from Asymptote
"The explosion of the late Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño onto the international literary scene in the last few years has been one of those events—they happen every so often—which are in part about the writing (which is major, yes, and absolutely does merit our best attention), but also have to do with a whole array of other factors, from the draw of an artist's tragic early foreclosure (Bolaño died of liver failure in 2003), to his actual and symbolic implication in beastly political events (Pinochet's right wing coup, Bolaño's subsequent—brief—arrest, his eventual exile), to the publication of the big—great—book (2666), and the myriad worthy works that amplified the posthumous suggestion that he was writing like one damned—under a sentence—with the uncommon pressure often ascribed to genius (whatever we deem that to be); to, simply, the fact that we seem at any one time to require a few literary figures that can trellis the mythologies we can't help but weave. Thus W.G. Sebald, thus David Foster Wallace...
Through the acumen and dedication of New Directions Press, Bolaño's oeuvre has now mostly emerged into view (11 titles published, 12 counting Between Parentheses, the most recent collection), and though it is not quite Vollmannesque in amplitude, it is amplitudinous enough to require maps and route-suggestions. Every experienced reader will offer her own. Mine, based on selective experience, would suggest that the reader get a taste with the short novel By Night in Chile, widen the narrative and tonal aperture with The Savage Detectives, and then check into Hotel 2666 for an extended stay. Do not, tempting as it may be, begin with the occasional prose of Between Parentheses, for though it is a collection full of passion and life, most of the contents will seem of specialized interest, unless you happen to be deeply immersed in the culture of 20th century Chilean literature. One can only follow up to a point with interest discussion of poets or novelists who have not yet been translated into English—or, if translated, then only available through an obscure publisher. There are pages and pages on: Ana María Navales, Juan Villoro, Osvaldo Lamborghini, Javier Cercas, Pezoa Véliz, Hiracio Castellanos Moya, Sergio Pitol..." more