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2666

Roberto Bolaรฑo

1053 Pages
2013

2666

A Novel

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

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2666 - Summary

Roberto Bolaรฑo's epic masterpiece weaves together multiple narratives that converge in the fictional Mexican border city of Santa Teresa. This sprawling novel follows diverse characters including literary scholars, a reclusive German author, an American journalist, and various locals, all somehow connected to a series of mysterious femicides. The work explores themes of violence, literary pursuit, and the dark undercurrents of modern society through an intricate tapestry of interconnected stories that span continents and decades.

Key Themes

1

Violence and Impunity

The systematic violence against women in Santa Teresa serves as a mirror to real-world Ciudad Juรกrez, examining how society normalizes and turns a blind eye to recurring atrocities. The novel delves deep into how institutional corruption and social indifference enable cycles of violence.

2

Literary Pursuit and Obsession

Through the academics searching for the mysterious writer Benno von Archimboldi, the novel explores the nature of artistic creation and the sometimes destructive pursuit of literary greatness. The search becomes a metaphor for the human desire to find meaning in chaos.

3

Border Culture and Identity

The U.S.-Mexico border setting becomes a character itself, representing the collision of worlds, cultures, and economies. The novel examines how geographical borders create psychological and social boundaries that shape human experience and suffering.

FAQ's

The title's meaning is deliberately ambiguous and has been subject to much scholarly debate. Some interpret it as a reference to an apocalyptic future date, while others connect it to various biblical and literary allusions throughout the text.

While the city of Santa Teresa is fictional, it's heavily based on Ciudad Juรกrez, Mexico, and the real femicides that occurred there during the 1990s and 2000s. Bolaรฑo conducted extensive research into these actual crimes to inform his narrative.

The book is divided into five distinct parts that can be read as separate novels but are interconnected through subtle links and themes. Each part has its own style and focus, from academic satire to police procedural to biographical narrative.

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