[Book] Ari&Dante (3) ~P374 (Fin)
I didn't know I could read 300+ pages in a span of two days... That's something... Umm... I expect myself to be excited about reading this one but not this engrossed so... I don't usually read much so knowing I could probably read more just because I liked it is a good thing >_>
...I really liked it! Though I'll probably hide the book from everyone I know irl because of the 大人の事情 (Otona no Jijou, lit. adult reasons). I don't know why I used a Japanese phrase, uh, but I think it suited the context. But moving on.
Aristotle and Dante Discovers the Secret of the Universe is a story of age of coming about two Mexican youth setting in 1980s. I don't know how to describe it well, I just know that the story is pure and sometimes it doesn't hold back on tearing apart hearts here and there. I found it easy to follow because it's light and it's warm. Sure, it takes a lot of pages to reach that but by the end I was tearing up.
There's a sense of something is odd, because we see the story in the lens of the protagonist Ari!! He is blunt with the words in his mind, he sees the world in a bleak view but that's because he felt like what he do is always something that's borrowed from others. And sure, that void, is perhaps because of his childhood, his distant relation with his father, the secret the family keep from him, and his strained view of himself. And then, we met the sun to the main guy's moon. Dante! A natural opposite of Ari, he is what you would call free. In what he says and what he do.
They bonded through the course of the summer break, getting to know about each other and gaining comfort in the other's presence. An accident happened by the end of the summer break, prompting Ari to go to the hospital. Not related to this, Dante's family moved somewhere else. Ari began having nightmares (he always had those I think but like this is the first time it got described). In the beginning I was wondering why dreams is a recurring topic for both Ari and his father. And my dumbass realized that it's because Ari, even isn't completely open to his thoughts despite what he feels about many things. Just like what he said, perhaps memories, perhaps stuff that he didn't know, but this became a window to what Ari supressed. Dante, his brother, his father, his mother. All that are dear to him, but somehow it's associated with nightmares. He doesn't really want to acknowledge stuff and that's because well... Growing up he is used to keep things to himself, missing the presence of his father and wondering why is his brother somehow became a void in his heart.
For a year...? I think. Ari and Dante went on their lives, with school and so. They exchanged letters. Dante got to know about parties and experimenting with kisses and stuff and so does Ari in his own ways. He got a job and a dog and everything seems fine... The letters are so pure, I mean sure they're losing their innocences but >_> They met again after the year passes. Hello again summer break. The thing is... Dante is found himself, I think. Ari is occupied with his ever-growing curiousity about his brother, asking reasons why and that bothers him to no end. Some stuff happen with his aunt, and Ari's family became more open after that. Stuff happened with Dante, and all hell break loose for Ari. Ari found out what happened to his brother, why his parents went so far to hide things so that it's not painful to be reminded of him each time. I think it's also the point where his parents apologize... And they also helped Ari to just... I don't know... Becoming more honest... I guess.
The story is delicate. The characters are delicate. The conversations are delicate. Despite how heavy the romance aspect of the story is, I think it's ultimately focuses more on Ari's family and himself. That's why I cried a lot when it's involving his mother or his father being sad about the dreams and when Ari feels so defeated most of the time. Emotions are raw and they're... They have many flaws and yet it felt like when they begin to try to understand one another, the family completes eachother. It's really warm. In their own way of giving and expressing, there's love to be shared and I'm just ;-;
Now, Dante. Dante really felt like the sun. He's bright in the sense that it gives some of that light to Ari... Though like two different sides of magnet, one pulls and the other pushes despite both being in one single unit. Their banter are cute and playful and I thought we'd get more before the novel ends but I'm so glad it paid off by the end. Dante himself is delicate... He is honest, but there's always this kind of hesitance in the air when he's around Ari, so it's breaking my heart that nearing the end he sorta felt ashamed (or guilt???) about it. Honestly... The pair does save eachother and I'm...
It does feel like the series Normal People, I watched it. I know it's based on a book but I haven't read it. There's topics like adulthood, a sense of longing, hesitant, orbiting around each other, and what not. I don't know why I mentioned this series. But what I'm saying is it's bad for the heart (me) sometimes during the course of the story.
I know there's a sequel to this book, but I don't know if I should... I feel like sequels for romances series meant prolonging a concluded story, and sometimes there's going to be unnecessary conflict just so there's a story. I know because I read lots of Shojo mangas in the past😼 Because the story ended well! Ari sort of get to be more honest and that's good! Boy is always so harsh on himself especially early on. Refusing to see the good and the kindness in himself, and in a way, refusing other's as well. I don't know what I'm writing... But in short, story good, fluffy, warm, CRIES, me sad, I like.
