.
Rating: 3This is one of my favorite books so far. I just love the writing style, love the characters, and the slow burn of plot is great. There was a fantastic resolution, and the possibility for more.I almost wish there was a sequel. I am heavily looking forward to more books by Saenz!
Rating: 5Excellent writing and realistic characters. Beautiful friendship between 2 young men who feel they don't belong.
Rating: 4Haunting in the best possible way. I fell hard for Dante and Ari.
Rating: 5Man, I'm a Gina here.
It was definitely not love at first read. I hated the redundant, wiseass conversations which all seemed to go in a loop, and there were several little flaws that I spotted too (thumbs down to the proofreading department).
At first I thought Dante's POV would make a much better book. Ari can be such a real downer, because he makes a depressing storyteller.
But in the end, I get him.
It all unfolded beautifully. The first few chapters were a struggle for me, but I'm glad I persevered. This book turned out to be one of the most beautifully written ones I know. I was sobbing real hard at the last few chapters.
I don't know how but I felt the characters' pain acutely. Maybe because I do have friends who are in similar situations. And at first I didn't want to know what kind of thoughts Ari and Dante have- I wanted to shut them down because it felt too real, and it hurt.
Still, I was more than grateful to have known their story. In the end I decided that I love them both after all. Maybe a little too much :)
Rating: 5It was definitely not love at first read. I hated the redundant, wiseass conversations which all seemed to go in a loop, and there were several little flaws that I spotted too (thumbs down to the proofreading department).
At first I thought Dante's POV would make a much better book. Ari can be such a real downer, because he makes a depressing storyteller.
But in the end, I get him.
It all unfolded beautifully. The first few chapters were a struggle for me, but I'm glad I persevered. This book turned out to be one of the most beautifully written ones I know. I was sobbing real hard at the last few chapters.
I don't know how but I felt the characters' pain acutely. Maybe because I do have friends who are in similar situations. And at first I didn't want to know what kind of thoughts Ari and Dante have- I wanted to shut them down because it felt too real, and it hurt.
Still, I was more than grateful to have known their story. In the end I decided that I love them both after all. Maybe a little too much :)
In poetic, short sentences Saenz explores the inner life of Ari Mendoza as he navigates his 15-17th years. The almost diary-like chapters alternate with more straightforward, plot driven narrative, but much like Cisernos' The House on Mango Street. At first, grumpy, then pensive, then achingly lonely or thoughtful narrative, we recognize that Angel Aristotle Mendoza keeps much of his thoughts & emotions bottled up inside. But unlike a Holden Caulfield Catcher in the Rye style "teen coming of age", the author provides our struggling adolescent boy with two loving parents, & an amazing, unique friend in Dante Quintana, who also have two very loving parents & an affectionate open relationship with Dante, which impresses Ari while it also puzzles him. Through mainly the summer months of each of Ari's high school years, we experience his gradual growing up, his friendships with some of the girls at his school, and especially his deepening friendship w/Ari, although he cannot admit that, even to himself, even after Ari saves Dante from being hit by a car, and suffers serious injuries because of it. Together, they try to deal with parents' jobs and lives, especially the Mendozas' silence - secrets about his father's Vietnam war experiences, & his older brother Bernardo, in prison & out of their lives. As they navigate their own social lifes, first jobs, finding a wonderful dog "Legs", & becoming drivers - moving toward young manhood, trying to "discover the secrets of the universe" - Dante shares with Ari his desire to kiss boys, not girls, and although Ari rejects Dante's careful advances, he struggles as well with his emerging sexuality. Beautifully written with sudden sentences of insight in the human condition, not just teen angst, this book would be best for more mature teen readers, who can be patient with the slower pace & the emphasis on characterization & themes of self -realization, especially embracing one's homosexuality.
Rating: 3This is one of the most beautiful books I have read in a very long time. I just put it down and my heart strings are still tugging toward it. Breathtakingly real in every way imaginable.
Rating: 5I loved this book. I loved that it didn't explain everything. I loved that Ari is a loner, like me. I love that Ari's love wasn't even mentioned until the very end. I love that so much can be said with so little words. I love that there can be such deep feelings and we don't even know they are there. I love the way this book made me feel - sad and thoughtful. I doubt that I'm really all that alike with Ari but I felt like he was me in a lot of ways. This book is definitely going onto my shelves.
Rating: 5This isn't a book about teen angst. It's not a sappy, extended discourse from an adult author pretending to be a shallow teen. This is a book about identity, repression, and retention. It's about self-censorship for the sake of one's perception of others' expectations. It's about the beauty and danger of allowing yourself to be known -- even by yourself.
This is not a book I would typically pick up just because it looks like yet another YA novel about young love. But I decided to listen to it because Lin Manual Miranda narrates it (obvious choice). I did take a break half-way through just because the emotional weight of some of the things Ari feels are so, so heavy. I came back to it, though, and I'm glad I did. It is a truly beautiful book that examines the lives of teenagers as real people growing into themselves, and I really liked it.
Rating: 5This is not a book I would typically pick up just because it looks like yet another YA novel about young love. But I decided to listen to it because Lin Manual Miranda narrates it (obvious choice). I did take a break half-way through just because the emotional weight of some of the things Ari feels are so, so heavy. I came back to it, though, and I'm glad I did. It is a truly beautiful book that examines the lives of teenagers as real people growing into themselves, and I really liked it.
I really enjoyed this, though it didn't blow me away quite as much as I had hoped that it would. I thought it was really cute and sweet, and eventually I came to love both Aristotle and Dante. The coming-of-age discovering-yourself story was very well done.Honestly, my main critique is that I thought that virtually every character seemed to have the same manner of speaking, and it made them feel a bit more flat to me. The resolution seemed so rapid; t just kind of wrapped itself up in the last 20 pages or so, and I thought that there could have been a bit more build-up. Plus, I'm just generally not a fan of YA Contemporary Romance. I did like it, and it gets a solid 4 stars. My expectations might have just been a bit too high because of how hyped this is.
Rating: 4Beautiful.
Rating: 5I don't really like this book. I didn't really enjoy reading it and I thought it was a bit silly. But it's not bad either. I have no idea what to do with it.
Rating: 3Sweet, sad, and nostalgic, _Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe_ follows the lives of the title characters through two summers and the year in between. While I did not hear what I think of as "genuine voices" of adolescents, the story and the message of tolerance and love more than make up for it.I would recommend this novel for students grades 8 and up, as well as to their parents.
Rating: 4This came highly recommended, and I picked it up for a taste of something different. It's a teen book with gay themes, and the protagonists are Mexican-Americans. A fairly rare flower.Unfortunately, there were a lot of things here that put me off. I didn't realize that Aristotle and Dante were really the main character's names, which far passes heavy-handed and goes all the way to ridiculous. The main character is Ari, who is an angry, out-of-place youth. He doesn't know what he wants from life. He's just sad. Constantly. All the time. And he's not sure why. He just knows he's sad. And he wants to know about his brother. Maybe it was because I read this in a couple sittings, but the themes of sadness and the silence about his brother were just... a lot. There was a lot of that in there. Admittedly, I have a hard time relating to depression in fiction since it's not something I've dealt with, so perhaps this has more gravity if you can relate to Ari. To me, Ari read like an almost-caricature of an angry teen.I almost quit when Dante and Ari got into poetry together when Ari began visiting Dante's house. I knew zero people in high school who read a poetry book, then passed it around to everyone. Similarly, when my friends were sick, I did not bring them Hemingway to cheer them up in their convalescence when I was 16. Nobody did.I also HATED the ending. I would have liked it more if there had been any indication AT ALL through the entire narrative that was going to happen. The very end began to go that way, but I thought there'd be more introspection. Instead... surprise! It just happens! Dealing with sexuality like flipping a light switch is one of my pet peeves.But there was a lot of nice stuff in here, too. I thought Ari's relationship with his own parents, and his relationship with Ari's parents, was fantastic. I also liked that Ari did a lot of regular teenager stuff. He had a dog, a job, some friends he hung out with. He sometimes drank, and he occasionally smoked pot with Dante. He got a truck for his birthday. I think the unrealistic parts of the story bothered me a lot more because so much about the everyday life of Ari was so wonderful.I also liked the way that Dante's homosexuality was dealt with throughout the book. He comes out to Ari about a third of the way through, and Ari acts as a sounding board while Dante explores his identity. I also liked that Dante having a crush on Ari, and Ari rejecting him, really didn't change their relationship.I think this is a great book, and I love that it's popular and hopefully finding its way into the hands of teens who really need a story like this. Like I said, I think the things that bugged me were worse only because the characters were so wonderfully down-to-earth, mostly easy to relate to, and that I loved that this kind of story exists now.
Rating: 3A coming of age story where Dante has always known who he is whilst Aristotle trembles on the edge, unable to see for himself what others clearly see. I particularly liked the interplay between Ari's parents and himself. Ari was the last born child in his family with his sister's grown, married and with families of their own as we come to know Ari. We're introduced to an absentee brother whose life in prison is never acknowledged by the family which wears on Ari and gives him reason to wonder about who he himself is and will he be like his brother, whose shadow he feels he has been trying to not live in for everyone's sake but his own. A definite read for young men and women who feel like they are changing but no one is noticing.
Rating: 3So awesome and so sweet. A perfect palate cleanser.
Rating: 4Aristotle is a loner in search of his identity. He meets Dante, also a loner, who offers to teach him how to swim. Over time, the two boys develop a very special friendship that leads them to discover secrets about themselves and about life.This is a great book to teach children about acceptance, love, friendship, but I am not certain that it could be used in an elementary setting.
Rating: 4Ari and Dante are both powerful characters, and Saenz has approached a difficult topic through a novel that reminds readers of the importance of compassion. Dante's journey to find himself demonstrates character growth; as the narrator, he presents his struggles and successes. I think teen readers, regardless of their situations, can identify with him. Very strong parental characters - refreshing to see a great support system for these teenage characters!
Rating: 3While reading the book...Me: oh my gosh.. oh mygosh...After reading the book...Me: Mom! Mom!Mom: What??Me: Can you call an ambulance?Cause I'm having an heart attacknow. Please....Mom: Seriously??Okay. I fell in love everythingabout the book. The characters,Aristotle and Dante were veryadorable. I do really love them.Just go to your nearest bookstore,buy the book, read it and fall inlove with it.
Rating: 5Aristotle and Dante are enough dissimilar that their friendship is unlikely. But they do become friends and through their friendship they both learn about themselves, their families, love, and sexuality. I had a little trouble getting into this one (the style, with long sections of dialogue with no gesture or action supporting it, isn't my favorite), but I'm really glad I stuck with it. Just as important to the book as Ari's relationship with Dante is his relationship with his parents. Over the course of the book, Ari, his mom, and his dad begin to understand each other as people rather than as "parents" and "child," and the way they learn to be honest with each other about each other and themselves in the end is such a wonderful little bit of writing that I want to wrap myself up in it. May this book find every single teenaged kid who needs to read it.
Rating: 5This book had me on my toes until the very last page. I wasn't sure if this book was about a very strong friendship with different perspectives, or if it was about a developing romance between two young men. I enjoyed the development of the text, as it continued to infer clues but not certainty. I am not sure if my school would allow this book to be read in my class. It would be something that would have to be brought to my principal before implementation.
Rating: 3Two Mexican-American boys and their struggle towards adulthood and self-identity, and ultimately towards love.
Rating: 5Great story about friendship, love, accepting others, and compassion.
Rating: 4A good coming of age story, with a focus on characters. Ari and Dante are well done, but other characters are just props. Setting and culture also have little to do with the story.
Rating: 4Aristotle and Dante are teenage boys living in El Paso, Texas. They are Hispanic and neither feels like they fit in. Aristotle was born years after his sisters and brother. His brother is in prison and his parents won't talk about it. His father is haunted by memories of Vietnam and struggles with his brother's issues. Aristotle is very closed and does not speak or share with others. Dante is outgoing with very supportive parents. He's into poetry and definitely not into wearing shoes. These unlikely candidates find each other and become best friends (and the only friends they really have). Through many events and trials they become even closer. Aristotle ends up saving Dante's life from an oncoming car. They have a close yet troubled relationship. Then, Dante has to move to Chicago for a year due to his father's job. He writes roughly seven letters for each one that Aristotle replies to. He is experimenting with kissing (girls AND boys), drinking beer, and even smoking marijuana. Aristotle works out, works flipping burgers, and stays a loner. Dante is starting to share romantic feelings for Aristotle. How will their reunion go? What course will this relationship take? Great book about growing up and finding out who you are even though you are afraid.
Rating: 5