GROUP READ -- 2666 By Roberto Bolaño

2666 by Roberto Bolaño



I love cover art and after seeing the great job Ilana (Smiler69) was doing creating the Steinbeck discussion threads over on the 75 group, I couldn't resist doing the same here! Apologizes in advance if the images don't show up as a nice clean banner of book covers via your browser!

This is the starting and general discussion thread only for Roberto Bolaño's 2666. Detailed discussions about specific sections of the book will be held on the separate discussions threads. Conveniently, 2666 is broken down into the following 5 sections/parts:

Part 1: The Part About The Critics - pages 1 to 160
Part 2: The Part About Amalfitano - pages 161 to 228
Part 3: The Part About Fate - pages 229 to 350
Part 4: The Part About The Crimes - pages 351 to 634
Part 5: The Part About Archimboldi - pages 635 to 893

The purpose of this group read is to allow readers the freedom to read the book - and provide comments on the book - at their own pace. I plan on reading one section/part a month starting in March but feel free to blaze ahead and post comments under the various section threads in line with your own reading pace.

Links the the discussion threads created for each section/part are provided above.

Happy reading and I look forward to the discussions!

Oh Gosh I completely forgot I had planned to take part in this group read. I think I may follow your plan, at least initially.. maybe I won't be able to put it down :).

Thanks for starting these threads, banner looks great!

Two of the covers above are based on this painting from 1895 titled "Jupiter and Semele" by Gustave Moreau:

Do you have a particular edition or translator you would recommend? I have temporarily put aside The Savage Detectives but am still interested in reading this author.

Very nice set up, Lori! Thanks!

I'm planning to read 1 part per month, and will probably start next week.

> 3 - Wow, that is one amazing painting! Thanks for posting it here Steve!

> 4 - I haven't looked into the translations but I think there is only one translation from Spanish to English for 2666 which was done by Natasha Wimmer.

Thanks everyone.... of course, I had to include in the book cover banner the cover of the book copy I am reading, which is the first one on the left.

Thanks for starting this thread. I haven't been involved in a group read like this before, and I'm looking forward to it.

I read and was very taken by 2666 last year, so I look forward to peeking in here from time to time to follow discussions :)

I'll also be lurking having read it last year too

Ordered it today, so I am already behind!

I finished Part 1 this morning and I am quite enjoying Bolaño's writing style. I can see where this book can generate some interesting discussions. Some things I am still puzzling over and I will take the conversation over to the discussion thread.

I will be reading Part 2 in April.

I happen to be currently reading this book. I'm stuck halfway through the part about the crimes and it's boring me to death. I would like to know about Archimboldi and am wondering if I couldn't just move to the next part. What do you people think?

12 - the first part of the crimes section is more of a recount of each one but the latter part moves on a bit. But really, each section stands on its own so you could always switch to it and then go back if you ever wanted to.

The crimes section was my least favourite one because there was just way to much detail (and the clincial detachment with the description of each crime got to me after awhile). The last section was my favourite even though I never did get the answers I was searching for.

Just finished part 1 and I am also going to read part 2 next month. I feel pretty ambivalent about it at the moment, I think it needs the whole to hang together, a sum of all its parts.

I am afraid I have given up. I had an epiphany during page 3 of part 3 that life is too short and my tbr too large :) I admit I never really enjoyed Bolano's writing, chaotic asides of minutiae of peoples thoughts and being a fan of storytelling it really wasn't ever going to be the book for me. Plus of course a it's deeper meaning and allusions were passing me by!

So hard as it was (I was oddly determined to finish) I am done and am reading Darkmans instead. A giant book full of minutiae.. hmm.

I finished it last night. The final part does bring together some of the loose ends from previous parts, but this is certainly not a novel where everything gets neatly wrapped up. In fact, Part 5 branches out in more directions than any other, both thematically and historically. It also has a touch of magical realism.

I am sluggish in getting around to reading this one.... too many books on the go that keep distracting me. I finished Part 2 this morning - behind schedule - and surprisingly found Part 2 made more sense to me than Part 1 did. Will post comments on the appropriate thread in the next day or so and then move on to Part 3.... unless my on-going reading of Don Quixote grabs my attention first!