Roberto Bolaño’s final novel, 2666, is available today in its first ever English language edition, courtesty of Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. Author of The Savage Detectives, Bolaño famously died shortly after presenting 2666 to his publishers. His death was attributed to complications from Hepatitis C, which he contracted during his youth as an IV heroin abuser. Considering I can’t read Spanish, I was tipped off to this book by an acquaintance who received an uncorrected proof from FSG several months back. I have no review for you, only the suggestion of rumors claiming this labyrinth-like novel overtakes anything published by Jorge Luis Borges, which is no small claim and the impetus for an after work trip to the bookstore where I’ll be picking up my copy. We’ll get back to this one in a few weeks…
Also, I know I often link to entries from Wikipedia, but please take the time to read the entire entry on the author, including the section on his work Nazi Literature in the Americas and his thoughts on “literary culture as whore.”
UPDATE: If you want a hipster’s review of the book, check out the one just posted over at Lit Mob. I’ve read the first couple of pages and can already feel myself getting sucked in…
UPDATE 2 (19 Nov 2008): A blog out of Chile has linked to this article — check out Archivo Bolaño.
