Bolano's 2666

[John Pendergast]

Yes, he's German but his fans/critics follow his presumed moves all over 
the world, including Mexico, where the plot picks up the story of the 
unsolved killings of hundreds of young women. The critics in the novel 
are an obsessive lot, pouring over any hint of biography they can find 
and anxiously awaiting the final words of their aging icon. Probably not 
Pynchon per se, but definitely Bolano's most scathing portrayal yet of 
the lit crit industry.

John P.

rich wrote:
> heard it was slated for a november release--the novelist is German in
> 2666, yes?
>
> folks might enjoy Hell's Cartel, new book by diamund jeffries about IG
> Farben--lots of interesting background on synthetic materials and
> industrial chemistry. jeffries isn't a historian so the politics and
> whatnot is fairly standard textbook but the science and corporate
> shennagans are worth a look.
>
> rich
>
> On 9/15/08, John Pendergast <jpender at siue.edu> wrote:
>   
>> All,
>>
>> I'm not sure if this has been reported yet, but the English translation
>> of Roberto Bolano's /2666 /is due out soon. Given a shadowy network of
>> former students who now work at a local bookstore, I have been reading
>> an advance copy of it, and it is noteworthy that the central character
>> (in the first third of the novel, at least) is a reclusive (or, at
>> least, non-publicity seeking) novelist and his obsessive and always
>> prying critical followers. It is a great read, and perhaps there is a
>> European/Latin model other than Pynchon who inspired Bolano, but as I
>> read it, I can't help but wonder.
>>
>> John Pendergast
>>
>>     
>
>