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Aristotle and Dante #1-2
The Aristotle and Dante Collection (Boxed Set): Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe; Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World
Both the critically acclaimed, multiple award-winning Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and its highly anticipated sequel Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World in one collectible hardcover boxed set.
When Aristotle and Dante met that one summer at their local swimming pool, they had no way of knowing they would change each other’s lives forever. Together, they discover that they share a special bond—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime—and tackle the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
After opening themselves up to love, they must learn what it means to stay in love—and to build their relationship against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic in 1980s America, in a world that doesn’t seem to want them to exist. To Ari, tragedy feels like his destiny, but can he forge his own path and create a life where he can not only survive, but thrive?
This achingly honest boxed set
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World
When Aristotle and Dante met that one summer at their local swimming pool, they had no way of knowing they would change each other’s lives forever. Together, they discover that they share a special bond—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime—and tackle the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
After opening themselves up to love, they must learn what it means to stay in love—and to build their relationship against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic in 1980s America, in a world that doesn’t seem to want them to exist. To Ari, tragedy feels like his destiny, but can he forge his own path and create a life where he can not only survive, but thrive?
This achingly honest boxed set
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World
896 pages, Hardcover
Published October 12, 2021
9 people are currently reading
321 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin Alire Sáenz
38 books15.7k followersBenjamin Alire Sáenz (born 16 August 1954) is an award-winning American poet, novelist and writer of children's books.
He was born at Old Picacho, New Mexico, the fourth of seven children, and was raised on a small farm near Mesilla, New Mexico. He graduated from Las Cruces High School in 1972. That fall, he entered St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colorado where he received a B.A. degree in Humanities and Philosophy in 1977. He studied Theology at the University of Louvain in Leuven, Belgium from 1977 to 1981. He was a priest for a few years in El Paso, Texas before leaving the order.
In 1985, he returned to school, and studied English and Creative Writing at the University of Texas at El Paso where he earned an M.A. degree in Creative Writing. He then spent a year at the University of Iowa as a PhD student in American Literature. A year later, he was awarded a Wallace E. Stegner fellowship. While at Stanford University under the guidance of Denise Levertov, he completed his first book of poems, Calendar of Dust, which won an American Book Award in 1992. He entered the Ph.D. program at Stanford and continued his studies for two more years. Before completing his Ph.D., he moved back to the border and began teaching at the University of Texas at El Paso in the bilingual MFA program.
His first novel, Carry Me Like Water was a saga that brought together the Victorian novel and the Latin American tradition of magic realism and received much critical attention.
In The Book of What Remains (Copper Canyon Press, 2010), his fifth book of poems, he writes to the core truth of life's ever-shifting memories. Set along the Mexican border, the contrast between the desert's austere beauty and the brutality of border politics mirrors humanity's capacity for both generosity and cruelty.
In 2005, he curated a show of photographs by Julian Cardona.
He continues to teach in the Creative Writing Department at the University of Texas at El Paso.
He was born at Old Picacho, New Mexico, the fourth of seven children, and was raised on a small farm near Mesilla, New Mexico. He graduated from Las Cruces High School in 1972. That fall, he entered St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colorado where he received a B.A. degree in Humanities and Philosophy in 1977. He studied Theology at the University of Louvain in Leuven, Belgium from 1977 to 1981. He was a priest for a few years in El Paso, Texas before leaving the order.
In 1985, he returned to school, and studied English and Creative Writing at the University of Texas at El Paso where he earned an M.A. degree in Creative Writing. He then spent a year at the University of Iowa as a PhD student in American Literature. A year later, he was awarded a Wallace E. Stegner fellowship. While at Stanford University under the guidance of Denise Levertov, he completed his first book of poems, Calendar of Dust, which won an American Book Award in 1992. He entered the Ph.D. program at Stanford and continued his studies for two more years. Before completing his Ph.D., he moved back to the border and began teaching at the University of Texas at El Paso in the bilingual MFA program.
His first novel, Carry Me Like Water was a saga that brought together the Victorian novel and the Latin American tradition of magic realism and received much critical attention.
In The Book of What Remains (Copper Canyon Press, 2010), his fifth book of poems, he writes to the core truth of life's ever-shifting memories. Set along the Mexican border, the contrast between the desert's austere beauty and the brutality of border politics mirrors humanity's capacity for both generosity and cruelty.
In 2005, he curated a show of photographs by Julian Cardona.
He continues to teach in the Creative Writing Department at the University of Texas at El Paso.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 18, 2025
Zrobiłam reread tej serii po latach i stwierdzam że zestarzała się bardzo dobrze. Czytając je na nowo poczulam sie jak inna osoba i zdałam sobie sprawę jak bardzo się zmieniłam z etapu nastolatka-młoda dorosła. Lata temu bardzo się utożsamiałam z Arim w pierwszej książce, nie będąc tego dokońca świadoma, dopiero wracając do niej teraz widziałam na nowo tą dziecięcą perspektywę, zakładanie że wszyscy cię nienawidzą, trochę patrzenie na siebie jak na centrum wszechświata, jednocześnie będąc przekonanym, że jest się nie widzialnym. Natomiast czytając drugą część(ktora co prawda dluzyla sie bardziej w porownaniu z pierwsza) zaczełam realnie dostrzegać to dorastanie, zmienianie się i wychodzenie z mindsetu ofiary. Dzięki niej lepiej zrozumiałam co to naprawdę znaczy dorastanie i zaczełam je wiązać właśnie z tym nabraniem pokory i szerszej perspektywy na uczucia i problemy innych. Naprawdę godna do polecenia seria
March 28, 2022
very good follow up to the first, as i’ve grown attached to ari and dante. however it does not come close to the depth of the first.
October 23, 2022
bueno, releído en inglés, 10/10 me encanta. cortito bueno simple todo lo q esta bien
dante sos el amor de mi vida
dante sos el amor de mi vida
July 29, 2023
i love these two so much. about a silly goober and his emo bf who sucks at talking (samsies)
while maaaybe the writing isn’t super perfect and flawless (whose is?) the story and the emotions feel like a nuke dropped directly on my house. did i cry? absolutely. did i cry multiple times?
..yes actually.
do i cry at a lot of stuff?
ok firstly sthu but also YES. BUT THESE TWO ARE WORTH CRYING FOR. although i am 1. not mexican 2. not male 3. not gay and also 4. living in a time where being lgbtqia+ is supported, i can still understand the feelings in both books. it’s been a hot minute since i’ve read either so my opinions on these books have slowed down to a little sparkle, but READ THE DAMN BOOKS. you’ll get that bonfire with these silly boys just figuring out life. and even if you don’t, uh… well. you better like it lol. although they are a teensy smidge longer than some of the other young adult books, the books are smooth and easy to read. i <3 them.
while i love this book, there is one major turn-off that made me struggle to read the rest of it. ari named the dog legs. like ok i get it plot reasons but like.. cmon.. legs? i got so confused throughout the whole thing bc i thought ari was talking about actual LEGS, not the dog.
that last part was a joke ofc
even with that MAJOR and BLARING problem, you should still at least try this story.
tldr: two high school boys fall absolutely and completely in love with each other, watch them be teenagers and cry while they question their sexuality, nationality/ethnicity, and try to figure out how to become a working member of society.
while maaaybe the writing isn’t super perfect and flawless (whose is?) the story and the emotions feel like a nuke dropped directly on my house. did i cry? absolutely. did i cry multiple times?
..yes actually.
do i cry at a lot of stuff?
ok firstly sthu but also YES. BUT THESE TWO ARE WORTH CRYING FOR. although i am 1. not mexican 2. not male 3. not gay and also 4. living in a time where being lgbtqia+ is supported, i can still understand the feelings in both books. it’s been a hot minute since i’ve read either so my opinions on these books have slowed down to a little sparkle, but READ THE DAMN BOOKS. you’ll get that bonfire with these silly boys just figuring out life. and even if you don’t, uh… well. you better like it lol. although they are a teensy smidge longer than some of the other young adult books, the books are smooth and easy to read. i <3 them.
while i love this book, there is one major turn-off that made me struggle to read the rest of it. ari named the dog legs. like ok i get it plot reasons but like.. cmon.. legs? i got so confused throughout the whole thing bc i thought ari was talking about actual LEGS, not the dog.
that last part was a joke ofc
even with that MAJOR and BLARING problem, you should still at least try this story.
tldr: two high school boys fall absolutely and completely in love with each other, watch them be teenagers and cry while they question their sexuality, nationality/ethnicity, and try to figure out how to become a working member of society.
November 28, 2021
It was a really cute book!
Want to read
January 16, 2024COMMENTS ON TWO BOOKS, THE “ARISTOTLE AND DANTE” BOOKS, TEENAGE GAY ROMANCE PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2010 AND 2020
Notes by Jeff Keith
I dearly loved this pair of books. People shouldn't be afraid of the large number of pages, because the author has many short chapters.
Ari and Dante are two teenaged boys, both Chicanos living in El Paso, Texas. Beyond their common ethnicity, they seem to have little in common, and go to different high schools. But something clicks when they first meet, and step by step, they fall in love.
The chapter arrangement is idiosyncratic; many chapters are one page long or less, so that there is a lot of white space. Although there seem to be a lot of pages, it doesn’t take terribly long to read these two books. The action moves right along. The first book is 359 pages and has 157 chapters. The second book (a sequel) is 516 pages long and has 165 chapters.
This entire “epic” is what you might call “rated PG-13;” there are no overtly sexual scenes, probably because the two boys are aged 15 to 17 during the story. The first book ends with one of their first passionate, unabashed kisses. In the second, longer book, they affirm their love and their wish to be a romantic couple, and spend a few nights together, but can only do that away from home, not in their parents’ houses (even though both sets of parents accept their relationship). The nights together are described in the old-fashioned Hollywood style, lying down together and starting to kiss “and then they wake up in the morning.”
The action takes place around 1988 in El Paso, Texas. They don’t encounter gross homophobia in their schools. Both boys must have been born around 1971 or ’72. The math is off regarding how old their parents are, in case you want to figure that out. Dante’s parents are around 36 to 38, meaning born around 1950, and young enough to have a new baby in the fall of 1988. So even though they both graduated from college, it sounds like they must have gotten married and become parents either in college or immediately afterwards.
Aristotle’s parents are a bit older. His father is a Vietnam veteran (my generation), meaning that he must have been born in the 1940s. They had three kids around ten years before Ari was born, meaning born by 1961 at the latest--- presumably when the couple were teenagers. The scene of when they met (second book, pages 347-9), I guess at the University of Texas, has a time break in it. If they had kids before the husband went off to Vietnam, then their first meeting WOULD NOT have been a case of a G.I. veteran coming home and going to college under the G.I. bill or whatever; it would have been a case of two teenagers in the late 1950s.
Aristotle’s timidity and fears about admitting that he is gay reminds me of my own situation 20 years before, in the early 1960s. I have diaries and memoirs describing my life in those years. As in the case of Ari and Dante, I eventually met a passionate boy who kind of threw himself at me emotionally (Richard or “Dick”), and that terrified me, so I pushed him “to arms’ distance” for a few years.
An additional impediment for Ari and Dante in the 1980s, of course, was that the AIDS epidemic was raging. There are references to people dying of AIDS, but we can hope that these two boys will get good advice about safe sex. Once again the book (in this case the long second volume) ends on the cusp of something; they have both just graduated from high school and are heading off to college, but they did not choose to go to the same college.
Notes by Jeff Keith
I dearly loved this pair of books. People shouldn't be afraid of the large number of pages, because the author has many short chapters.
Ari and Dante are two teenaged boys, both Chicanos living in El Paso, Texas. Beyond their common ethnicity, they seem to have little in common, and go to different high schools. But something clicks when they first meet, and step by step, they fall in love.
The chapter arrangement is idiosyncratic; many chapters are one page long or less, so that there is a lot of white space. Although there seem to be a lot of pages, it doesn’t take terribly long to read these two books. The action moves right along. The first book is 359 pages and has 157 chapters. The second book (a sequel) is 516 pages long and has 165 chapters.
This entire “epic” is what you might call “rated PG-13;” there are no overtly sexual scenes, probably because the two boys are aged 15 to 17 during the story. The first book ends with one of their first passionate, unabashed kisses. In the second, longer book, they affirm their love and their wish to be a romantic couple, and spend a few nights together, but can only do that away from home, not in their parents’ houses (even though both sets of parents accept their relationship). The nights together are described in the old-fashioned Hollywood style, lying down together and starting to kiss “and then they wake up in the morning.”
The action takes place around 1988 in El Paso, Texas. They don’t encounter gross homophobia in their schools. Both boys must have been born around 1971 or ’72. The math is off regarding how old their parents are, in case you want to figure that out. Dante’s parents are around 36 to 38, meaning born around 1950, and young enough to have a new baby in the fall of 1988. So even though they both graduated from college, it sounds like they must have gotten married and become parents either in college or immediately afterwards.
Aristotle’s parents are a bit older. His father is a Vietnam veteran (my generation), meaning that he must have been born in the 1940s. They had three kids around ten years before Ari was born, meaning born by 1961 at the latest--- presumably when the couple were teenagers. The scene of when they met (second book, pages 347-9), I guess at the University of Texas, has a time break in it. If they had kids before the husband went off to Vietnam, then their first meeting WOULD NOT have been a case of a G.I. veteran coming home and going to college under the G.I. bill or whatever; it would have been a case of two teenagers in the late 1950s.
Aristotle’s timidity and fears about admitting that he is gay reminds me of my own situation 20 years before, in the early 1960s. I have diaries and memoirs describing my life in those years. As in the case of Ari and Dante, I eventually met a passionate boy who kind of threw himself at me emotionally (Richard or “Dick”), and that terrified me, so I pushed him “to arms’ distance” for a few years.
An additional impediment for Ari and Dante in the 1980s, of course, was that the AIDS epidemic was raging. There are references to people dying of AIDS, but we can hope that these two boys will get good advice about safe sex. Once again the book (in this case the long second volume) ends on the cusp of something; they have both just graduated from high school and are heading off to college, but they did not choose to go to the same college.
September 12, 2023
This was just an excuse for me to read your favorite book! The first book means the world to me because it’s the first time I saw myself reflected in literature, and saw experiences and mindsets that I thought were uniquely my own reflected in my community. The peace and joy that brought me is indescribable and I will always cherish this series is because of it! I do prefer the first book to the second but despite the second book firing off on many different ideas, I still love and cherish it too!
On page 67 of book two it says “Oh Ari, let your sisters love you. Let yourself be loved. For all you know, there’s a long line of people wanting you to let them in”. And that will ALWAYS stick with me! Also the dedication in the first book?! “To all the boys who’ve had to learn to play by different rules”. Top quote for me! It gave me chills and gets me in my feelings every time!!!
On page 67 of book two it says “Oh Ari, let your sisters love you. Let yourself be loved. For all you know, there’s a long line of people wanting you to let them in”. And that will ALWAYS stick with me! Also the dedication in the first book?! “To all the boys who’ve had to learn to play by different rules”. Top quote for me! It gave me chills and gets me in my feelings every time!!!
December 29, 2024
Oh my god, I can’t even put to words how much I adore these books. It has the perfect amount of everything and the way it’s written is just so poetic and beautiful. I love both books so much and I don’t think any book will make me feel like that again.
July 29, 2023
Absolutely loved it, cried multiple times
October 7, 2023
3.5 or 4 stars
November 5, 2023
me gustaron los libros, solo no me gustan las ediciones tapa dura y me arrepiento de haber comprado el boxset
January 13, 2024
Mon avis ne changera pas. Je les aimes tellement, c'est indescriptible.
February 25, 2024
I just have no words for this masterpiece.
Beautiful!
❤️🩹🌏💌😭
Beautiful!
❤️🩹🌏💌😭
July 9, 2025
I enjoyed this duology but I strongly favored the first one.
July 30, 2023
I've only read book 1 but there's no individual listing for it on Goodreads, like seriously the entry didn't exist & it's kind of baffling.
Pretty boys weaving poetry in the rain, under the stars, this book is gorgeous.
Pretty boys weaving poetry in the rain, under the stars, this book is gorgeous.
August 1, 2024
The first book in this series is five out five. It’s so pretty and the romance is one of the most pure and loving teenage romances i’ve ever seen. Even being a romance it makes you think and tackles a lot of heavy teams. I couldn’t stop reading it when i started, please read it.
The second book, a three out of five. I think in reference to the series it’s worse than maybe it is? It feels obvious to me it was meant to be a standalone and just succeeded because this was like four hundred pages of boring boring progress of their story.
The second book, a three out of five. I think in reference to the series it’s worse than maybe it is? It feels obvious to me it was meant to be a standalone and just succeeded because this was like four hundred pages of boring boring progress of their story.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews