Reviews

Distant Star by Roberto Bolaño

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markeefe's review against another edition

3.5

Though a slim novel, this would have packed more punch as a novella. This strange tale, set around Pinochet's 1973 military takeover of Chile, is probably the oddest work of Bolaño's that I've read. But is it about what happens to the narrator's circle of young poets and their instructors under military rule? Or is it about an enigmatic poet/air force pilot/serial killer and how his actions affect the life of the narrator and his close friend? The latter, to me, was the far more compelling of the plot lines in Distant Star. When Bolaño digresses into the post-Pinochet lives of the narrator's two poetry instructors, the story loses steam. But the beginning and end of the book render it quite worthwhile, overall.

lorenagargom's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

sonatine's review against another edition

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notas soltas

primeiro bolaño e embora tenha me cansado um pouco com o número extenso de referências bibliográficas me ganhou muito no quão elusivo o antagonista se apresentou. tem mesmo uma sensação palpável de distância que permeia todo o livro, de se estar longe de casa, de não poder retornar, dos horrores que vêm com essa distância. ótima a última frase detetive que auxilia o protagonista mas páginas finais ser “hoje vou dormir em minha cama”

fxdpts's review against another edition

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It’s possible chapter 9 is my favorite piece of Bolaño writing I’ve read so far.

Bolaño progress: novel #8

rockobeige's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

saraestalote's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

emsemsems's review against another edition

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4.0

“Lux is light. Tenebrae is darkness. Fiat is let there be. Let there be light, get it? Sounds more like an Italian car to me, I said.”

Just finished this one, and I'm still stuck in the mood for another Bolaño. A 4.5 star rating that I might change to a 5 after an updated, and more proper review. I knew this was going to be a great one, but I didn't think that I'd like it so much (I'd built up very high expectations prior to reading it, and every expectation were met, if not outdone/surpassed). I particularly love the sub-stories in the middle (Lorenzo; and also the guy who wants to become a funeral director towards the end of the book). Been a bit slow with posting 'full' reviews, will but definitely write one up for this soon. RTC in a bit.

“Now or never, he thought, and began to swim back up. It seemed to take forever to reach the surface and then he could hardly manage to keep himself afloat, but he did. That afternoon he learnt to swim without arms, like an eel or a snake. In the current socio-political climate, he said to himself, committing suicide is absurd and redundant. Better to become an undercover poet.”