![]() This time, however, I never really got settled. ![]() It always takes me some time to get settled into this way of storytelling, but once I do, I usually end up loving it. As is often the case with Sáenz’s novels, the story is told through (very) short chapters that jump between different situations. So far, so good, but as the story progressed, I started to get a bit restless and dissatisfied. This book takes place in 1988, in the midst of the AIDS crisis, which provides an interesting (and heartwrenching) backdrop to Ari’s coming of age story and his search for his own identity. Despite my surprise, I enjoyed this setting, and I liked reading about how Ari tried to get used to the idea of being gay and to being Dante’s boyfriend. This is a nice parallel to the start of the first book, where Ari and Dante meet for the first time during summer. I had expected there to have been a bit of a time jump, but we find Ari and Dante in the summer before the start of their senior year of high school. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened.Īri and Dante #2 picks up right where the first book left off, which surprised me. I was scared that the sequel wasn’t going to live up to the first book and that I would be disappointed. To me, Ari and Dante #1 is a near perfect book, and it’s also very clearly written as a standalone novel. I wasn’t just excited, though I was also a little apprehensive. So, you can imagine how excited I was to read its long awaited sequel: Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World. But when Ari is faced with a shocking loss, he’ll have to fight like never before to create a life that is truthfully, joyfully his own.Īs long time followers of this blog might now, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (2012) is one of my all-time favourite books. The boys are determined to forge a path for themselves in a world that doesn’t understand them. And, always, there is Dante – dreamy, witty Dante – who can get on Ari’s nerves and fill him with desire all at once. Suddenly he finds himself reaching out to new friends, standing up to bullies and making his voice heard. But something in him cracked open when he fell in love with Dante, and he can’t go back. He expected his senior year to be the same. Now they must discover what it means to stay in love and build a relationship in a world that seems to challenge their very existence.Īri has spent all of high school hiding who he really is, staying silent and invisible. Love in many forms is a central theme to this film and I look forward to watching it over and over when it has a full release.In Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, two boys fell in love. In the film, the love from their parents and the differences in their family dynamics and how they love, was the centerpiece as well. And the parents! One of the things I loved in the book was that Ari and Dante's parents were fully-fledged people (not just side characters tossed in) who loved their sons so fully. The acting was nuanced and they knew those characters so well. You'd never know this was either of their first feature films. Max Pelayo and Reese Gonzales as Aristotle and Dante were perfect in these roles. With any adaptation, parts of the story have to change, but I actually found myself wishing that two new scenes from the movie had actually been in the book because they added so much depth to the story. The screenplay and direction by Aitch Alberto was clearly created with such love for the story that it translated beautifully onto the screen. As a fan of the novel it's based on, it was wonderful to see this beautiful story come to life. I had the privilege of seeing Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe twice at the Palm Springs Film Festival in January 2023.
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