Over three years after I read and enjoyed this late, great Chilean author's stunning Los detectives salvajes (released in English last year to critical acclaim as The Savage Detectives), I have managed to track down and purchase (in hardcover no less!) an affordable, new edition of his last posthumous work, 2666.
This book is a mo'fo to hold, though, weighing close to 5 lbs. and clocking in at 1125 pages. But despite its heft, I'm planning on reading this one in the next few days (and nights) and writing a review of it. From what I've glimpsed online, apparently there are connections here between this and Los detectives salvajes, so doubtless I'll be wanting to re-read that fine work afterwards as well.
I rarely get this excited by a single book, but Bolaño's writing is an exception I'll gladly make. Don't be surprised if I write an Author Spotlight piece on him towards the end of the week, as this is an author that I'm going to encourage quite a few here to explore. Might not be for everyone's taste, but I am confident that many more people will enjoy this than not. Anyone up for taking my challenge? Oh, and for the English monolinguals (I'll add that this book is also available in French and maybe a few other languages besides Spanish), the English translation of 2666 is coming out in November and apparently there was some talk about it at the recent Book Expo America fair back in May.
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4 comments:
Only recently Brazilian publishers discovered Bolaño´s works. I haven´t read anything by him yet, but I just found out that there´s a Brazilian Portuguese translation of Los Detetives Salvajes available. I´ll go after it as sson as I can. Thank you for the tip, Larry!
You're welcome, Fábio! Bolaño's writing is something else and it seems that each of his novels might be interconnected in some strange fashion. Regardless, Los detectives salvajes is a stunning piece and I hear 2666 is even better, so I guess I know what my evening reading will be ;)
I just bought Los Detetives Salvajes in a Brazilian Portuguese edition which, I´m told, is pretty good. But 2666 hasn´t been translated yet, so probably I´ll buy the Spanish original. I´m awaiting for your review of it. ;-)
Don't know how long (or coherent) of a review it'll be, but I read the first of the 5 "books" last night and the story is a very good one. Nice, conflicted characters, a mysterious missing person, and a search that begins for him. Familiar ground to those who've read Los detectives salvajes, but there are a few more twists here so far.
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