Reviews

2666 by Roberto Bolaño

davidelguey's review against another edition

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5.0

Un libro, que es cinco, que en realidad se sienten como bastantes más.

Y aún así se siente inconcluso. Una inconclusión lejanísima: ¿Dónde están las partes faltantes de este doloroso rompecabezas? (Casi como el terminar de leer Danza de Dragones, ponle)

Creo que no soy la misma persona que era antes de conocer a Archimboldi y, para bien o para mal, Santa Teresa.

jillybebe's review against another edition

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3.0

I stopped reading. It is disorganized and confusing. I may try again in the future when I have time.

yenrava's review against another edition

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2.0

I found myself not liking this.

Meandering and then cracks by book 2 and into book 3 where the twisted darkness comes in. By book 4, I was physically repulsed with obsessive descriptions of the wide array of femicide, over and over and over.

Curious as to why there was such hype about this book with these themes of apathy, cruelty and misogyny - what it says about us and our culture?

I’m surprised I finished it. There was absolutely nothing redeeming at the end. I’m in a nihilist emotional state at the end of it all.

littlecarrots's review against another edition

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5.0

wow. instead of attempting any sort of half-baked "review," I'll just say that if you read this book (which I do recommend), it might be a good idea to take some notes on the characters as you go along.

donwando's review against another edition

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5.0

2666 felt like being led by the hand through a maze of quite epic proportions. Led by a master in Bolano, no less. Along the way, you’re treated to moments of beauty so free of cliche, horror that will churn your insides, and random digression that will, almost certainly, test the patience of readers looking for a traditional, straight-forward “point” to all of this.

It is, admittedly, an exhausting read, particularly the entire section detailing the murders of over 100 women in a cold and graphic, police report-like manner. I can’t claim to perfectly elucidate Bolano’s intentions for doing it this way, but what I can say is that apart from feeling exhausted and frustrated, it was almost like I was being shown the path to becoming desensitized to the violence or to deliberately turn callous to avoid feeling pain and discomfort – much like the investigators in the story.

I found no great epiphanic moment where all the loose ends are tied into a perfect, satisfying little bow, and if this is why you read books, then 2666 is likely to trigger more than a fair amount of frustration. And yet it is a fantastic book. It embodies the “path over destination” philosophy and it should not be read just to get to the end. No answers await you there beyond the ones you’ve formed on your own along the journey.

beemoberry's review against another edition

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dark reflective slow-paced

4.0

emdem's review against another edition

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slow-paced

4.0

mollymcclure's review against another edition

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3.0

this book = emperor's new clothes

msmagoo502's review against another edition

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It feels more like a group of novellas that are put together. I don't know how they tie together. They don't seem to and I was just all together confused as to what was happening. There was no transition between one to the other and I thought I was reading a book. Maybe I find out in last part but it's so long that I was not willing to get there to find out and most of it is intellectual. Gobbledygook that I was just really bored by and spacing out during so then I'd be lost even during the novella itself or each part. The first story at least kept me lightly interested, but the next two just lost me. Both of them did and sitting through more. Just made me frustrated

luciamf's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0