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A review by le_lobey
Distant Star by Roberto Bolaño
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is the first Bolaño I've read. Ben McFall recommended him to me years ago on a shift, and I after reading this I'm really excited to try more. Ben hit the nail on the head. The prose was so rich with detail without ever letting the pace falter. It reminded me of Mann. I really enjoyed the humor and conversational tone as well. He deftly jumps between the lives of different characters, blending history, travelogue, lit crit, and gossip session all in one, until you find yourself gripped in a noir thriller.
The only thing holding me personally back from 5 stars on this is my lack of a background in the personalities of Chilean literature. I simply don't know if these people were real, fictional, or satiric so I imagine there are layers to this that I wasn't able to appreciate. But I loved what I got!
Borrowed from BPL
The only thing holding me personally back from 5 stars on this is my lack of a background in the personalities of Chilean literature. I simply don't know if these people were real, fictional, or satiric so I imagine there are layers to this that I wasn't able to appreciate. But I loved what I got!
Borrowed from BPL