Hello visceral realists! We find ourselves getting to the end! This past week’s reading was pages 451-530, or through Part 2, Chapter 23. For next week, we finish Part 2!
I am delighted that the book is going along how it is going. I have said before that I was wary when we started Part 2 because I just wasn’t connecting with it. Now, having gotten used to the structure and getting some footing with the recurring characters, I’m feeling a lot better. Plus, with the strange, lengthy segments in this section of reading, it just feels more like Roberto Bolaño to me.
How are you all doing? We have lost some along the way! That’s okay! Whether you’ve fallen behind and don’t feel able to participate, or whether you’ve decided now is not the time, or whether you’ve decided this book isn’t for you, we love that you’re you and hope that all is well! If you do wish to share where you’re at in this journey, you are more than welcome. I think it would be nice to hear from folks who decided to stop, as I think those responses are valid and would add to my reading experience as well. No pressure, though!
Of course, I’m also anxious to hear how folks who are still reading are doing. This may have been my favorite section yet. I really like that we are twenty years removed from the initial events of the novel, though I love still shifting back to Amadeo. It creates this strange sense that all of this is happening at once. Maybe a “the past isn’t in the past” vibe. At the same time, it shows the passage of time, the changes that brings about, the lost youth, the lost ideals, the loss of certainty and a sense of where things are going—all issues I think Bolaño addresses well in his other books too.
[This post seemed to have some issues with the commenting. I’m not sure what they were because I went in and it says it is open to all subscribers and not just paid subscribers, but I’m adding this hoping I can repost it and all will be well!]
Like Trevor, I’ve really enjoyed the longer sections lately. While I’ve come to appreciate the shorter sections and their disorienting and sometimes staccato feel, this did feel more like Bolano I know and love. And yes, jumping ahead in time and hearing and seeing the effects the intervening years have had on everyone is fascinating.
I also tried listening to the audiobook while reading along during this week’s section, which is always a fascinating experience. For anyone interested, the audio narrators do a very nice job with the various distinctive voices. What a daunting project that must have been!
Just so folks know, this is not intended to be a paid subscriber only post. The settings do not allow me to even make it so only subscribers can comment. If you cannot comment, please let me know on another thread and I'll repost this hoping for the best!
The pretentious guy (with his Latin phases) was great. Insufferable but funny to read, he was a very distinct character. Has anyone else been amazed at the ability to write so many different voices? Sure some may sound similar but I think most of them are distinct.
I meant to post comments last week, perhaps I will go back to the previous thread & do so. I don't do well with a long, drawn-out reading schedule so I went ahead & finished the book a week or two ago.
It's interesting to read the comments on Xose. Since I finished the book already & am just flipping back to remember each section, what stood out most to me in that section was Arturo saving the little boy when everyone else was too superstitious or scared to do it. Not only was Arturo a visceral realist in thought (for his poetry), he was in action too. He faced the reality & dealt with it while everyone else gave in to fear & superstition. Xose himself was a blowhard, a forgettable guy (imo). But the story of Arturo descending into the abyss & emerging unscathed while saving the day is what I remembered.
This section contained two of my favorite chapters -- chapters 22 & 23.
The sword fight was wonderful. It's just so unexpected that I really enjoyed it & found it completely delightful. It was not only amusing from the standpoint of it happening in June 1994 (reminder this is the month & year of OJ's slow car chase for a time context), but also the resurrection of dueling from a historical context. It also reminded me a bit of Don Quixote tilting at windmills.
Erin mentioned the similar repeated phrases/refrains at the end of each piece in Chapter 23. Again, those pleased me very much:
Everything that begins as comedy ends as tragedy.
Everything that begins as comedy ends as tragicomedy.
Everything that begins as comedy ends as comedy.
Everything that begins as comedy ends as a cryptographic exercise.
Everything that begins as a comedy ends as a horror movie.
What begins as a comedy ends as a triumphal march, wouldn’t you say?
Everything that begins as a comedy inevitably ends as a mystery.
Everything that begins as a comedy ends as a dirge in the void.
Everything that begins as a comedy ends as a comic monologue, but we aren’t laughing anymore.
I wonder if these somehow indicate the meat of the book? So far, I feel that any of these sentences could summarize the novel as a whole. (Which is really incredible when you think about that.) Or perhaps somehow reflect the structure of the book as a whole. Anyway, something about the structure of the repeated refrains feels important to me from this chapter, the true message, perhaps even moreso than the reveal of Cesária Tinajero's only poem.
I won't be commenting properly until later, as life kicked in and I hardly got any reading done today. I did read Chapter 20, Xose really felt to me like a *that guy* with his constant injections of latin phrases, but he certainly stands out! I didn't expect Belano to end up on the other side of Spain from Barcelona, again as a watchman, in Xose's story, but I suppose he did have to look for work around this time. I'll post more thoughts (if I have any) later in the week. Encouraging to hear good things about this segment!
Happy Easter! We aren't all lost. I was waiting for a section of the novel that fascinated me to mutate and form something worth writing about but it didn't happen so I skipped commenting. This week the writing was even more thought provoking and I'll spot some thoughts on that in a bit, but first back to what occupied me last week. I do my week's reading early Saturday morning from around 2;00 AM until the week's reading is finished. This usually gives me some time to review what I read in my head and organize my thoughts before Trevor's post later in the day. Last week I was reading along as usual and came to the Andres Ramirez section. He was the bar/restaurant owner that gave Belano a job as a dishwasher. His section immediately as he is addressing Belano directly and digresses into a story about a surreal story about how he came up with lottery numbers. (the source of the funding for his business) The section stuck out to me for its surrealism and also how it related to the rest of the novel. It does seem to relate to Abel Romero's comments on chance and purpose in the next section but I am curious have any of you have developed anything clearer or a possible literary source for the story?
But on the whole the reading is fine and I am loving the novel more each section.
A line in this section in fact supplies the title of Mohamed Mbougar Sarr's "The Most Secret Memory of Men" (2021) prestigious, prize-winning, though I have doubts about "popular," novel, which I will likely finish tomorrow. Sarr's book is not just titled but modelled after "The Savage Detectives," including its three-part structure, the multiplicity of voices, the search for a vanished writer, and the link between writing and violence.
The stories this week were a bit all over the place for me - I didn't get on that well with Xosé - unlikeable and full of himself. That went on a bit too long for me.
Felt bad about poor Norman. And we still have no idea what happened to Ulises, and who that woman is whose kid he was like a father to? Or the Chinese woman? B&L continue to be ghosts.
Then the next section with the duel - what even was going on there? Seems like 'all in good fun' at the end, but I still couldn't figure out why (nor could any of the characters, it seems). Do we think Belano actually went to Africa, or did he get stuck in Italy where his flight connected (as Müller placed him in Italy after Barcelona...)
I liked the last section at the Book Fair, like a chorus of stories with every last line a refrain. A line in the first one apparently gave the name to a currently popular book "La más recóndita memoria de los hombres" which has been translated to English via French as "The Most Secret Memory of Men".
I fell behind last week, but managed to catch up this week for both last week’s reading and this week’s. It’s amazing how readable this book is, I’ll suddenly look at the page count and realize I’ve read 50 pages in one day. Very fun to read. I’ll say also that I understand now why Bolaño went into so much detail with Esther’s account of her relationship with Belano. We see in this week’s reading that it weighed on him heavily even years later (when he refers to her as “the one who broke my heart in conversation constantly with another girl, the nurse, I can’t remember her name), and seems to have contributed to his instability and his physical and mental health issues. I got the sense that the choice to duel may have even been influenced by Belano’s heartbreak. I personally found Esther’s interview recurring through my mind after that revelation. There was something deeply sad about it for me. Also Daniel’s segment, talking about what happened to Norman was another heartbreaking part.
Does anyone have an opinion about what's going on with the bad math equations in Julio Martínez Morales' section? In all but one (3x3=9) the answers are off by +1 (7x3=22, etc.). This has to be intentional - does this mean he doesn't think things 'add up'? Does it mean to imply the word analogies he makes are also 'off'? Am I thinking way to hard about this picayune detail? LOL.
Listening to the pod and you guys mention that it is quieter now maybe people gave up or fell behind. For me it was the opposite I went too far ahead and have been done for some time now. I can’t wait for the final post hopefully others are awaiting the final discussion. Also very excited for the podcast ep on this read.
I'm still reading! I struggled a lot with the last couple of sections - a lot going on that seems to be very peripheral to the main plot, but maybe I'm missing something looking at the comments below. Some of the sections are really interesting taken almost as standalone pieces, but I'm not sure they give us much insight as to what's going on with our main characters. What happened to Lima?!
Like Trevor, I’ve really enjoyed the longer sections lately. While I’ve come to appreciate the shorter sections and their disorienting and sometimes staccato feel, this did feel more like Bolano I know and love. And yes, jumping ahead in time and hearing and seeing the effects the intervening years have had on everyone is fascinating.
I also tried listening to the audiobook while reading along during this week’s section, which is always a fascinating experience. For anyone interested, the audio narrators do a very nice job with the various distinctive voices. What a daunting project that must have been!
Just so folks know, this is not intended to be a paid subscriber only post. The settings do not allow me to even make it so only subscribers can comment. If you cannot comment, please let me know on another thread and I'll repost this hoping for the best!
The pretentious guy (with his Latin phases) was great. Insufferable but funny to read, he was a very distinct character. Has anyone else been amazed at the ability to write so many different voices? Sure some may sound similar but I think most of them are distinct.
I meant to post comments last week, perhaps I will go back to the previous thread & do so. I don't do well with a long, drawn-out reading schedule so I went ahead & finished the book a week or two ago.
It's interesting to read the comments on Xose. Since I finished the book already & am just flipping back to remember each section, what stood out most to me in that section was Arturo saving the little boy when everyone else was too superstitious or scared to do it. Not only was Arturo a visceral realist in thought (for his poetry), he was in action too. He faced the reality & dealt with it while everyone else gave in to fear & superstition. Xose himself was a blowhard, a forgettable guy (imo). But the story of Arturo descending into the abyss & emerging unscathed while saving the day is what I remembered.
This section contained two of my favorite chapters -- chapters 22 & 23.
The sword fight was wonderful. It's just so unexpected that I really enjoyed it & found it completely delightful. It was not only amusing from the standpoint of it happening in June 1994 (reminder this is the month & year of OJ's slow car chase for a time context), but also the resurrection of dueling from a historical context. It also reminded me a bit of Don Quixote tilting at windmills.
Erin mentioned the similar repeated phrases/refrains at the end of each piece in Chapter 23. Again, those pleased me very much:
Everything that begins as comedy ends as tragedy.
Everything that begins as comedy ends as tragicomedy.
Everything that begins as comedy ends as comedy.
Everything that begins as comedy ends as a cryptographic exercise.
Everything that begins as a comedy ends as a horror movie.
What begins as a comedy ends as a triumphal march, wouldn’t you say?
Everything that begins as a comedy inevitably ends as a mystery.
Everything that begins as a comedy ends as a dirge in the void.
Everything that begins as a comedy ends as a comic monologue, but we aren’t laughing anymore.
I wonder if these somehow indicate the meat of the book? So far, I feel that any of these sentences could summarize the novel as a whole. (Which is really incredible when you think about that.) Or perhaps somehow reflect the structure of the book as a whole. Anyway, something about the structure of the repeated refrains feels important to me from this chapter, the true message, perhaps even moreso than the reveal of Cesária Tinajero's only poem.
I won't be commenting properly until later, as life kicked in and I hardly got any reading done today. I did read Chapter 20, Xose really felt to me like a *that guy* with his constant injections of latin phrases, but he certainly stands out! I didn't expect Belano to end up on the other side of Spain from Barcelona, again as a watchman, in Xose's story, but I suppose he did have to look for work around this time. I'll post more thoughts (if I have any) later in the week. Encouraging to hear good things about this segment!
Are people having problems posting comments this week? If so, please go to another thread and let me know. I’m trying to figure it out.
Happy Easter! We aren't all lost. I was waiting for a section of the novel that fascinated me to mutate and form something worth writing about but it didn't happen so I skipped commenting. This week the writing was even more thought provoking and I'll spot some thoughts on that in a bit, but first back to what occupied me last week. I do my week's reading early Saturday morning from around 2;00 AM until the week's reading is finished. This usually gives me some time to review what I read in my head and organize my thoughts before Trevor's post later in the day. Last week I was reading along as usual and came to the Andres Ramirez section. He was the bar/restaurant owner that gave Belano a job as a dishwasher. His section immediately as he is addressing Belano directly and digresses into a story about a surreal story about how he came up with lottery numbers. (the source of the funding for his business) The section stuck out to me for its surrealism and also how it related to the rest of the novel. It does seem to relate to Abel Romero's comments on chance and purpose in the next section but I am curious have any of you have developed anything clearer or a possible literary source for the story?
But on the whole the reading is fine and I am loving the novel more each section.
A line in this section in fact supplies the title of Mohamed Mbougar Sarr's "The Most Secret Memory of Men" (2021) prestigious, prize-winning, though I have doubts about "popular," novel, which I will likely finish tomorrow. Sarr's book is not just titled but modelled after "The Savage Detectives," including its three-part structure, the multiplicity of voices, the search for a vanished writer, and the link between writing and violence.
The stories this week were a bit all over the place for me - I didn't get on that well with Xosé - unlikeable and full of himself. That went on a bit too long for me.
Felt bad about poor Norman. And we still have no idea what happened to Ulises, and who that woman is whose kid he was like a father to? Or the Chinese woman? B&L continue to be ghosts.
Then the next section with the duel - what even was going on there? Seems like 'all in good fun' at the end, but I still couldn't figure out why (nor could any of the characters, it seems). Do we think Belano actually went to Africa, or did he get stuck in Italy where his flight connected (as Müller placed him in Italy after Barcelona...)
I liked the last section at the Book Fair, like a chorus of stories with every last line a refrain. A line in the first one apparently gave the name to a currently popular book "La más recóndita memoria de los hombres" which has been translated to English via French as "The Most Secret Memory of Men".
I fell behind last week, but managed to catch up this week for both last week’s reading and this week’s. It’s amazing how readable this book is, I’ll suddenly look at the page count and realize I’ve read 50 pages in one day. Very fun to read. I’ll say also that I understand now why Bolaño went into so much detail with Esther’s account of her relationship with Belano. We see in this week’s reading that it weighed on him heavily even years later (when he refers to her as “the one who broke my heart in conversation constantly with another girl, the nurse, I can’t remember her name), and seems to have contributed to his instability and his physical and mental health issues. I got the sense that the choice to duel may have even been influenced by Belano’s heartbreak. I personally found Esther’s interview recurring through my mind after that revelation. There was something deeply sad about it for me. Also Daniel’s segment, talking about what happened to Norman was another heartbreaking part.
For folks waiting for today’s thread, I haven’t forgotten! It’s been a busy morning but I’m going to get it posted soon :-)
Does anyone have an opinion about what's going on with the bad math equations in Julio Martínez Morales' section? In all but one (3x3=9) the answers are off by +1 (7x3=22, etc.). This has to be intentional - does this mean he doesn't think things 'add up'? Does it mean to imply the word analogies he makes are also 'off'? Am I thinking way to hard about this picayune detail? LOL.
Listening to the pod and you guys mention that it is quieter now maybe people gave up or fell behind. For me it was the opposite I went too far ahead and have been done for some time now. I can’t wait for the final post hopefully others are awaiting the final discussion. Also very excited for the podcast ep on this read.
I'm still reading! I struggled a lot with the last couple of sections - a lot going on that seems to be very peripheral to the main plot, but maybe I'm missing something looking at the comments below. Some of the sections are really interesting taken almost as standalone pieces, but I'm not sure they give us much insight as to what's going on with our main characters. What happened to Lima?!