The Savage Detectives: A Novel
by Roberto Bolano
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Book Reviews of The Savage Detectives: A Novel
Book Review: Probably the best book I've ever read
Summary: 5 Stars
People often describe things as "either you love it or you hate it." I think by looking at the review statistics of this book (The two highest star counts are five and two) this is definitely one of those books. I certainly can't say if you read it, with an open mind, there's no way you can't love it, but Bolano certainly deserves a chance.
However, that being said, this isn't the book I'd read by him as a starter. I'd give that to Last Evening's On Earth.
It's hard to describe why I love this novel, if you could even call it that. It's split into three sections, the middle section taking up about two thirds of the book. The middle section is narrated by dozens of people, some recurring and some not, telling stories that very loosely center around Arturo Belano and Ulises Lima, the founders of a poetry movement. I can tell you right now the book is more exciting than that makes it sound. I can't recall ever reading a book that caused me to be enshrouded by so many emotions: Fear, Love, Anger, Happiness, etc. The book is very erotic, violent, vulgar, and beautiful. Bolano is truly one of a kind.
I also feel I should say I strongly disagree with the review that says "The Kind of novel Borges would have written." The fact that they are both Latin American is about the only thing they have in common.
I can't tell you you'll love this book, but I can tell you it deserves to be looked into at the very least.
Book Review: Not for everybody
Summary: 2 Stars
Bolaño is undoubtedly a very important writer, and the reasons for this are expressed in the book's introduction by the translator of The Savage Detectives, Natasha Wimmer. The Savage Detectives is also one of the most critically acclaimed novels to come around in a long time.
Maybe you'll love it-- lots of people do, clearly. And it's worth a try if you're really into Latin American literature.
For me, the large number of narrators turned me off. After the first part, each one speaks for a few pages only, for hundreds of pages. Once in a while a certain voice would grab me, and I felt compelled to read, but then two or three pages later, Bolaño shifts to another voice. This kind of structure has always been a turn-off for me, and if it is for you too, you may have trouble appreciating this novel.
I also realize that I don't really care about the poetry and literary scene in Mexico in the 1970's. There are tons of "in" references to Mexican poets, critics, and places in Mexico City that will be completely cryptic to most lay readers.
Some of the sex scenes are over the top. Like the woman with the outrageously smelly vagina that would smell up the apartment. I guess that was intended to be funny, but I'm not really sure.
Well, I'm sorry to be in the minority here. I regret missing this train. I will try 2666 soon.
Book Review: Very interesting read
Summary: 5 Stars
If there is ever one piece of literature that I've laughed the most reading, it is this book. It is bar none the funniest piece of fiction I've ever read.
I initially felt very lost reading it but as soon as I got past the first 10 pages I got hooked. It was funny and the characters really stood out very well. I think it was due to Roberto's skill in engaging the readers' attention, which I feel is the thing people often overlook when they read this book (from the general consensus here at Amazon.com). The descriptions, the way he paces a scene, the dialogue, his humor, all this things really helped brought this book to life, not only in my head, but also in my heart. And he has this rare gift of taking the most base things and adding a layer of humor on top.
That said, he does go overboard and often times make things too unbelievable and too left wing, with the sexual scenes and references. I think that's why many of the reviewers here didn't like it very much. This book certainly isn't for everyone. And it does require a little literary savvyness to enjoy it. Also, people looking for a conventional storyline here will be seriously disapointed. This book is more a character study and a study of South American literature than anything else. A memoir.
Book Review: Original and thought-provoking
Summary: 4 Stars
Although it took me three months to read this book, I thought it was very worthwhile. The first part drew me in with interesting characters, many in the prime of youth and full of idealism and enthusiasm for poetry and love. The second part was, at times, difficult. So many different narrators. So many different stories. After a while there seemed to be a sameness to many of them: similar cadence, a matter-of-fact style of exposition. Many of the voices seemed to be articulate in a similar way. I suppose some of this could be a result of the translation. Some of the stories were more distinct and memorable than others. I have to admit, I almost gave up more than once.
The more I stuck with it, though, the more I came to think that complaining about the similarities of the individual narratives was like complaining that a mosaic is made up of similar tiles. When I finished this book, I felt that I had read a beautiful, melancholic mosaic whose subject was nothing less than life. The meandering, unexpected, dendriform (to use a word from the book), and frequently tragic nature of life. If you are intrigued by this book, don't be dissuaded by the negative reviews here. It is a challenging book, but also a rewarding and thought-provoking one.
Book Review: Worthwhile, But Not an Easy Read
Summary: 4 Stars
While critics swoon over this novel, I'm not quite so sure. At 648 pages, it takes a big commitment to negotiate, although the prose is quite breezy. At the heart of the reader's struggle is this question: What meaning can the reader find in this story? It is here that I find Roberto Bolano lacking. The lives of the many characters portrayed in "The Savage Detectives" do not form a cohesive picture of a compelling narrative. While I found the characters interesting, and it is my interest in their lives that kept me reading, nothing is resolved and nothing is clarified. Maybe that's the point---the pointlessness of life itself. As atmospherics, this is a very good book as it details the lives of South American would-be poets, bohemians, in Mexico, South America and Europe during the period 1976 to 1996. The structure of the book is, initially, a diary of a young poet, and then the first-person stories of the many people who came in contact with them. As literature, I can appreciate how good Bolano's creative imagination is and how artful is his prose. But, admiration does not necessarily create enjoyment. I have a sense of accomplishment that I got through the book, but at the end, I felt "at last" rather than "so soon."