It’s pretty easy to say that literature has been one
of the defining features in my life. However, was hard to choose a book for
this assignment, as plenty of the books I’ve read have had a great impact on my
person. Novels such as Where Things Come
Back by John Corey Whaley, The Little
Princess, or Animal Farm come to
mind. As for children’s literature, I can recite The Lorax almost entirely from memory, and of course being raised
Christian Catholic meant the Bible played an important role in my childhood as
well. However, I can honestly say there is one book I have read that has
affected me the most, and that is the novel Aristotle
and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
My reasons for choosing
this piece are both personal as well as massive spoilers, so I won’t go into
them to deeply. Yet I can say that this book taught me about what it’s like to
grow up and fall in love without even realizing it. Aside from its main plot,
however, Sáenz’s novel includes many touching moments and descriptive
commentary that I find very relatable and truthful. This book tells the truth
of teenage years amplified by a feeling of difference and loneliness.
Since I
was thirteen I have been working through depression and anxiety issues, and
this book is a great relation to my inept social problems. Not to mention the
extreme teenage angst that comes with the young adult coming-of-age genre. However,
the self-monologues and imagery perfectly capture emotions and feelings I
thought were impossible to put into words. It reminds me of my favorite band, twenty
øne piløts, as their music means the very same to me.
It’s
hard to describe exactly what this
book means to me, as I don’t very much understand it myself, just as I don’t understand
why I want to be an engineer. There was no defining moment, no realization, no
nothing. I was pulled to it. In my
heart and in my soul, I can feel pure love for this book. It is one of those pieces
that will numb you, make you lie on your bed for an hour after finishing it,
feeling nothing and almost crying but not quite. You don’t know what to feel.
All you know is this book. So instead
of drinking to stop the pain, I read.
Just as the
contents have power, the style with which they are written in amplifies the
soul of it, As I have mentioned, Sáenz has a way of perfectly boxing one insane
emotion into a single group of words. It amazes me that everything I feel can
be represented by a simple pattern of letters and spaces. It’s pure poetry.
This book is so effortlessly me, just
everything I feel. The relatability is so accurate its almost frightening, so
it is clearly plain to see why I have such a strong connection to it. In
addition, I feel a very strong connection to the characters. Aristotle’s
fearlessness and independence as well as Dante’s view of the world, innocence,
and ability to make anything beautiful are all qualities I’ve wanted to have in
myself. This novel inspires me to grow as a person and become someone gentle,
yet fierce.
Lastly, I
can never seem to get tired of this book. I still don’t own it, but I have been
listening to the audiobook. I first read it last summer, and it left me numb for
a few days. It made me think about everything
and view the world with Sáenz’s imprint now on it. I don’t really remember much
from the time I read the book, but it changed me, and I haven’t been the same
since. All I can say is: go read it. As confusing and jumbled I’m sure this
essay was, the only way you can truly understand what I mean is if you read it
yourself. Let it mean something to you, let it inspire you, hurt you, and make
you as numb as a Novocain shot. Aristotle
and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is the most important book
in my life and will remain for the longest time. Please trust me, it’s worth your
time.
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