Nora Haggerty
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
By Benjamin Alire Saenz
Eclectic names and one’s inability to swim are what bring Aristotle and Dante together. In the blink of an eye, they become the best of friends, each learning more about themselves by talking with the other. Dante is an artistic, creative, thoughtful boy who loves his parents deeply. He is sensitive and caring, and funnily enough, considering his name, thoroughly enjoys poetry. In contrast, Aristotle is a tougher character who feels angry and distant from his own family. He often has nightmares and feels confused about a lot of the unknowns in his life. Told from Aristotle’s point of view, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe follows the relationship between these two boys as they grow closer and closer after meeting at their local pool. Together they learn what they care most about, what burning questions they want answered, and how to deal with the difficulties they are each faced with.
So far I really enjoy this book and the topics it discusses. It is written in language that is very easy to read and understand while still covering complex themes such as family troubles, car accidents, and withheld emotions. Reading it made me really feel like it was a teenager telling the story in fragmented parts with emotions and opinions throughout.
While Aristotle and Dante are both very different characters, I found both of them likable and relatable. I think their friendship works because they are so different. One stark difference between the two is their family dynamics. Aristotle is amazed when he visits Dante’s home for the first time and Dante kisses his father on the cheek because he “would never have done that. Not ever” (24). He wonders what it would be like to have that type of connection with his dad. Instead, he feels as though he is searching for the man his father truly is, always feeling far away. Because his family never brings it up, Aristotle finds himself constantly thinking about his brother who is in jail, and wants to know more. He writes in his journal “It’s worse than being dead. At least the dead get talked about and you get to hear stories about them...My brother doesn’t get any stories...It doesn’t seem right” (96). On the other hand, from Aristotle’s perspective, Dante’s family is easygoing and patient with one another. Dante’s father is an English professor who “seemed like a man who was in live with being alive (24) and “didn’t care if the whole world knew he was kind” (102). From the respect and admiration he has for Dante’s father, it is clear that Aristotle desires an individual like that in his life.
What makes the characters most relatable is the emotions they find themselves coming to accept and deal with. It is evident to the reader that what the pair discusses often doesn’t get brought up in conversations with other people. Almost immediately, the two boys share a mutual understanding of each other and trust each other with their deepest feelings. For instance, after an accident that lands Aristotle in the hospital, Dante offers Aristotle his sketchbook, a possession he does not let anyone else see because of how personal his drawings are. Sometimes it seems that Aristotle is afraid of his own feelings, so he is more closed off than Dante. After the accident he does not want to see a counselor because he thinks “talking doesn’t help everybody” (142), even though he doesn’t often open up to anyone. He has a hard time coming to terms with how everyone around him feels and tends to bottle up his emotions, letting them out in a journal he keeps. He would rather “close [his] eyes and let the silence swallow [him] whole” (138). Dante is clearly an important addition to Aristotle’s life because he shows Aristotle a different way of looking at the world, and gives a shoulder to lean on -- something he didn’t have before. They truly are written like real people; people who go through personal hardships, learn from mistakes, and understand that it is more than okay to open up to the people around them. I think the book was written with the target audience to be teenagers who may be confused about their feelings or having trouble with understanding who they really are.
Just as one of my friends enthusiastically introduced me to this book, I would highly recommend reading Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Even though I have not yet finished it, what I have read makes me want to continue reading, and when I was reading it, I didn’t want to put it down. I don’t think I’ve read a book quite similar to this one, but it did remind me a little of John Green’s writing because of how casual it seemed while discussing deeper feelings, as well as the infusion of comedy here and there.
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