2666, By Roberto Bolaño
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The next time you hear about the "death of the novel", beat the speaker over the head with 2666. And then make them read it. Five books in one, masterfully interwoven not only by recurrent ideas and characters but by a torrential humour, deep humanity and sheer storytelling bravura, the posthumous masterpiece from the Chilean-turned-Catalan magician (splendidly translated by Natasha Wimmer) should stand on every self-respecting bookshelf.
That makes his encyclopaedic epic – which has critics reaching for Sterne, Cervantes, Pynchon and Musil allusions – feel a duty or chore. It's not. Beyond the fabulous picaresque fun of the opening, it becomes a searing elegy for all the wretched of the earth among the forgotten dead of "Santa Teresa" on the Mexico-US border, and closes amid the polished barbarism of the Third Reich. 2666 offers everything that fiction can – and then gives even more.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments