The fragmented structure mirrors the nature of memory and truth itself, allowing Bolaño to present multiple perspectives that collectively create a richer, more nuanced understanding of events and characters. This approach also reflects the novel's themes about the impossibility of capturing absolute truth in art or life.

While the novel engages with Latin American literary traditions, it deliberately subverts many conventional elements of magical realism and political literature. Instead, it creates its own unique genre that blends detective story, road novel, and literary criticism into a revolutionary form of storytelling.

The book's exploration of artistic authenticity in a commodified world, its examination of youth culture and rebellion, and its investigation of how stories shape our understanding of reality remain deeply relevant to contemporary readers. Its innovative structure also prefigured many aspects of modern narrative storytelling.