2666 discussion

I have been mulling about re-reading 2666 in a different order. For e.g. what if I start with 'The Part about Archimboldi' and then go to 'The Part about the Critics'. How will my reading experience in that case. Considering that the 5 books are not greatly connected, what would be your (different) order of re-reading them?

2666 is something of a labyrinth, so it does invite multiple readings and once read it could be profitably dipped into in any order. Perhaps additional connections between the books will emerge in continued reading.

I think it would have been a good idea to sell the book in all possible combinations without telling people

Atreides wrote: "I think it would have been a good idea to sell the book in all possible combinations without telling people"

This is actually a pretty great idea.

It was an interesting and massive read, but big isn't always better. A fair chunk of it was a turgid, repetitive slog. People go crazy alot in his novels. I recently read the Japanese Mardock Scramble book that reminded me of 2666, it was also a trilogy of books put into one, and also just as turgid. Must be the trend, but literature doesn't really need big turgid books, I mean the Internet already does that.

I read 2666 on my lunchbreak at work. The need to cut myself off from a job i hated forced me to read every line of every sentence of that book, i would never have done that reading at home. After I finished it the first time, I re-read The Part about Amalfitano first, because that had initially been my favourite, then the Part about Archimbold, then the Part about the Critics, I didn't re-read the others because I wasn't interested in them, for reasons I won't explain here (Okay, I found them dull).

Bolano's novel is a smorgasbord of arcane details, esoteric books, mad thoughts, turgid emotional desires, all cobbled together like a nine year old full of sugar and ADHD. Reading them in a different order expanded my knowledge of Roberto's universe, but it didn't really matter what order they were in, because an overall plot is minimal anyway - except of course the Archimboldi section - where HE is realised and explained.

I like picking and reading bits here and there. I actually think that's the best way to read his work.

Aaron, I actually love reading big turgid books. That and Reddit.