Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

“A part of me wanted to run away from all the complications of being in love with Dante. Maybe Ari plus Dante equated love, but it also equated complicated. It also equated playing hide-and-seek with the world. But there was a difference between the art of running and the art of running away.”

This one gave me all the feels 😭

“Dante really was my only friend. It was complicated to be in love with your only friend.”

It was wonderful to be reunited with Ari, Dante, and the other characters from Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Seeing (or reading about) these characters again truly warmed my heart.
Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World picks up right after Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and we read of the early days in Ari and Dante’s relationship. This section was probably my favourite in the whole novel, even if their summer isn’t entirely idyllic.

“I was depressing myself. I was good at that. I had always been good at that.”

Ari’s ongoing inner conflict about his identity and sexuality often results in him turning inward. While he is still prone to bouts of self-loathing and sadness, he has ‘grown’ since Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and he has learnt not to shut himself entirely away from the ones he loves. His relationship with his father is much more open now, and it was really heartrending to see them bond, confide, and support each other. Ari also finds friendship in three fellow schoolmates, and their presence in his life is certainly a good one.
We see how the way in which the media and public (mis)perceive and talk about the AIDS pandemic affects Ari. As he already struggles with his self-worth, his masculinity, and his sexuality, well, the deaths within his community leave their mark on him. While most of the people close to him love him and support him, at school and through the news, he witnesses and overhears plenty of homophobic remarks. As he comes to learn that responding to other people’s hatred with rage and violence, well, it doesn’t really solve matters, he tries his best to quench his anger.
Ari is also still haunted by his older brother who is still in prison and, as the end of high school approaches, uncertain about his and Dante’s future.

“And I didn’t give a shit that I was young, and I had just turned seventeen and I didn’t give a shit if anyone thought I was too young to feel the things that I felt. Too young? Tell that to my fucking heart.”

Sáenz’s narratives brim with empathy. He is considerate, tender even, towards his characters, never dismissing their feelings or making light of their struggles. The characters at the core of this novel are truly beautiful, and support each other through each other’s ups and downs. He also conveys Ari’s fears and anxieties in such a believable way, making us understand why sometimes he reacts in a certain way or why his first instinct is usually to remain silent about his worries.

Sáenz’s prose manages to be both simple and lyrical. His conversational style is truly immersive and captures with authenticity Ari’s teenage voice. The chapters are often short and very dialogue-focused, in a way that reminded me of Richard Wagamese. Their stories are heavy on dialogues, which may very well annoy some readers, but I liked the rhythm created by the characters’ conversations and, in some ways, it made me feel as if I were listening in to ‘real’ people talk about ‘real’ things.

My biggest issue, the reason why I didn’t give this a higher rating, is the Ari/Dante dynamic. I not only wanted to see more of them together, but I just wanted more of Dante. Ari’s new friends (although likeable enough) seem to sideline Dante’s presence in the narrative…which made some of his later actions seem quite random. Speaking of which, that last 10% was a wee bit rushed (or maybe this was just me not wanting to let go of ari/dante).

Still, it was lovely to read about these characters again and I’m sure that fans of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe will fall in love with Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World. Sáenz writes about loneliness, acceptance, grief, and belonging as few do. Moving and poetic, Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World was definitely worth the wait.

my rating: ★★★½

Read more reviews on my blog / / / View all my reviews on Goodreads

Advertisement