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Bolaño: A Biography in Conversations
The first biography of Chilean novelist Roberto Bolaño, whose Savage Detectives and 2666 were bestsellers in the U.S. Written by a noted magazine writer who knew and interviewed Bolaño.
How to know the man behind works of fiction so prone to extravagance? In the first biography of Chilean novelist and poet Roberto Bolaño, journalist Mónica Maristain tracks Bolaño from his childhood in Chile to his youth in Mexico and his early infatuation with literature, to his beginnings as a poet, and to the stardom that came with the publication of the novels The Savage Detectives and 2666.
Bolaño: A Biography in Conversations is assembled from a series of rich interviews with the people who knew Bolaño best: we meet Bolaño’s first publisher, who printed 225 copies of his first book of poetry; glimpse the young author through interviews with his parents and an array of childhood friends, who watched a precocious young man turn into an obsessive writer who barely left the house; and witness the birth of Bolaño’s famed Infrarealist literary movement. The book also sheds new light on aspects of Bolaño’s life that have long been shrouded in mystery: for the first time, we learn the details of Bolaño’s fatal illness and the drama of his final days.
Throughout the book, Maristain present an image far removed from the stereotypes that have been created over the years to introduce a writer whose works grabbed readers worldwide. Maristain writes as a journalist and admirer, impressed with the power of Bolaño’s prose and the cool irony with which he faced the literary world.
How to know the man behind works of fiction so prone to extravagance? In the first biography of Chilean novelist and poet Roberto Bolaño, journalist Mónica Maristain tracks Bolaño from his childhood in Chile to his youth in Mexico and his early infatuation with literature, to his beginnings as a poet, and to the stardom that came with the publication of the novels The Savage Detectives and 2666.
Bolaño: A Biography in Conversations is assembled from a series of rich interviews with the people who knew Bolaño best: we meet Bolaño’s first publisher, who printed 225 copies of his first book of poetry; glimpse the young author through interviews with his parents and an array of childhood friends, who watched a precocious young man turn into an obsessive writer who barely left the house; and witness the birth of Bolaño’s famed Infrarealist literary movement. The book also sheds new light on aspects of Bolaño’s life that have long been shrouded in mystery: for the first time, we learn the details of Bolaño’s fatal illness and the drama of his final days.
Throughout the book, Maristain present an image far removed from the stereotypes that have been created over the years to introduce a writer whose works grabbed readers worldwide. Maristain writes as a journalist and admirer, impressed with the power of Bolaño’s prose and the cool irony with which he faced the literary world.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2012
15 people are currently reading
452 people want to read
About the author
Mónica Maristain
11 books6 followersMónica Maristain es editora, periodista y escritora. Nació en Argentina y desde el año 2000 reside en México. Ha escrito para distintos medios nacionales e internacionales, entre ellos los periódicos argentinos Clarín, Página 12 y La Nación, así como para la revista Playboy. Ha sido colaboradora en las agencias efe y dpa. En 2010 publicó “La última entrevista a Roberto Bolaño y otras charlas con grandes autores” y participó en la antología sobre la década de los sesenta Lo escrito mañana. Realizó la antología El último árbol. Cuentos de navidad (2011). Su entrevista a Roberto Bolaño integra los libros póstumos dedicados al célebre escritor chileno Entre paréntesis y Bolaño por sí mismo.
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September 7, 2022
when you read him, you get the urge to read and write yourself. i think that that's the best thing anyone can say about a writer. -Rodrigo Fresán
Roberto Bolaño is both the myth-maker and the myth. He creates a realm where reality and fiction copulate to birth a new, better, brighter world. In his works we find literature to be the paramount importance, where literature may not save your life or change your status, but will save your soul. That is the sort of thing I choose to believe in. I want to carry around in my pocket a medallion with Bolaño’s face on one side, and his wordless poem on the other and make him the Patron Saint of the doomed and damned artists who truly believe their craft makes more difference than any political leader, army or god. Bolaño is who I choose to believe in. Bolaño: A Biography in Conversations is a stunning look into the life of the legend, brilliantly structured, cycling between personal research and essay by Mónica Maristain (with whom Bolaño gave his final interview) and her interviews with those who knew the master. What appears is a piercingly beautiful portrait of a sensitive and playful¹ man fiercely dedicated to his craft.
I remember him as a man who wanted to seem tough but had a very sweet side. - Paola Tinoco
The biography chronicles his life from boyhood (we see the truth behind the relationship with his father, a former boxer, that appears in glorious fictionalized truth in his story The Last Evenings on Earth) to his death at an early age from liver failure. Bolaño died while on the waiting list for a new liver (can I please make a stipulation as an organ donor to only give mine to poets and novelists far from the top of a waiting list?). While some of the myth is dispelled and the drug-addicted tough guy attitude cast in a new light (Bolaño neither drank nor did drugs. It is amusing that he always insisted upon being photographed smoking to add to his ‘tough guy’ image), it casts light on a life well lived and one worth honoring. We strip away the errors but find more gold to enjoy, and the list of authors interviewed and works mention is sure to bulk up any to-read list (particularly the list of 16 best novels that he made for Playboy Magazine) The escapades as a Visceral Realist are told with great hilarity, little-known poets turning up at literary meetings and wrecking havoc, and we can be assured that Bolaño was every bit the poet bad-ass he wanted us to see.
The mythology of Bolaño is fascinating. In this modern age, it is tough to keep a low-profile, yet so much of his life is still shrouded in ‘did that really happen?’. The answer is that it truly doesn’t matter if it did or not, but what does it mean to us. His works are so blended with biography and fiction to create a better world imbued with meaning and message that can save us, protect us, comfort us and entertain us. We can choose to believe in the blended myth and find solace there. Why bother with the semantics? Like warring religions debating whose is the ‘truth’ when what really matters is taking the message to heart, mind and action and living life in a better way. Bolaño showed us the route to a world where art is of the utmost importance, and that is something you can take with you forever. And hopefully let it guide your own artistic endeavors. He gave us the beauty in slums or exile, the emotion of defeat, loneliness and the importance of sticking true to your beliefs. Bolaño is on our side, a man both folk-tale and reality, a man worth believing in.
You are missed, goodnight sweet prince.
4.5/5
¹ There is a great story told by Fresan where Bolaño turns up at his door awhile after they had parted ways. Bolaño is pale and soaking wet and tells him he killed a man who tried to mug him because he felt their money dedicated to literature was too important to be taken away by a Skinhead. After much disquieting discussion and alarm, Bolaño finally laughs and asks how Fresan could believe that. He says he needed to call a cap but that seemed to vulgar and boring so he'd spice the story up a bit. Apparently Bolaño was known for such joking around.
Roberto Bolaño is both the myth-maker and the myth. He creates a realm where reality and fiction copulate to birth a new, better, brighter world. In his works we find literature to be the paramount importance, where literature may not save your life or change your status, but will save your soul. That is the sort of thing I choose to believe in. I want to carry around in my pocket a medallion with Bolaño’s face on one side, and his wordless poem on the other and make him the Patron Saint of the doomed and damned artists who truly believe their craft makes more difference than any political leader, army or god. Bolaño is who I choose to believe in. Bolaño: A Biography in Conversations is a stunning look into the life of the legend, brilliantly structured, cycling between personal research and essay by Mónica Maristain (with whom Bolaño gave his final interview) and her interviews with those who knew the master. What appears is a piercingly beautiful portrait of a sensitive and playful¹ man fiercely dedicated to his craft.
I remember him as a man who wanted to seem tough but had a very sweet side. - Paola Tinoco
The biography chronicles his life from boyhood (we see the truth behind the relationship with his father, a former boxer, that appears in glorious fictionalized truth in his story The Last Evenings on Earth) to his death at an early age from liver failure. Bolaño died while on the waiting list for a new liver (can I please make a stipulation as an organ donor to only give mine to poets and novelists far from the top of a waiting list?). While some of the myth is dispelled and the drug-addicted tough guy attitude cast in a new light (Bolaño neither drank nor did drugs. It is amusing that he always insisted upon being photographed smoking to add to his ‘tough guy’ image), it casts light on a life well lived and one worth honoring. We strip away the errors but find more gold to enjoy, and the list of authors interviewed and works mention is sure to bulk up any to-read list (particularly the list of 16 best novels that he made for Playboy Magazine) The escapades as a Visceral Realist are told with great hilarity, little-known poets turning up at literary meetings and wrecking havoc, and we can be assured that Bolaño was every bit the poet bad-ass he wanted us to see.
The mythology of Bolaño is fascinating. In this modern age, it is tough to keep a low-profile, yet so much of his life is still shrouded in ‘did that really happen?’. The answer is that it truly doesn’t matter if it did or not, but what does it mean to us. His works are so blended with biography and fiction to create a better world imbued with meaning and message that can save us, protect us, comfort us and entertain us. We can choose to believe in the blended myth and find solace there. Why bother with the semantics? Like warring religions debating whose is the ‘truth’ when what really matters is taking the message to heart, mind and action and living life in a better way. Bolaño showed us the route to a world where art is of the utmost importance, and that is something you can take with you forever. And hopefully let it guide your own artistic endeavors. He gave us the beauty in slums or exile, the emotion of defeat, loneliness and the importance of sticking true to your beliefs. Bolaño is on our side, a man both folk-tale and reality, a man worth believing in.
You are missed, goodnight sweet prince.
4.5/5
¹ There is a great story told by Fresan where Bolaño turns up at his door awhile after they had parted ways. Bolaño is pale and soaking wet and tells him he killed a man who tried to mug him because he felt their money dedicated to literature was too important to be taken away by a Skinhead. After much disquieting discussion and alarm, Bolaño finally laughs and asks how Fresan could believe that. He says he needed to call a cap but that seemed to vulgar and boring so he'd spice the story up a bit. Apparently Bolaño was known for such joking around.
December 8, 2012
A veces me odio por ser un Bolañito, un fan más de este escritor chileno, más bien latinoamericano, que desde España escribió las dos grandes novelas mexicanas contemporáneas, Los detectives salvajes y 2666. La bolañomanía es lo de hoy y por lo general es absurda. Lo idolatramos ya sea por sus grandes obras o por el mito que fue Bolaño en sí mismo. Pero Bolaño es grande entre los grandes. Procuro leerlo poco, espaciando sus libros lo más posible. Lo hago como un acto de prudencia porque me sé débil ante sus obras, capaz de irme a los desiertos de Sonora que él nunca pisó para buscar las claves poéticas de sus libros. Esta semblanza escrita por Mónica Maristain, la misma periodista que le hiciera la última entrevista, es una joya.
June 19, 2023
Gensanta
February 5, 2016
Everyone's got that one friend that went pro. By virtue of being like real good friends with them for a summer in sixth grade, you're kind of a big deal, at least by proxy. Some of the conversations in this biography played out like that, as if the subjects knew their proximity to Bolaño was going to be the highlight of their careers.
I liked it though. It read curiously like a Bolaño novel of sorts -- unsurprising since his life and legend blurred together so much. Another pleasurable attribute was the reminder of the depth and richness of the Latin American anticanon. Really highlights the differences between the world's various literary establishments, from country to country, region to region, era to era.
At the end of the day, Bolaño is still more than the sum of his friends. If anyone deserved to go pro out of his crew(s), it was him.
I liked it though. It read curiously like a Bolaño novel of sorts -- unsurprising since his life and legend blurred together so much. Another pleasurable attribute was the reminder of the depth and richness of the Latin American anticanon. Really highlights the differences between the world's various literary establishments, from country to country, region to region, era to era.
At the end of the day, Bolaño is still more than the sum of his friends. If anyone deserved to go pro out of his crew(s), it was him.
January 11, 2021
Partí leyéndolo hace un tiempo. Me fue atrapando al minuto y tuve un miedo inexplicable de terminarlo. Dosificaba su lectura cada vez que lo retomaba y hoy me fue inevitable. Mi domingo completo está dedicado a Bolaño.
October 21, 2014
in late 2003, months after liver failure claimed the life of roberto bolaño (who, at the time, was awaiting a transplant), illustrious new york-based publisher new directions released by night in chile in translation – the first swell of a literary tsunami that would soon engulf english-speaking audiences with nearly unprecedented rapidity. the chilean novelist and poet, already considered one of the most eminent writers of his generation throughout the spanish-speaking world, would find a posthumous stateside fame typically reserved for perhaps a handful of authors each century. following the publication of the savage detectives and 2666 (masterworks rendered from the spanish by natasha wimmer), bolaño’s renown surged to frenzied levels – leaving considerable acclaim, as well as scant and often conflicting biographical detail, in its wake.
with some twenty of bolaño’s books now available in english (including novels, short stories, poetry, and essays), and the tide of as-yet untranslated works all but receded, the near-simultaneous publication of a “provisional” biography and his final novella offers readers a satisfying sojourn.
bolaño: a biography in conversations, written by mónica maristain (and translated from the spanish by kit maude), is not a biography in the conventional sense, but instead comprises conversations and interviews with those who knew the late author most intimately: his parents, friends, literary colleagues, and fellow writers. maristain, an argentine-born journalist based in mexico, conducted the last interview with bolaño prior to his death.
bolaño presents a vivid profile of both man and author – dispelling so many of the erroneous claims about his life that became mythologized as part of his legend and legacy. for example, the liver disease that bolaño ultimately succumbed to was once held to be the result of years’ worth of hard living, including a heroin addiction. bolaño, we learn, did not use drugs nor drink alcohol, however.
the descriptions of bolaño are remarkably consistent: a voracious reader and film enthusiast possessed of frankness, good humor, and ample enthusiasm. tracing his life from a chilean working class background to his infamous antics as an infrarealist poet agitator to his final days along the spanish mediterranean coast, bolaño foregoes much of the romanticism of his public persona, instead providing a more insightful and impartial glimpse into his life, personality, and dedication to craft.
roberto bolaño is now rightly considered a titan of contemporary world literature. the success of his books has not only introduced english-speaking readers to one of the most important latin american writers of the past half-century, but has also helped to usher in a greater interest in translated literature. with maristain’s revealing biography, we are granted a portrait of an artist as seen through the words and memories of his contemporaries.
with some twenty of bolaño’s books now available in english (including novels, short stories, poetry, and essays), and the tide of as-yet untranslated works all but receded, the near-simultaneous publication of a “provisional” biography and his final novella offers readers a satisfying sojourn.
bolaño: a biography in conversations, written by mónica maristain (and translated from the spanish by kit maude), is not a biography in the conventional sense, but instead comprises conversations and interviews with those who knew the late author most intimately: his parents, friends, literary colleagues, and fellow writers. maristain, an argentine-born journalist based in mexico, conducted the last interview with bolaño prior to his death.
bolaño presents a vivid profile of both man and author – dispelling so many of the erroneous claims about his life that became mythologized as part of his legend and legacy. for example, the liver disease that bolaño ultimately succumbed to was once held to be the result of years’ worth of hard living, including a heroin addiction. bolaño, we learn, did not use drugs nor drink alcohol, however.
the descriptions of bolaño are remarkably consistent: a voracious reader and film enthusiast possessed of frankness, good humor, and ample enthusiasm. tracing his life from a chilean working class background to his infamous antics as an infrarealist poet agitator to his final days along the spanish mediterranean coast, bolaño foregoes much of the romanticism of his public persona, instead providing a more insightful and impartial glimpse into his life, personality, and dedication to craft.
roberto bolaño is now rightly considered a titan of contemporary world literature. the success of his books has not only introduced english-speaking readers to one of the most important latin american writers of the past half-century, but has also helped to usher in a greater interest in translated literature. with maristain’s revealing biography, we are granted a portrait of an artist as seen through the words and memories of his contemporaries.
[rodrigo] fresán: as a writer, what i ask from other writers is the pleasure of reading. i don't approach great writers expecting them to teach me something. what i learned from bolaño, and i think that he is an excellent example, was seeing someone who very firmly, emphatically, and vigorously took pleasure in his work, in reading and writing. you can say that new generations were attracted to roberto because he died young, by the idea of someone who has nothing triumphing in the end, which is very attractive to anyone who wants to be a writer, but i think that what will remain in time, once the mystique that surrounds roberto has faded, is that when you read him, you get the urge to read and write yourself. i think that that's the best thing anyone can say about a writer.
October 22, 2014
Like any other fan, I've got an image in my mind of Bolaño pieced together from the way he fictionalized himself in his books and interviews. Mónica Maristain provides a more rounded picture, based on indefatigable interviews with his old friends and acquaintances. I'm not sure it adds anything to the pleasure of reading Bolaño – it may actually detract from the experience – but it does satisfy a reader's curiosity. She clears up a couple legends, for example, the story that he'd been a heroin addict, which is apparently completely wrong. Not surprisingly, he sounds like a guy it would have been a blast to know. There are some entertaining exchanges, for example:
MARISTAIN: He wasn't at all handsome, but he was very seductive…
RIPPEY: Who told you that he wasn't handsome? He was extremely handsome, of course.
MARISTAIN: He wasn't at all handsome, but he was very seductive…
RIPPEY: Who told you that he wasn't handsome? He was extremely handsome, of course.
February 10, 2024
Oldukça kötü yazılmış ve yazarın yazışmalarını, günlüklerini ve basılmamış eserlerini içeren arşivine ulaşım olmadan oluşturulduğu için eksik olmasına rağmen Roberto Bolaño'nun kişiliği ve eserleri hakkında okura bakış açısı sunan bir biyografi bu kitap.
Bunca yıldır yazar hakkında neden eli yüzü düzgün bir biyografi yazılamadığını merak edenler lithub sitesinde "The Complicated Afterlives of Roberto Bolaño" başlıklı yazıya bakabilir.
Gelelim Roberto Bolaño hakkındaki bilgilere;
+ Yazarın entelektüel gelişiminde en büyük pay öğretmen annesi ve onun kadın arkadaşlarına ait. Hatta annesinin arkadaşı şair Alcira Soust Scaffo Tılsım kitabının esin kaynağı. İlk defa Vahşi Hafiyeler kitabında görülmüş bir karakter.
+ Bolaño’nun babası ile oldukça problemli bir ilişkisi varmış, uzun yıllar küs kaldıktan sonra babanın ölümünden önce barışıp görüşmüşler. Katil Orospular kitabı içindeki "Yeryüzünde Son Günbatımları" hikayesi babası ile çıktığı tatilin birebir anlatımı imiş.
+ Yazar müthiş bir okur ve aynı zamanda sinema aşığı. Bütün temel eserleri okumanın yanında çağdaşlarını da takip eden nadir yazarlardan. İlk romanlarını 16 yaşında yazmaya başlamış.
+ Tüm tanıdıkları yazarın uyuşturucu kullanmadığını belirtmiş. Doktoru karaciğerindeki rahatsızlığın sebebinin bağışıklık ile ilgili bir sorun olduğunu söylemiş.
+ Roberto Bolaño neredeyse tüm arkadaşlarını kitaplarında bir karaktere dönüştürmüş. Örneğin yakın arkadaşı şair Bruno Montané Vahşi Hafiyeler kitabında Felipe Müller olmuş. Kitabı okuyunca daha ayrıntılı yazacağım. Yazar kendisini de hayatı boyunca kurgu karakter olarak görmüş, özellikle arkadaşlarıyla yazışmalarında açıkça görülüyormuş bu durum.
+ Isabel Allende, Ángeles Mastretta, Marcela Serrano ve Antonio Skármeta açıkça ve ağır bir şekilde eleştirdiği yazarlardan, Isabel Allende nefret ediyormuş kendisinden.
+ Yazarın metinlerini okurken klişelerden nefret ettiğini, asla piyasa taleplerine boyun eğmediğini, oldukça koyu bir kara mizah anlayışı olduğunu akılda tutmak gerekiyor.
+ Bolaño’nun arkadaşlarının bir kısmı 2666'dan sonra yayımlanan kitapları yaşasaydı yazarın okurlara sunmayacağını belirtmişler, enteresan buldum.
+ Yazarın pek çok favori edebiyatçısı olsa da kendini etkileyen isimler arasında Jorge Luis Borges ve Kurt Vonnegut Jr. isimleri öne çıkıyor.
+ Roberto Bolaño'nun yayımlanan ilk romanı Consejos de un discípulo de Morrison a un fanático de Joyce seguido de Diario de bar, kendi adıyla yayımlanan ilk kitabı da Reinventar el amor isimli bir şiir koleksiyonu. Bu bilgiler teyit gerektiriyor, resmi biyografi çıkarsa bir gün doğru mu değil mi anlayacağız.
+ Son olarak yazarın anarşist, yıkıcı kabul edilen edebiyat anlayışı ile ilgili çok güzel bir analoji yapılmış kitapta; nasıl çocuklar özgürlüğüne ulaşabilmek için anne babalarını aşmak (mecazi olarak öldürmek) zorunda iseler edebiyatçılar da kendinden önce gelen neslin anlayışına karşı çıkmak, onunla mücadele etmek zorundadır. Bizde Nazım Hikmet'in geleneksel şiire karşı çıkışını hatırlattı bana. Roberto Bolaño da bu görevi hakkıyla yerine getirmiş diyebiliriz.
Kitapta çok ayrıntı var hepsini yazamadım. Bu yıl yazarın çoğu kitabını okuma planım var. Yeri geldikçe atıf yaparım bu metne.
Bunca yıldır yazar hakkında neden eli yüzü düzgün bir biyografi yazılamadığını merak edenler lithub sitesinde "The Complicated Afterlives of Roberto Bolaño" başlıklı yazıya bakabilir.
Gelelim Roberto Bolaño hakkındaki bilgilere;
+ Yazarın entelektüel gelişiminde en büyük pay öğretmen annesi ve onun kadın arkadaşlarına ait. Hatta annesinin arkadaşı şair Alcira Soust Scaffo Tılsım kitabının esin kaynağı. İlk defa Vahşi Hafiyeler kitabında görülmüş bir karakter.
+ Bolaño’nun babası ile oldukça problemli bir ilişkisi varmış, uzun yıllar küs kaldıktan sonra babanın ölümünden önce barışıp görüşmüşler. Katil Orospular kitabı içindeki "Yeryüzünde Son Günbatımları" hikayesi babası ile çıktığı tatilin birebir anlatımı imiş.
+ Yazar müthiş bir okur ve aynı zamanda sinema aşığı. Bütün temel eserleri okumanın yanında çağdaşlarını da takip eden nadir yazarlardan. İlk romanlarını 16 yaşında yazmaya başlamış.
+ Tüm tanıdıkları yazarın uyuşturucu kullanmadığını belirtmiş. Doktoru karaciğerindeki rahatsızlığın sebebinin bağışıklık ile ilgili bir sorun olduğunu söylemiş.
+ Roberto Bolaño neredeyse tüm arkadaşlarını kitaplarında bir karaktere dönüştürmüş. Örneğin yakın arkadaşı şair Bruno Montané Vahşi Hafiyeler kitabında Felipe Müller olmuş. Kitabı okuyunca daha ayrıntılı yazacağım. Yazar kendisini de hayatı boyunca kurgu karakter olarak görmüş, özellikle arkadaşlarıyla yazışmalarında açıkça görülüyormuş bu durum.
+ Isabel Allende, Ángeles Mastretta, Marcela Serrano ve Antonio Skármeta açıkça ve ağır bir şekilde eleştirdiği yazarlardan, Isabel Allende nefret ediyormuş kendisinden.
+ Yazarın metinlerini okurken klişelerden nefret ettiğini, asla piyasa taleplerine boyun eğmediğini, oldukça koyu bir kara mizah anlayışı olduğunu akılda tutmak gerekiyor.
+ Bolaño’nun arkadaşlarının bir kısmı 2666'dan sonra yayımlanan kitapları yaşasaydı yazarın okurlara sunmayacağını belirtmişler, enteresan buldum.
+ Yazarın pek çok favori edebiyatçısı olsa da kendini etkileyen isimler arasında Jorge Luis Borges ve Kurt Vonnegut Jr. isimleri öne çıkıyor.
+ Roberto Bolaño'nun yayımlanan ilk romanı Consejos de un discípulo de Morrison a un fanático de Joyce seguido de Diario de bar, kendi adıyla yayımlanan ilk kitabı da Reinventar el amor isimli bir şiir koleksiyonu. Bu bilgiler teyit gerektiriyor, resmi biyografi çıkarsa bir gün doğru mu değil mi anlayacağız.
+ Son olarak yazarın anarşist, yıkıcı kabul edilen edebiyat anlayışı ile ilgili çok güzel bir analoji yapılmış kitapta; nasıl çocuklar özgürlüğüne ulaşabilmek için anne babalarını aşmak (mecazi olarak öldürmek) zorunda iseler edebiyatçılar da kendinden önce gelen neslin anlayışına karşı çıkmak, onunla mücadele etmek zorundadır. Bizde Nazım Hikmet'in geleneksel şiire karşı çıkışını hatırlattı bana. Roberto Bolaño da bu görevi hakkıyla yerine getirmiş diyebiliriz.
Kitapta çok ayrıntı var hepsini yazamadım. Bu yıl yazarın çoğu kitabını okuma planım var. Yeri geldikçe atıf yaparım bu metne.
May 27, 2019
kind of a mess?
but I learned a fair bit?
and I'm glad I read it?
but do I have to read everything his name is on?
apparently yes?
but I learned a fair bit?
and I'm glad I read it?
but do I have to read everything his name is on?
apparently yes?
April 25, 2024
Me gustó mucho la semblanza que hace Mónica Maristain sobre Roberto Bolaño. El escritor y el mito, mezclados, yuxtapuestos. También los detractores, era evidente. Si le dicen a alguien que un amigo (y tomemos en cuenta que a un amigo lo hemos visto vomitado, meado y llorando por una mujer) ha escrito la mejor novela del siglo XXI, jamás lo va a aceptar, porque te vio, precisamente, vomitado, meado y llorando por una mujer. Un amigo es importante porque te mantiene los pies en la tierra, pero también es alguien que nunca te verá como algo más que terrenal. Para mí que soy sólo un lector, Roberto Bolaño escribió dos obras maestras, Los Detectives Salvajes y 2666. Pero tampoco lo considero un escritor infalible, como Borges por ejemplo, Roberto Bolaño en mi opinión era un cuentista medio pelo y un pésimo poeta.
Mónica Maristain hace el recorrido geográfico que hizo el mismo Roberto, desde su infancia en Chile, su juventud en México y su adultez en España. Las primeras pistas de la niñez se las da el propio padre de Roberto, quién fue boxeador, le regaló un caballo y es el protagonista de La última noche en la tierra, mi cuento favorito de Roberto Bolaño, un descenso al infierno en la costa de Acapulco. Después, en la juventud mexicana, tuvo contacto con Alcira Soust Scaffo quien en la pequeña obra maestra Amuleto se convierte en Auxilio Lacouture, mujer uruguaya que sobrevive comiendo papel de baño durante la matanza del 68. El horror, convertido en monólogo interior, sólo es reflejo de una realidad política que aniquila a los jóvenes. En su adultez, mientras es cuidador de un camping en España, Roberto sitúa obras como Pista de hielo y Una novelita lumpen.
La columna vertebral del libro son las entrevistas, las más interesantes son las de Carmen Boullosa y Rodrigo Fresán. Sin embargo, lo que a mí me conmovió fue la entrevista que se le hizo a la última pareja sentimental de Roberto, en estas páginas narra los últimos momentos antes de que Bolaño fuera al hospital y no saliera nunca más. Roberto se mete a bañar y pone Lucha de gigantes de Nacha Pop. Esa fue la última canción que escuchó, así que la puse en mi celular y me puse a llorar. Tal vez pensaba en todos los libros que Roberto no alcanzó a escribir debido a que nunca llegó la donación.
Este es un libro de consulta. Creo que mientras lea o relea los libros de Roberto Bolaño, volveré a buscar en estas páginas información que pueda esclarecer las motivaciones de escritura. Es un libro también de chismoseo literario que, en lo personal, me encanta. ¿Un libro de entrada a la obra de Bolaño? Creo que no, tal vez sea mejor llegar aquí cuando ya admiras al autor y parte de sus libros.
Mónica Maristain hace el recorrido geográfico que hizo el mismo Roberto, desde su infancia en Chile, su juventud en México y su adultez en España. Las primeras pistas de la niñez se las da el propio padre de Roberto, quién fue boxeador, le regaló un caballo y es el protagonista de La última noche en la tierra, mi cuento favorito de Roberto Bolaño, un descenso al infierno en la costa de Acapulco. Después, en la juventud mexicana, tuvo contacto con Alcira Soust Scaffo quien en la pequeña obra maestra Amuleto se convierte en Auxilio Lacouture, mujer uruguaya que sobrevive comiendo papel de baño durante la matanza del 68. El horror, convertido en monólogo interior, sólo es reflejo de una realidad política que aniquila a los jóvenes. En su adultez, mientras es cuidador de un camping en España, Roberto sitúa obras como Pista de hielo y Una novelita lumpen.
La columna vertebral del libro son las entrevistas, las más interesantes son las de Carmen Boullosa y Rodrigo Fresán. Sin embargo, lo que a mí me conmovió fue la entrevista que se le hizo a la última pareja sentimental de Roberto, en estas páginas narra los últimos momentos antes de que Bolaño fuera al hospital y no saliera nunca más. Roberto se mete a bañar y pone Lucha de gigantes de Nacha Pop. Esa fue la última canción que escuchó, así que la puse en mi celular y me puse a llorar. Tal vez pensaba en todos los libros que Roberto no alcanzó a escribir debido a que nunca llegó la donación.
Este es un libro de consulta. Creo que mientras lea o relea los libros de Roberto Bolaño, volveré a buscar en estas páginas información que pueda esclarecer las motivaciones de escritura. Es un libro también de chismoseo literario que, en lo personal, me encanta. ¿Un libro de entrada a la obra de Bolaño? Creo que no, tal vez sea mejor llegar aquí cuando ya admiras al autor y parte de sus libros.
May 29, 2023
Maristain entrevista, o reproduce entrevistas, a gente cercana a Bolaño: empieza esta historia con el padre y la acaba con el mejor amigo. A grandes rasgos, están todos: desde los infrarrealistas hasta escritores de más peso que más tarde fueron sus amigos (Echevarría, Fresán, Volpi, etc.); sólo faltan su viuda Carolina López (pero el mismo libro hace que esa ausencia sea comprensible) y, quizás, Lisa Johnson (pero hubiera sido pedir demasiado).
Es interesante conocer los nombres que están detrás de algunos personajes de Los detectives salvajes, saber qué piensan sobre esa novela, conocer su versión de la historia: cómo era el Bolaño joven, qué pensaban sobre el Bolaño famoso.
Además, Maristain le da voz a los amigos y no tan amigos de Bolaño. Están las voces que no vacilan al mostrar su entusiasmo, pero también —y este es un aporte valioso del libro, que lo hace equilibrado— las voces que no dudan al momento de criticar y señalar sus puntos flacos.
Salgo de este libro con ganas de releer a Bolaño (ojalá me quedara algo pendiente), pero sobre todo Los detectives salvajes.
Es interesante conocer los nombres que están detrás de algunos personajes de Los detectives salvajes, saber qué piensan sobre esa novela, conocer su versión de la historia: cómo era el Bolaño joven, qué pensaban sobre el Bolaño famoso.
Además, Maristain le da voz a los amigos y no tan amigos de Bolaño. Están las voces que no vacilan al mostrar su entusiasmo, pero también —y este es un aporte valioso del libro, que lo hace equilibrado— las voces que no dudan al momento de criticar y señalar sus puntos flacos.
Salgo de este libro con ganas de releer a Bolaño (ojalá me quedara algo pendiente), pero sobre todo Los detectives salvajes.
September 19, 2024
Como soy un fanboy de Bolaño conocía muchas de las cosas que se recopilan en este libro, especialmente las entrevistas al escritor. Me ha sorprendido encontrar el testimonio de Carmen (aunque, en realidad, me había llegado parte de su información) al punto de retener alguna lágrima.
January 9, 2016
I've been on a Bolaño kick lately, reading some of the books I'd picked up during my book tour last year before tackling Savage Detectives: Antwerp (Green Apple Books, San Francisco), Tres (London) and Monica Maristain's Bolaño (Skylight Books, Los Angeles).
The subtitle of Maristain's book is "a biography in conversation," which means it's part oral history part biography, but a lot of Maristain's prose is dedicated to introducing the many voices that weigh in on Roberto Bolaño: the man, the myth, the legend. It's not a perfect book. It has it's own logic and while the interview roughly follows the arc of Bolaño's career, it's hardly comprehensive, which is to be expected in a book that's largely anecdotal. What's interesting about the book is that it contains the voices of his contemporaries and peers -- Chileans, Argentineans, Mexicans and Spaniards -- voices that we often don't hear in the U.S. And that's a good thing.
As a result, there's a fascinating give and take as these writers and critics poke holes in the legend of Bolaño in one story, and then build it back up in the next. One gets the impression that Bolaño was well liked by his peers in spite of the fact that Bolaño himself was a vituperative critic who was especially hard on his countrymen, as this story by Argentine writer Rodrigo Fresan:
"Roberto liked Philip K. Dick a lot and had a very philipkdickian suspicion that he had died during the first liver attack, and that had everything to him in the subsequent ten years was the life that he hadn't been able to experience in reality. I said to him that it was a little unpleasant for him to say things like that, because they meant that I was just a character of his, that we're all just his fantasies. He replied: 'Well, Rodrigo, it's better than being one of Isabel Allende's characters. There are worse fates...'"*
No one enjoys speaking ill of the dead. The overall effect of reading Bolaño is a bit like being inside a Bolaño novel in which writers gather to discuss the work of a literary giant who isn't there. For those who have fallen under Bolaño's spell, Maristain's book is an essential guide.
*Besides being very funny, this story made me recollect a similar dream I experienced during college after falling asleep on the floor of friend's dorm room. I dreamt I was still in the Navy so that when I awoke I was convinced my reality was the dream spurred by my ceaseless wondering what my life would be like when I got out of the military.
The subtitle of Maristain's book is "a biography in conversation," which means it's part oral history part biography, but a lot of Maristain's prose is dedicated to introducing the many voices that weigh in on Roberto Bolaño: the man, the myth, the legend. It's not a perfect book. It has it's own logic and while the interview roughly follows the arc of Bolaño's career, it's hardly comprehensive, which is to be expected in a book that's largely anecdotal. What's interesting about the book is that it contains the voices of his contemporaries and peers -- Chileans, Argentineans, Mexicans and Spaniards -- voices that we often don't hear in the U.S. And that's a good thing.
As a result, there's a fascinating give and take as these writers and critics poke holes in the legend of Bolaño in one story, and then build it back up in the next. One gets the impression that Bolaño was well liked by his peers in spite of the fact that Bolaño himself was a vituperative critic who was especially hard on his countrymen, as this story by Argentine writer Rodrigo Fresan:
"Roberto liked Philip K. Dick a lot and had a very philipkdickian suspicion that he had died during the first liver attack, and that had everything to him in the subsequent ten years was the life that he hadn't been able to experience in reality. I said to him that it was a little unpleasant for him to say things like that, because they meant that I was just a character of his, that we're all just his fantasies. He replied: 'Well, Rodrigo, it's better than being one of Isabel Allende's characters. There are worse fates...'"*
No one enjoys speaking ill of the dead. The overall effect of reading Bolaño is a bit like being inside a Bolaño novel in which writers gather to discuss the work of a literary giant who isn't there. For those who have fallen under Bolaño's spell, Maristain's book is an essential guide.
*Besides being very funny, this story made me recollect a similar dream I experienced during college after falling asleep on the floor of friend's dorm room. I dreamt I was still in the Navy so that when I awoke I was convinced my reality was the dream spurred by my ceaseless wondering what my life would be like when I got out of the military.
March 7, 2015
It's a series of interviews padded out by excruciatingly bad writing, but done in an endearing sort of way that you know Bolano would've appreciated. That element of it is infuriating in the beginning of the book, where it's talking about Bolano's childhood in overwrought terms with people who didn't know him very well.
At the end there's a big payoff, though, as more significant figures open up to Maristain, with otherwise untold stories about Bolano at his height. The family doesn't cooperate with her, but the tradeoff is some really interesting stuff from his mistress, and freedom to say whatever.
A recurring theme about how hanging around him meant slipping into his "universe" bleeds into the book itself, as it feels like the interviewees view Maristain as the sort of not-so-good yet somehow significant writer that pops up in his stories, one that they should agree to talk to because it's a very Bolano thing to do.
There's still a lot of stuff that she doesn't go into that would require a real biography, and obviously there's nothing from the family or any letters. But I'm aware of a lot more than I was before, and it's an interesting starting point. Just beware that some interesting threads are introduced without resolution, and that the writing is really fucking bad
At the end there's a big payoff, though, as more significant figures open up to Maristain, with otherwise untold stories about Bolano at his height. The family doesn't cooperate with her, but the tradeoff is some really interesting stuff from his mistress, and freedom to say whatever.
A recurring theme about how hanging around him meant slipping into his "universe" bleeds into the book itself, as it feels like the interviewees view Maristain as the sort of not-so-good yet somehow significant writer that pops up in his stories, one that they should agree to talk to because it's a very Bolano thing to do.
There's still a lot of stuff that she doesn't go into that would require a real biography, and obviously there's nothing from the family or any letters. But I'm aware of a lot more than I was before, and it's an interesting starting point. Just beware that some interesting threads are introduced without resolution, and that the writing is really fucking bad
Read
August 5, 2019Two short passages from Bolaño: A Biography in Conversations:
For me, the word “writing” is the exact opposite of the word “waiting.” Instead of waiting, there is writing. Well, I’m probably wrong – it’s possible that writing is another form of waiting, of delaying things. I’d like to think otherwise. But, as I said, I’m probably wrong.
Those who have power – even for a short time – know nothing about literature; they are solely interested in power. I can be a clown to my readers, if I damn well please, but never to the powerful.
For me, the word “writing” is the exact opposite of the word “waiting.” Instead of waiting, there is writing. Well, I’m probably wrong – it’s possible that writing is another form of waiting, of delaying things. I’d like to think otherwise. But, as I said, I’m probably wrong.
Those who have power – even for a short time – know nothing about literature; they are solely interested in power. I can be a clown to my readers, if I damn well please, but never to the powerful.
June 10, 2024
Buen registro sobre la vida de Bolaño y sus cercanos. Por momentos sentí que era un copy-paste de otras entrevistas realizadas para documentales y medios sobre la gente que conoció a Bolaño, pero en general el libro funciona como un retrato vivo de una figura literaria que, a pesar de que pasaron 20 años de su muerte, está más viva que nunca.
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Here’s a good record of Bolaño’s life and those close to him. At times, it felt like a copy-paste of other interviews conducted for documentaries and media about the people who knew Bolaño, but overall, the book works as a vivid portrait of a literary figure who, despite having passed away 20 years ago, is more alive than ever.
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Here’s a good record of Bolaño’s life and those close to him. At times, it felt like a copy-paste of other interviews conducted for documentaries and media about the people who knew Bolaño, but overall, the book works as a vivid portrait of a literary figure who, despite having passed away 20 years ago, is more alive than ever.
December 17, 2023
What a perfect way to put Bolaño in the frame he created and his friends and we readers, as the savage detectives, try to piece together his image. There’s no better way to trace his life like this as he did in Savage Detective for his protagonist. He lives in his literature and his imaginary literary world reflects his reality. Bolaño the person is as dazzling as his writing, it’s hard to resist his charm.
讀本書恍若置身《荒野偵探》，我們成為偵探，試圖在各方人士的訪談口述中尋找波拉尼奧在真實人生中的影像��以波拉尼奧的方式去描繪他的肖像真是最合適最契合的方式了。
本書不是傳統的傳記，沒有系統的紀年事件。完全就是以《荒野偵探》第二部分的方式，以波拉尼奧親友，甚至只是相識之人的訪談和口述構成。我們可以從不同人口中讀到波拉尼奧從童年到病逝的人生軌跡，中間也穿插了一些他本人在一些訪談中的自述。其中他幾位摯友的回憶讓我眼熱，一些關於他胡鬧玩笑的小故事又讓我忍俊不禁。和他一生摯友馬里奧一樣，他的人生也是他的作品，他本人和他的作品一樣讓人炫目著迷，dazzling ，一個很多缺點不完美卻極富魅力的人。
也正如《荒野偵探》，這是在別人眼中拼湊出來的波拉尼奧，現實生活中的波拉尼奧。讀書不一定要知曉作家的生活，但知道背景對理解他文本中的世界還是很有幫助。尤其對波拉尼奧這樣喜歡把身邊人寫進故事里的作家來說，瞭解他的生活和朋友很有用。只不過現實不是完整的他，他的另一面存在於他構建的文學世界中，在他的想象之中。所以對波拉尼奧的追尋，最終還是要回到他的文學文本。
波拉尼奧是讓我初讀即驚艷的作家，無關聲名，開始好奇他的人生是因為讀《荒野偵探》，不瞭解拉美文學圈真是不好讀。本書除了滿足讀者對作家的一點窺私好奇心，確實可以作為《荒野偵探》和《2666》的背景補充，裡面也多處提到兩書中的一些相關人物和背景。 對於我的另一收獲是以書中提及的作家和作品作為閱讀拉美文學作品指南，擴展書單。
讀本書恍若置身《荒野偵探》，我們成為偵探，試圖在各方人士的訪談口述中尋找波拉尼奧在真實人生中的影像��以波拉尼奧的方式去描繪他的肖像真是最合適最契合的方式了。
本書不是傳統的傳記，沒有系統的紀年事件。完全就是以《荒野偵探》第二部分的方式，以波拉尼奧親友，甚至只是相識之人的訪談和口述構成。我們可以從不同人口中讀到波拉尼奧從童年到病逝的人生軌跡，中間也穿插了一些他本人在一些訪談中的自述。其中他幾位摯友的回憶讓我眼熱，一些關於他胡鬧玩笑的小故事又讓我忍俊不禁。和他一生摯友馬里奧一樣，他的人生也是他的作品，他本人和他的作品一樣讓人炫目著迷，dazzling ，一個很多缺點不完美卻極富魅力的人。
也正如《荒野偵探》，這是在別人眼中拼湊出來的波拉尼奧，現實生活中的波拉尼奧。讀書不一定要知曉作家的生活，但知道背景對理解他文本中的世界還是很有幫助。尤其對波拉尼奧這樣喜歡把身邊人寫進故事里的作家來說，瞭解他的生活和朋友很有用。只不過現實不是完整的他，他的另一面存在於他構建的文學世界中，在他的想象之中。所以對波拉尼奧的追尋，最終還是要回到他的文學文本。
波拉尼奧是讓我初讀即驚艷的作家，無關聲名，開始好奇他的人生是因為讀《荒野偵探》，不瞭解拉美文學圈真是不好讀。本書除了滿足讀者對作家的一點窺私好奇心，確實可以作為《荒野偵探》和《2666》的背景補充，裡面也多處提到兩書中的一些相關人物和背景。 對於我的另一收獲是以書中提及的作家和作品作為閱讀拉美文學作品指南，擴展書單。
June 20, 2015
I read this to try to understand why some people are such huge Bolaño fans and I feel like I did get a lot of insight into that. I may even try "The Savage Detectives" again. Maristain uses quotes and interviews from many many people who knew Bolaño to paint a picture of the man and his view of the world. A very enjoyable read.
May 27, 2016
Al final, todo se bolañiza.
July 29, 2024
Revelador a veces, muy triste realmente.
October 9, 2024
Mónica Maristain, quien le hiciera a Bolaño aquella mítica entrevista para Playboy México, la última que diera el autor de "2666" es la encargada de compilar acá los testimonios de las personas más cercanas al escritor chileno.
Sus padres, la madre de sus hijos, sus amigos más cercanos, sus editores, todos ofrecen su versión del personaje quer era Roberto Bolaño y comparten las memorias de los momentos al lado de un hombre que se pensaba a sí mismo - y a la vida - como literatura. Su infancia en la quinta región, su educación sentimental en México, su residencia en España, sus declaraciones siempre directas, críticas y temerarias, sus costumbres, su amor por los libros, su austeridad, su legado literario, los dramas alrededor de su muerte, todo está presente en este libro no exento de relatos contradictorios - producto de la percepción de cada una de las personas que opinan - que sirve como complemento perfecto a la lectura de su obra, pues como en el caso de los grandes escritores autorreferenciales y amantes de la autoficción, la vida de Bolaño es inseparable de su literatura.
Sus padres, la madre de sus hijos, sus amigos más cercanos, sus editores, todos ofrecen su versión del personaje quer era Roberto Bolaño y comparten las memorias de los momentos al lado de un hombre que se pensaba a sí mismo - y a la vida - como literatura. Su infancia en la quinta región, su educación sentimental en México, su residencia en España, sus declaraciones siempre directas, críticas y temerarias, sus costumbres, su amor por los libros, su austeridad, su legado literario, los dramas alrededor de su muerte, todo está presente en este libro no exento de relatos contradictorios - producto de la percepción de cada una de las personas que opinan - que sirve como complemento perfecto a la lectura de su obra, pues como en el caso de los grandes escritores autorreferenciales y amantes de la autoficción, la vida de Bolaño es inseparable de su literatura.
March 9, 2025
Además de ser un gran libro sobre la vida de Bolaño, siento que también es un gran libro sobre la amistad. Mis momentos favoritos: descubrir que el padre de Bolaño trabajó en Pascual Boing antes de que se convirtiera en cooperativa y Bolaño escuchando Lucha de gigantes antes de ir al hospital donde encontraría la muerte.
May 29, 2025
Interesting bio on Bolano, as it lets his friends and acquaintances riff on his life, habits, etc. The implicit content provides some quirky details while hinting at Bolano's philosopy of life; his interests and obsessions; and his development as a writer.
June 28, 2018
A very Bolaño-esque collection of friends’ and colleagues’ accounts of the author’s life and work. I say “Bolaño-esque” because it does remind me of parts of The Savage Detectives.
August 2, 2019
Terrible translation, mediocre “biography”
August 14, 2019
Messy but essential for the Bolaño superfan. Sets the record straight on a few details and is worth trudging through for its glimmering anecdotes.
October 8, 2024
Que genial que fue y es Bolaño y que excelente trabajo es esta semblanza. Fue un placer leerla.
May 9, 2025
I like how it started out chronologically, but it became pretty scattered midway through and I was surprised there was almost nothing on his return to Chile in 1973.
July 9, 2025
enamorao de este libro
April 19, 2023
Me causó mucha nostalgia leer este libro.
Como si lo hubiera conocido y acompañado durante su vida.
Es el primer escritor de quien me aventuro a saber cada detalle de su vida, aparte de su obra. Ciertamente, Bolaño tiene un lugar importante en mi vida.
Como si lo hubiera conocido y acompañado durante su vida.
Es el primer escritor de quien me aventuro a saber cada detalle de su vida, aparte de su obra. Ciertamente, Bolaño tiene un lugar importante en mi vida.
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