Roberto Bolaño: 2666
$265
“Only in chaos are we conceivable.” Roberto Bolaño’s posthumous novel 2666 attempts to explore the totality of evil in the 20th century. Ranging from World War II to Detroit to the deserts of Mexico, the nearly 1000-page book presents a huge cast of characters, each individual offering their pain and hope as exemplifications of the human condition. The novel spirals around two points: hundreds of murdered young women in the Sonoran Desert, and the elusive author Benno von Archimboldi. As the plot dilates, the text examines issues relevant to our current socio-political conversations. How does fascism spread? Is journalism as we know it doomed? How do countries born of war and genocide heal? How do communities successfully resist oppression? This novel has been celebrated in many languages, heralded as the beginning of 21st century literature, and assured Roberto Bolaño’s reputation as one the most impactful authors of our time.
First Assignment:
Before the first meeting, please read the first two parts of 2666. These are “1. The Part About The Critics” and “2. The Part About Amalfitano,” which should leave you at page 228 in the Picador/FSG paperback versions of the book. This initial heavy reading will keep each subsequent week well under 200 pages.
Text:
2666 by Roberto Bolaño
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Benjamin McPherson Ficklin
Benjamin McPherson Ficklin is a Portland author. They are the author of the novella The West & the collection A Cynical View of Dystopian America. Among various publications of fiction, poetry, & journalism, their work has been recognized in Best Small Fiction 2019 and Best American Essays 2020.
