The Posthumous Adventures of Roberto Bolaño: 2666 and Other Madness

[Baeyer-Drewson]

So I am about halfway through 2666, my first Roberto Bolaño novel, and it's been a long time since I felt this way about a book.

This book is a treasure trove of mystery and symbolism. I love the way it breaks so many conventions of the classic "novel" yet remains so enthralling. It is such a dense description of many facets of humanity.

I have a number of questions myself, and I'm curious to know what others think about this novel.

One of the stranger recurrent practices I've noticed is the description of characters based on historical persons, but with a slight change their factual names.

The two most prominent examples (from Part 3) are Barry Seaman and Marius Newell, who are proposed to be the founding members of the Black Panthers. The actual founding members were Bobby Seale and Huey Newton. Despite the differences in name, the biographical details of the life of Marius Newell are very similar to those of the historical Huey Newtown.

A similar thing occurs (also in Part 3) when the reader is first introduced (at a distance) to a criminologist/detective specialising in the behavioural patterns of serial killers; Albert Kessler. This is a fairly obvious reference to the man most renowned for the concept of criminal profiling, Robert Ressler.

Why would an author do this? Essentially incorporate actual reality-based characters into a novel and make only slight, identifiable changes to their names?

[eastcoastrider27]

I'm not familiar with the book, but often times writers include fictional characters that are based on real people. It could be simply be considered an homage. Or perhaps the author isn't able to use the real name due to financial reasons. But the most likely reason is because the actual person is only supposed to serve as an inspiration for the character .

If the author used the real name of the person they would have to follow the facts of their life very closely so as to not get sued. By using a different name they have more creative license to alter the character to fit the story.

An example that comes to mind is the character of Hollis Mulwray in the film Chinatown. The character is loosely based on William Mulholland whose water initiatives enabled Los Angeles to become what it is today.

[i like turtles.]

i will buy and finish this by december

[Baeyer-Drewson]

Thanks for the suggestion eastcoastrider27. It seems rather obvious when put like that. I just assumed it was a literary choice and there was something more esoteric going on. I really hadn't considered the possible legal ramifications of using real characters in a fictional work. I figure a standard "work of fiction" disclaimer would get around such issues (as in South Park for example).

Pick it up turtles. For something so long it is a very easy read, somehow reminds me of Murakami in some ways; the dream-like descriptions and ramblings. The non-Latin American authors that come to mind as I read are DeLillo, Pynchon, Murakami, and Calvino.

I'd really like to get some discussion going on several aspects of 2666. Need to get some more people in here that are currently reading it or have already read it.

[jl.1212]

I got around to reading The Savage Detectives. From a first impression, it's like nothing I ever read before. I wish I could put my finger on what makes the narrative so captivating.

[Baeyer-Drewson]

^This is exactly how I feel about 2666. It's like nothing I've ever read before.

You planning on reading 2666 anytime soon? I was in a bookstore yesterday and I almost bought Savage Detectives for later...

Distant Star might be my next Bolaño read for the historical interest and because of it's brevity.

[gramps]

So pleased this thread got started. I'm beat so I'll have to hold off and collect my thoughts before weighing on your comments, Beayer (kudos on the Kessler/Ressler thing, though) but I would say if you're looking for something after 2666 besides Savage Detectives, I'd recommend Amulet. It's fantastic.

Quick aside though, I read Antwerp when it dropped earlier this year, and I'd have to say that I'm not sure how I would have found it if I hadn't read Savage Detectives and 2666. It's like having a dream about those books, full of disconnected references and scenes that invoke them in ways hard to put your finger on. Good though.

[Baeyer-Drewson]

Thanks for the heads-up gramps. The sheer volume of references in 2666, both internally self-referential and externally factual/semi-factual, is really quite astounding. It's the first time in a long while that I have written notes in a book. There is just sooo much symbolism in the book. I particularly love how stories begin and don't end, how characters seem to wander in, exist for a few paragraphs, and then disappear from the novel entirely. This is such a great ongoing commentary on narrative, life, and the nature of social reality.

I get the feeling that this book will leave me feeling very satisfied even if it lacks a conventional "ending", which I kind of suspect it will.

Can someone point out the stylistic allusions to other genres that occur in 2666?

How the hell do you kick off a discussion on something as dense as 2666?!

[Baeyer-Drewson]

I just started Part 5 and realised that Hans Reiter (who I'm assuming is von Archimboldi) would pronounce his surname "writer" in German. I kinda feel like this is one of Bolano's more obvious jokes in 2666. Almost every part of the book features a writer (or writers) as the central protagonist(s).

[Baeyer-Drewson]

So it's been several months since I finished a first reading of 2666. I'm part way through the audiobook (laziness concept) and I've read a few of his other works. Picked this up the other day and was pleasantly suprised.

The intro contains a huge amount of insight into the factual basis of many of the events in 2666. Particularly Bolano's ongoing correspondence with Sergio Gonzalez who is one of the few factual characters that appears with his own name in the novel. The way each man influenced the other on the matter of the killings is really quite profound. The correspondence was taking place whilst bolano was still writing 2666 and it's believed that Sergio may have been his source of many of the primary resources Bolano would have needed to create such an insightful portrait of Ciudad.

The whole Albert Kessler (Robert Ressler) reference is even based on fact. Apparently the AG of Mexico invited the actual Robert Ressler to Juarez to help solve the killings. But he was not provided with a translator, amongst other oversights, and he left having not solved any part of the crimes. Apparently this had a pretty serious psychological impact on Bolano and his understanding of the nature of the crimes, that is, that they were the by-product of governmental corruption rather than the work of a single killer.

Really interesting read anyway, introduced me to about two dozen Spanish and Latin American writers that I have never heard of before.