Reviews

Om natten i Chile by Roberto Bolaño

blairmahoney's review against another edition

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5.0

Brilliant. I thought the stream of consciousness worked really well and the shifts in time were nicely handled. There's a "My Last Duchess" dramatic monologue element to it with the sinister undertones and attempts at self-justification that reveal more of our narrator than he realises.

birdybird's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced

4.0

Besides the style, the book was difficult to read for me due to my own ignorance of Chile’s history. Something to keep note of when I revisit the book someday.
The last twenty pages alone justify my 4.0. Here is where everything was simultaneously unraveled and tied together as the narrator’s (failing) morality mirrored beyond his personal self and these failings are rationalized. His fervent defenses of his own behavior in the face of the “wizened youth” is almost comical as the defenses are just as extreme as what he has done. Will look forward to reading more of Bolaño’s work. 

cynicalworm's review against another edition

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4.0

Began this a long time ago and abandoned it due to my infamiliarity with Neruda and other LA greats. But in the swelter of a sauna today, I finished this beautifully written somewhat cryptic and far too historical for my ability tale.

dellaposta's review against another edition

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5.0

The story takes the form of a stream of consciousness deathbed confession that begs to be read in one sitting. The entire book (until the final page) is composed of a single paragraph, a style that works because of the hypnotic quality of the author’s writing. In addition to being a great historical novel of Chile under Pinochet, the book asks pointed questions about the social responsibilities of artists and intellectuals, questions that the narrator repeatedly fails to confront in his own life.

insearch's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

peebee's review against another edition

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3.0

Third Bolano book that washed over me with no effect. Think I'm gonna give him a maybe permanent rest.

Also, writers: Maybe I just have a bad memory and am a poor communicator, but if I get old and try to justify my life on my deathbed, there's going to be a much less linear storyline, and I'm sure as shit not going to remember the waiter who popped in for a second while I was waiting for an important meeting, and even less so that he muttered something that I didn't catch.

I feel like it's this novelist thing where you have to paint some kind of word picture, even though if it's a non-omnipotent narrator, there's no reason that any of this would ever get mentioned.

afroabsurdist's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

5.0

weejman33's review against another edition

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3.0

I appreciated this book more as it evolved into what I think it did not realize it was for the first 50 so odd pages. Also felt like ‘Midnight in Paris’ at one point.

msgtdameron's review against another edition

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challenging fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is a good work about a Priest Sebastian Larkin. But is he a Priest? He writes poetry, is a literary critic of both prose and poetry, attends literati soirees, holds mass, blesses the poor and rich, teaches at university, and private lessons to the elite, and travels to Europe to study and write a paper on how to keep old Cathedrals from crumbling. SO what is he is the focus of the book. Stylistically it has one problem, no chapters, paragraphs, or page breaks, but after 15 to 20 pages I adjusted and you will also. Good quick read.

dasbooch's review against another edition

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5.0

I found this a beautiful piece of literature. Not to give too much away, a priest and literary critic looks back on his life following the Pinochet regime and after being criticized by a young man for his past actions. It reflects on many aspects of Chilean life at that time including the importance of literature, the complicated balance between religion and modern culture and what it means to “collaborate”. I am sure it can have many different meanings to different people. Highly recommended.