2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño.

Pages: 577 pages

Length: 1 month (October)

Participants: Valerie, Lorraine, Lulo

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

I’ll probably start this a few days early at the weekend. I’m planning to read it in parts over the month.

I will also start early. My objective is to have about half of the book done by the end of the month. Not sure how I will proceed though. For now, I’ll start with about 20 pages a day and see how it goes.

Started today and at 17 November. Not sure what I think yet. On the one hand, it captures exactly the unique Mexican form of speaking (quite impressive for a Chilean) with its irreverence and dark humour. But the actual subject matter and plot don’t seem to be going anywhere yet. It reminds me a bit of Hopscotch but less pretentious and more tongue-in-cheek.
I’m wondering how well this will work in translation. Are you reading it in French, Lorraine?

Yes, I’m reading it in French. I think they spent a long time working on the translation to make it as accurate as possible. I hadn’t thought of Hopscotch, but it does have the same kind of irony and dark humor as The Catcher in the Rye. That’s the book that comes to mind when I read the first few pages. I’m really enjoying it so far, especially the irony. I’m still searching for an article about the author, as I’m curious about his intentions when writing this.

From what I’ve read, the novel is partly autobiographical with the character Belano being the author and Lima is real best friend and fellow poet. Not sure if the narrator is based on a real person. Certainly the events in the first part of the book are based on facts.

I’ve not been able to find much so you might discover more.

Finished part 1. An entertaining portrait of bohemian life in all its glory and absurdity. I did have to remind myself of how young Juan is and how ingenuous an observer he really is behind all the bravado and irony.
Interested to see where this is going next but going to take a break first.

Until now, I wouldn’t have said that classic Latin American literature was really my cup of tea, but I have to admit this one is quite funny (or maybe I’m finally getting the humor?). I’ve just finished Part 1 and really enjoyed it, even though it kind of feels like a book about nothing. I read On the Road by Jack Kerouac in March, and I didn’t enjoy it, so I was worried I’d have a similar experience with this—young adults unsure of what to do with their lives. But I have to say, it’s been a completely different experience so far. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the book!

It’ll probably be next week before I come back for part 2 as I have another book that I need to read.

No problem. I am reading one chapter every odd day. So I am not going fast !

Halfway through Part 2 at the end of chapter 13. Not your usual road trip story at all with a whole plethora of unreliable narrators. Some of the anecdotes are very clever and witty, whilst several are quite moving. However, there’s rather a lot of irrelevance and weirdness as well. I don’t dislike it, but I wouldn’t say I’m gripped. Time for another break for me.

I finished Part 2. The second half proved to be a much more entertaining and enjoyable read with much less pretentious pondering and a lot more story telling. It helped that the narrators were mainly familiar (or became so) so I was interested in their lives - as before, our two detectives pass through these stories leaving varying degrees of a mark. An original way of telling their story but not sure it needed to be this long!
Should finish the book towards the end of the week.

Wow, Valerie! I’m really impressed! I’ve been struggling to even get through a chapter every couple of days, but now I have hope since you mentioned that the second half of Book 2 is better than the first. I’m almost there—I’ve just finished Chapter 12. I don’t think I’ll be able to finish the book by the end of this month, though. If that happens, I’ll ask SarahKat to move the folder to November. I cannot say I am enjoying myself..

Yes the first half was a slog but it does get better. The thread will stay open until around November 24 anyway and I don’t think Lulo is planning to join us so you could just carry on without extending.
If you decide to give up I’ll understand. I think it’s better for me because I understand the Mexican references.

Part 3 finished. Finally the road trip/ quest I was expecting. Once it gets going, it’s well done and wraps things up satisfactorily.

Overall (view spoiler)[ this novel enters my list of ‘books in desperate search for a ruthless editor’. The middle part of the book is flabby and self indulgent- it could easily lose half the chapters without any loss of impact. It’s frustrating, because I think there is a good book in there - just a much shorter, better paced one. (hide spoiler)]

Valerie wrote: "Yes the first half was a slog but it does get better. The thread will stay open until around November 24 anyway and I don’t think Lulo is planning to join us so you could just carry on without exte..."

I've finished chapter 13 this morning. I like the ending. Funny! I will continue for now and keep you posted.
Just so you know, I have received the 2 books we are reading together ( Eric Chacour and Dominique Fortier) Let me know if you want to start one of them earlier.

Happy to start either of those books this weekend (26th or 27th) I have both on my kindle so let me know which you want to do first.

Marvellous! Let’s start with Dominique Fortier.

I am at 70% of the book. Still in part 2. I will put it aside for a while having to finish other books due to the library. I cannot say I am laughing as much as for the first part but there are still funny parts. Some characters are more interesting than others.

Lorraine wrote: "Yes, I’m reading it in French. I think they spent a long time working on the translation to make it as accurate as possible. I hadn’t thought of Hopscotch, but it does have the same kind of irony a..."

Lorraine, I too read books in French but not as quickly as you do. But reading Bolaño in French would be the death of me! Oh, I read his book 2666 (in English) and it still haunts me! PS I'm looking at your book list on GR "read" for some reading suggestions. I've read so many French books this year (30) and many were a disappointment. I guess I just don't know where to look for French books! Any websites you can suggest or bloggers with some interesting French books?

Nancy. I have great suggestions for you. My friend Valerie who doesn't read French, read them in English or Spanish and she still find some just great! We just finish Ce que je sais de toi by Eric Chacour and we both think this book is just perfect. I'll send it to you by message. I'll also look at what you read so it gives me some ideas of what you do not like.

I do not follow any bloggers or website but I can look into this. Let me check.

I was thinking of reading Bolaño in English, since I don’t read Spanish. Either way, it’s a translation, whether in English or French. However, I worry that my English might not fully capture the subtleties of Latin American literature. For now, I’m not sure why I keep trying different Latin American authors, as I often feel like I’m missing something—but I hope that eventually, I’ll see the light!

Lorraine wrote: "Nancy. I have great suggestions for you. My friend Valerie who doesn't read French, read them in English or Spanish and she still find some just great! We just finish Ce que je sais de toi by Eric ..."
That would be wonderful! Have a look at my GR Yearly Reading Challenge 2024 and you can click on the other years...and see what books I've been reading. The French books are all there too!

Lorraine wrote: "Nancy. I have great suggestions for you. My friend Valerie who doesn't read French, read them in English or Spanish and she still find some just great! We just finish Ce que je sais de toi by Eric ..."
Oh, I read it and....unfortunately...Major disappointment!
#Déçu. It started out well...doctor, marriage, doctor's helper (...becomes more than that)...and don't forget the mother-in-law! Just not my cup of tea!

I’ve finished The Savage Detectives. A friend sent me a link to a French radio show titled Les 10 romans qui ont changé le monde (“The 10 Novels That Changed the World”), which dedicates an hour-long episode to each book—one of them being Roberto Bolaño’s The Savage Detectives. The show was fascinating and gave me the final push I needed to finish the novel.

That said, I have to admit that while there were parts I enjoyed, I don’t fully share their admiration for the book. The first part was my favorite—I found it quite funny. In the second part, every time Barbara Patterson appeared (I think she’s American), I couldn’t stop laughing. She’s such a character, and her language is something else!

However, I was a bit confused about who the narrator was in the second part—was it Belano and Lima? As the section went on, I found it too long and began to lose interest. The third part was okay, but I really enjoyed the little drawing included. If that’s the Mexican humor you mentioned, I can understand why you like it.

I have to admit that I still don’t fully get Latin American literature. But I’m not giving up yet! In January, I’ve got Pedro Páramo lined up with a Facebook reading group, and in February, it’s Love in the Time of Cholera. I plan to explore more throughout 2025. If I still don’t connect with it after that, I’ll leave the classics behind and give some modern works a try instead! 😂

Well done for making it to the end! Pedro Paramo is very different with lots of supernatural elements - ghosts galore!

I love ghosts, djinn (now that I know them, thanks to you!), vampire (I am a Lestat fan) and most of all dragons!