[np] Bolano

[kelber at mindspring.com]

I also found The Savage Detectives tedious going after a while.  I suspect that, like IV, it has more meaning for those with a close knowledge of the setting.  It was reminiscent of Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar, a book I struggled unsuccessfully to get through way back in high school.  Not sure how it would compare now.  Anyone read it?

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: Bekah <bekah0176 at sbcglobal.net>
>Sent: Oct 18, 2009 12:35 PM
>To: pynchon -l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>Subject: Re: [np] Bolano
>
>I agree -   Imo,  (after reading about 1/4)   "The Savage Detectives"  
>could be retitled "Sex Lives of Young Wanna-Be Poets."  I may not  
>finish this one (and I'm big on finishing).    "The Savage  
>Detectives"  was a huge disappointment from "2666"  which I really  
>enjoyed although it was pretty intense about all those dead women.    
>Knowing that central part is based on a true situation  made it more  
>readable.
>
>Google  -    Juarez women murdered.
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_homicides_in_Ciudad_Juárez
>
>Bekah
>
>On Oct 18, 2009, at 8:18 AM, rich wrote:
>
>> I think Bolano is really overrated. not that he's bad mind you but
>> alot of what I've read bored me to tears like the savage detectives
>> and at least half of 2666--tho the part of about the murders is very
>> effective and chilling mostly b/c the characters aren't poets or
>> writers or intellectuals who tend to drone on and on about this or
>> that poet or writer--its very insulated and doesn't breathe with any
>> sort of life. 2666 reads like it was written, rushed-some things stick
>> but not a majority
>> Nazi Literature in the Americas is mostly good and By Night in Chile
>> was the only other novel I could finish.
>>
>>
>> rich
>>
>> On Sun, Oct 18, 2009 at 10:31 AM, Kai Frederik Lorentzen
>> <lorentzen at hotmail.de> wrote:
>>>
>>> Recently I read "El gaucho insufrible", a collection of short  
>>> stories/essays,
>>> in German translation and wasn't that enthusiastic about it.
>>>
>>> What can I say? It's stylish and I read it (too?) quick. Yet for me  
>>> Neo-Kafka
>>> and pomo-like quoting this then quoting that do not mix very well.  
>>> There are
>>> too many writers doing this (having done this) these years.
>>>
>>> The first story ("Jim") is the best. About an US-American getting  
>>> lost in
>>> Mexiko. But I don't think I'll invest a hundred Deutschmarks for  
>>> "2666".
>>>
>>> Just my own impression. And then I cannot read Spanish, so ..
>>>
>>> KFL
>>>
>>>
>
>http://web.mac.com/bekker2/
>
>