Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Audiobook Review

Like the more diverse (and better) version of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe follows the friendship of Ari and Dante over time from the day they meet at the side of a swimming pool until the day they stand in the desert, changing their relationship forever.

With no clear central plot, Aristotle and Dante is more about meandering through the two boys’ lives as they grow up beside one another and discover things about themselves. The ultimate coming-of-age story, the book covers topics like family, friendships, love, and figuring out who you are when you feel like you don’t belong. Ultimately creating a relatable narration of the young human experience, Ari’s story is full of teenage angst and the difficulties of growing up.

“This is my problem. I want other people to tell me how they feel. But I’m not so sure I want to return the favor.”

For anyone who struggles to remain engaged when characters are the crux and the plot is left to the wayside, Aristotle and Dante will not be enjoyable. But for those who love a deep dive into characters and adore watching people grow up on-page, this book is a must-read. By the end of the novel, Ari and Dante (as well as their families) feel very much real and relatable, and the way the novel makes their experiences accessible to anyone will have adult readers nostalgic and younger readers empathetic. Incredibly introspection-inducing, it’s hard not to find something profound within the pages of Aristotle and Dante about the human experience. 

“Something happened inside me as I looked out into the vast universe. Through that telescope, the world was closer and larger than I’d ever imagined. And it was all so beautiful and overwhelming and—I don’t know—it made me aware that there was something inside of me that mattered.”

But with such a long span of time to cover, the book may feel a bit slow-going and somewhat long, especially for certain readers. And despite the prolonged period of time, the writing style doesn’t change much as the book moves through the boys’ lives, making them still sound a bit childish and naive even as they break into their teenage years. This is only emphasized by the immature voices Lin-Manuel Miranda makes for them, which, although perfect at first, make the characters seem much younger than they are in the latter parts of the book. 

Still, Miranda is a great match and is a dream to listen to (as any fan of Hamilton will already know) and the dialogue-heavy writing style comes alive through his narration in such a way that, once I began to listen, the physical form no longer held much appeal. A statement I don’t often make.

“You’re acting different.”

“Weird?”

“Yeah, weird. But in a good way.”

“Good,” I said, “I’ve always wanted to be weird in a good way.”  

Not unlike my quips with Perks, Aristotle and Dante’s ending seems a bit sudden, or would if it hadn’t been spoiled by almost any other book review that’s ever been written about it. Dare I say it even feels a bit John Green in its forced-feeling profundity and the way characters come to terms with things they were apparently ‘feeling all along’ but with little notice to the reader. A type of thing that feels a little too cinematic and neat in comparison to the pragmatic way the rest of the story plays out. 

Honestly a bit disappointing in comparison to its massive hype as one of the most talked-about novels in the book community, Aristotle and Dante admittedly has a certain, quiet earnestness that provides a special something. 

Highly recommended to replace the Wallflower’s place in the canon of coming-of-age literature, I rated Aristotle and Dante 3.5 out of 5 stars and would recommend to fans of John Green’s books.

You can read or listen to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe for free with a 30-day trial of Scribd. 

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