Bolano's 2666 will be available in English soon. For the few who visit this blog, I must announce my enthusiasm for Bolano again, he being the only writer to whom I have devoted a few posts, under the general rubric of Literature, though I feel now that I should have created a label for Bolano!It seems that a few people are already on to the new book and there are a few reviews too. A comparison to Delillo has been made but with all respects, that is far fetched, for the languages and the world views that the two writers have bear no comparison. I feel any such comparison is an affront to Bolano but one that does not matter. It also stems from an inadequate understanding of the clever craft of this type of fiction, which blends romanticism with practical fictive and unconscious emotional stances, reflecting a life that is lived on the edge, near posthumous desires, under a sky that is never benign, always changing, near the din and hovel of frenzied love, love for ideals and sensitivity, for drama and the detachment that only words can offer. Bolano's fiction is the fiction of visceral realism, of a kind of attitude that only a few can relate with. One has only gratitude for this kind of writing.
I hope that more will be written about this novel and Bolano's poetry will be published in English soon too. A link ( Perhaps the writer of this review should not read Bolano!) here.
2 comments:
Good to see you back in the blogland. yes, I am looking forward to 2666 as well. I like Delillo but they are very different writers.
--sharif
Hi,
No, I haven't had the time to read 2666 yet. I remember telling you that I didn't buy it when only few people here knew who Bolaño was at all (he was alive, and I thought well, I can buy this in a couple of months). Then he died, as usual the publishers profited and now I can hardly afford it. I guess I'll manage to read it this year anyway.
As for the short text in English on the side of my blog, that's a quotes section. That one is from Salinger's The catcher in the rye. I'd rather have a cup of coffee or a nice beer somewhere with those writers I admire, as well. I guess the list of people would be too long, but this week I'd really enjoy some wine with Juan Ruiz. I'd need to go centuries back in time and he would probably not take me too seriously, but I think it might be interesting anyway.
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