The good people at The Blue Bookcase have this Blog hop that covers books of literary merit and each week they pose a question.This weeks question is, What is The most difficult Literary work you have ever read ?
I have chosen to interpret it slightly differently, and have made it in recent times. So by rephrasing the question a tad
The most difficult literary work that I have read in recent times has to be, Roberto Bolano's 2666. Partly because it's in 5 parts, but mainly because of part 4 " The part about the crimes"This book covers the killing of countless women, over decades in Santa Teresa & is based on the actual events in Juarez. It’s written as hardboiled fiction & reportage.
2666 is also an unfulfilled love story, its a world war 2 epic, it’s science fiction, it’s horror, reportage, it’s a thriller, it’s a comedy, it’s a vision of hell. It’s also the vision St Thomas Aquinas had of heaven, where the righteous can enjoy their beatitude & the grace of god more richly by being granted a perfect sight of the damned.
Writers on Bolano
Argentine novelist, Rodrigo Fresian, wrote “It doesn’t make much sense to read about 2666, one must read 2666”
“He took what was there, as Joyce did with Ireland almost a century earlier – a broken society with a strange literary tradition. And he set about turning it on its head, using chaos, its unformed & unstable nature, its violence & making a myth out of that” –Colm tiobin
“Anyone who has been young & in love & besotted with poetry, can’t help but respond to Bolano. He has a natural storytellers gift – but more important, he has the power to lend an extraordinary glamour to the activities of making love & making poetry” – Edmund White
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29 comments:
I would concur that Bolano is a bit tricky; at least for me. And you "get" his works! So, I'm not even sure I want to try 2666 until I'm a bit smarter. ;)
I find this book easier to read the first time than a second time. I've attempted rereading it earlier this year and found myself reading everything again but skipping part 4.
I ve this penciled in for end of year ,he is such enigmatic writer and a must read ,all the best stu
I've heard this book is pretty intense.
Thanks for participating in our Hop!
hi, Bellezza,the only bit that may worry you is pt4, but it's worth it.
Ps, love your new header picture.
Rise, I think I'll leave it awhile, before diving in again & did leaving out pt4, alter the book for you?
hi stu, clear plenty of time & space & enjoy.
Welcome, IngridLola, Intense but more than worth it & thanks for allowing me to join, & air my pretentions of literary worth by tagging along with seasoned Bloggers!
2666 is on my shelf... I'm still trying to gather the courage to pick it up!
Someday..I plan to read this...
"did leaving out pt4, alter the book for you?" – Yes. I think that part is a necessary abyss. So my reread isn't really complete as it is. Will pick it up again soon.
I left my copy of 2666 behind in the states, so i guess i still have a year before tackling it. what specifically about this book makes it a hard one for you? i'm assuming, from scrolling down your page, that you're a big bolano fan, so i'm curious for more on why you chose this book. (thanks!)
Oh no! I bought this book in the summer and because of its size, I haven't got around to it yet. But I am planning to read this. Maybe it's better to read this in a readalong and get some fellow-readers' support.
The idea of blog hops is to meet new blogs. I did, and I like what I see. So you've got yourself a new follower!
Welcome, Joann & Gautami, this book is fantastic & definitely worth picking up.
Hi Ellen, Absolutely love Bolano, not yet found a dud, but with 2666 you reach part 4, which is almost a catalogue of murders, mainly women, with no let up & no resolution. If you check Rise's comment " it's like an abyss" or can check out my complete review of this novel in the archives.
I KNEW you would write about 2666! I knew it even before I got here! I started it but other stuff got in the way, but I'm back on a Spanish translation kick now so I'll probably pick it up before the year's out.
Oh boy. 2666 is on my TBR shelf because I am trying to read all the National Book Critics Circle Award winners, but it doesn't have a lot of appeal. Especially the crimes.
Thanks for visiting my post on Rose City Reader. I actually like Joyce, just not Finnegans Wake. And even that is an exaggeration, because I didn't dis-like Wake, it was just difficult (nigh on impossible) to read.
Rose City Reader
So many of these books mentioned as difficult seem like books I'd find painful to read. Like this one.
This book looks difficult to read but very interesting. I haven't heard of it before but I may check it out.
Hello, Leeswammes,Am following back, don't know about support, by choice i'm a solitary reader, its my island away from the masses.but it's worth the effort.
Hi NancyO, just a sucker for a good read. "other stuff getting in the way" isn't that called life?(lol)& make that definitely.
Rose City Reader (love the name, where's it from?) although the crimes is a problem it's only 1part in 5 & at the end of the day, no more a problem, than some people have with say H.H from Lolita, hopefully with that last phrase I've not condemned it, as its a good book.
Hi, Readerbuzz, it's only one part, the rest is a feast/smorgasbord of beautiful, fantastic prose.
Hello, Red, I discovered Roberto Bolano, around spring time this year, so far have read about 7 of his books & not a dud yet, have the 8th waiting on a shelf.So in my "umble opinion" please check him out.
Ellen or anyone else interested- here's the link to my complete review of this book
http://parrishlantern.blogspot.com/2010/07/2666-by-roberto-bolano-translated-by.html
for a really good source of info on the author check out " in lieu of a field guide (Rise), I think most of my later Bolano posts have a link.
Thanks Parrish.
Goodness! I've never heard of this book; it sounds gruesome...
Hello,Jillian, it's really just the 1 part (part4) that causes people problems & that's not gruesome, it's more the realisation that these appear neverending. In a lot of books, a hero will save the day, solve the crimes. Here they just go on & you realise this isn't new. Bolano was good at that, using existing news stories as part of his own writing.This is a fantastic novel & I wouldn't want to put anyone off it, by highlighting one part.
Thanks for comment.
Parrish.
Hello Parrish, 2666 is a book I've been meaning to tackle. I think I'm even more intrigued now. I'm glad I found your wonderful blog on the Literary Blog Hop. Reading the various answers to this question has been really interesting. I'll be back to read more of your posts.
Wow this looks really intense. I might give it try someday though because it does look pretty interesting!
Haven't ever read Bolano. For some reason, when I look at his books in the bookstore, I'm not engaged. Would you recommend a good one to start with?
Very nice blog - will be back to visit!
Seems 2666 is a little bit of everything, huh? I was a little surprised to see this one shelved in the Mystery section of my used bookstore, but I went running the other way when I saw the length.
Actually, last year there was a readalong of this book--seems the perfect solution for finishing it.
Thanks for coming by this week! Best wishes to you.
Hi,Bibliophiliac, Great, I'm becoming a bit worried, that I'm putting people off, what is a fantastic book, & thanks for the compliment, have seen you before Thru petes blog ("what you read").
Hi,Kelly, yes, please put in on your TBR.
Hello,2manybooks2littletime. A good one to start with is the short story collection "Last evenings on earth" one of my favourite books of recent years (a cheeky little plug)There's a review of it on this blog.
Hi, Trish. I had the same experience with "The savage Detectives" although with that title I suppose the stacker could be excused. I do alot of my reading on the way to work, so initially i was put off, but managed it when I had some time off.
Thanks
Parrish.
Bolaño's like candy to me, Parrish, so I always get a chuckle out of hearing people who have yet to read him say how "intimidating" he is to them. To me, nothing could be further from the truth! Although The Part About the Crimes in 2666 is tough to read in some ways, it's also just extraordinarily powerful writing--probably the best thing I read all last year in what's definitely the best book I read all last year. Love that book and author like you wouldn't believe!
Hi Richard, as you can see by the reviews on this blog, I am in total agreement with you concerning bolano (I think there's about 6/7 reviews). I love the way he writes & although pt4 is "tough" it's down to his ability as a writer, that you want to continue thru it & on to the next part & then on to the next book(which in my case is "The Skating Rink"). I alsothink as an Author, he makes me think, & the conversations I have with him thru his works, makes me a better reader.
Thanks.
Parrish
I haven't read Bolaño and didn't until recently know he wrote about those murders. I wanted or still write a long story about them myself and have been doing research. I am reading Daughters of Juárez by Teresa Rodriguez for this purpose and will be writing about it on my blog soon. But I cannot read Bolaño now because I don't want to be influenced. Once I am finished I will have to compare. It's intersting from a "writers" point of view to explore how to describe those horrors without being too gruesome.
Hi, Caroline, Part4, Titled - The part about the crimes, is just one of the books that make up 2666 & I can understand how its writing may influence your own creativity, as it's very powerful & haunts long after the last page has been turned & the book put down.But please do not let that sway you from Bolano as a writer, I would recommend his collection of short stories "Last Evenings on Earth" or his faux encyclopedia "Nazi literature in the Americas" or the novel "The Savage Detectives"
Thanks for your comment & will be interested in your version of the tale, when it's finished.
Thanks again
Parrish.
Thanks for mentioning Last evenings on Earth. I had forgotten I bought it will have to read it soon. Thanks for your interest in my story. I am of course very self conscious now. When I started I didn't now anything about 2666 being in part dedicated to those murders.
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