Roberto Bolano's "The Savage Detectives" discussion
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Ian
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Jun 29, 2012 03:23PM
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Stephen, give me a few hours and you can start shooting off your mouth here and i'll be your audience, as long as it's not further than about, let's see.. page.. um..Well, is there anything you wanted to say about the first section? ..or are your main issues with the second section, which i've not really had a chance to get to yet.. but will shortly...
Hey Trav, thanks for being an audience :) I've been anxious to see what others are thinking of this book. Well, my thoughts about the first section is informed largely by the nature of the second section. This is no spoiler, the second section is a bunch of chopped up monologues from various different characters giving impressions of their lives, usually intersecting with Ulises and Arturo. It felt like the book proper started after the long first section. I just wasn't quite sure why Garcia got so much face time, especially considering that he isn't terribly interesting or plays a large roles (at least yet) in the lives of the other characters. The first section was building towards an almost coming-of-age story, loss of virginity, artist finds his voice, but then the novel morphs with the other section and it seems quite estranged thematically from the proceeding material. The only way to wrangle it all up in one bow is to say that it's about the poets in the 70's and their lives. But that seems too general to be interesting or make for a cohesive story.
Yes, i can't help starting to feel slightly bored now that it's the piecemeal stream of consciousness narratives from different people, because i feel so frustrated that i don't really know anything about the people Bolano is referring to. (Not sure if they're all real people, but i assume so).So i feel that perhaps i should read a bit more background before continuing.
Sounds like a plan. I understand the frustration but I think I'll keep trudging through it. I've hit a point where everything is starting to make a bit more sense, at least in terms of the overall tone and feel of the book. And I'd rather not lose the momentum.
Don't worry, Jason. There's still a lot of us that's nattering around close to the start of the novel. I understand Stephen's momentum, because this type of stream of consciousness narrative tends to sweep one along, but so far he is the only one galloping on ahead. :DI've stopped with the novel, and am doing some side research now. Do visit Jenn(ifer)'s excellent thread http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/9... if you're interested in any of the background to all of this!
Thanks, Traveller. I'll check out that thread.
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