The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano REVIEW

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[VagabondBohemia]

I think the enduring quality of Roberto Bolaño's work is that in some way it's always referring to the redemptive and transcdendent power of art. The transformation of the mundane into the sublime. The resultant labyrinths that occur from chasing the desire to create and to be liberated, even obliterated, through the alchemical sublimation that occurs in the investigative and artistic processes themselves. Living art, not just creating it. A true bohemian Daedalus. Orpheus' descent into the underworld.

[dandeluca]

One of my all-time favorites, I've read maybe three times, the last time in Mexico City which was really a treat. One aspect of the book that I like very much (probably because I am older!), is how the vignettes of the characters lives that you hear from so many sources paints this not-that-clear picture of these vibrant youths trying to maintain their idealism as they get older and start having more 'real world' experiences. The Visceral Realists were going to set the world on fire, but, as with the rest of us, reality hits hard and they end up sleeping on couches and in caves, and then just kind of disappearing. In that way it felt like a book about capital-L Life, even though at first read it seems mostly about youthful hijinks.

[mattellis]

I really enjoyed this novel. It's so sweeping and such a love letter to literature. I enjoyed this book immensely. I wanted to call it a "post-modern novel, " "thriller novel" or something else, but I find that trying to classify this defeats the purpose. Just as elusive as the visceral realists is the novel itself, and that harmony between content and form makes me smile. It was indeed challenging, but I loved it.

[OLOpera]

Bolaño himself have said it: literature should be a game, that after La invención de Morel and Sobre Héroes y Tumbas there is not place for just plot-driven novels. The Savages Detectives is a game, because who is the detective? And what is he looking for? This can have many answers, but my opinion is that the reader is the ultimate detective of the novel (Belano and Ulises are obviously in a literary quest) and that what we are looking for is both Arturo Belano and Ulises (and trying to anticipate and decipher that misterious event that took place in The Deserts of Sonora) through the eyes of so many characters. Is like the novel spins around them but we never get to get close to them, they remain unknown till the end. It's very important to considere the autobiografical aspect of the novel, Arturo Belano is Roberto Bolaño, and many of his friends are real people that were his real friends (like Ulises Lima) and a lot of what he describes actually happened to him, in that sense it is indeed much like On The Road, but not just the discovery of certain kind of bohemian freendom but also its aftermath, its consecuences through time, space and other people's life. For me was not just similar to DFW but to Pynchon too, it has an end of the world uncanny feeling that is very pynchonian. Now read 2666, that is way more pynchonian and apocalyptical. Bolaño considered both Novelas Río (River Novels), in wich the plot lines meet or diverge from one single moment, event or place, like the afluents of a river.

PD: Sorry for my horrible english.

[ellelala]

One of my favorite books. Poets, writers, and lovers of literature will adore it. It made me read everything Bolaño wrote.

[francolopez]

Great video!
"Distant Star" is my favorite Bolaño's book. I highly recommend it.

[fuzzydunlop]

I never read Bolaño, but based on what I heard I thought I was going to love this. I got like 150 pages through and it was the first book I’ve put down in a long time. Could not stand it. Then I read Chile By Night and loved it. The part where (spoiler but not really because it happened in history) Allende comes into power and the narrator reads works of antiquity was probably one of my favorite moments in literature

[adameggers]

I enjoyed your take on this book and was glad it made you reevaluate and/or deepen your appreciation of Kerouac. I loved Savage Detectives as I had loved On the Road, although they are very different. Often times reading a book that deliberately tries to alter the ¨shape¨ of the novel can be tedious. Here, the structure follows the need of the story and makes good sense. I would recommend Woes of the True Policeman and The Unknown University (beyond 2666) for more Bolaño.

[bumsmanifesto]

I've read 2666 by Bolano, it was disturbing, which means I enjoyed it. I will have to try this next.

[henryvargasestrada]

Great review, Mattia. Bolaño has always been a favorite of mine. His novels are amazing. This one especially. As a proud latin american, he was a great example of our literature. It's really sad he's no longer with us.

[pontiuspilates]

easily one of my favourite books of all time. I still think about it from time to time.

[booksandallthatjazz]

A very good review. Thanks for giving me a very good idea of the reading experience.

[rjd]

It is strange, Bolano is one of the writers I really read everthing of, including his poetry - with one exception: The Savage Detectives. I bought the book three or more years ago and it is on my tbr-pile since. Why? When I took a look inside I had (maybe the wrong) impression that it is very different from his other writings, I enjoyed reading a lot, and wasn't shure if it was as good. I didn't want to spoil my "Bolano-experience" on the last meters of the track. Your review encouraged me now to take it up finally.

[thunderwood]

Wonderful review Bookchemist! You have a fantastic ability to create enthusiasm about literature that I would not normally be aware of. Thank you!

[wolfboy]

My friend told me to read this book about 7 years ago. I loved the beginning and hated when the story switched. I re-read it 3 years later and loved it.
I loved this review and cant wait to watch more of your videos.

[captaintrips]

Hey, I really like your reviews. You should try The Darkroom of Damocles by Willem Frederik Hermans.

[CABARET_LACAN]

Read The Book of Chocolate Saints by Jeet Thayil (Also read Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil).

[georgeguest]

I think the term you're looking for is writers writers, meaning that it takes someone who knows about writing to truly love the authors writing - now I write that down I realise how pretentious that is.
Great video. I'm gonna read this next, although I've already read a few extracts to syke myself up, when I finish cathedral and read it over Easter as one of my big books of the year. Really enjoy his short stuff, his stories basically read like extracts from this.
Would highly recommend Cesar aira, a writer who bolano really admired.

[qbjgept]

I loved it. It was one of my first "big" novels I read and it's still one of my alltime favorites. Liked the middle section way more than the frame narrative. To this day I pick up the book every few weeks and reread a random chapter. It's awesome and I will finally start 2666 next month

[Idiosyncfilms]

I JUST started Savage detectives, now I'm really excited to continue! I bought 2666, started it but put it down not far in. It's staring at me from the shelf.