I have just finished reading Roberto Bolaño’s posthumous and colossal novel 2666 and I think it’s an awe-inspiring masterpiece. 2666 may be a first draft (the Chilean-turned-Catalan writer tragically died in 2003 without being able to revise the final draft) the wild chaos and stylistic richness held me from beginning to end. The 5 novellas that are masterfully interwoven were originally intended by Bolaño to be published separately as a way of guaranteeing income for his wife and children after his early death due to liver ailment at age 50. His family along with his Spanish editor however decided to publish the five parts as one volume which is a wise decision I think. There are no defining moments in 2666 and mysteries are never resolved but the sheer abundance of its narrative and its resistance to categorization make 2666 a heroic achievement. What a book!
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