Beginning this first week of May, Steph and I are reading Roberto Bolaño's posthumous masterpiece, 2666, together. 2666 is made up of five books, all meant by Bolaño to be published separately. As it is, his estate decided to publish them all together in one volume, which may or may not have been the right choice. But consequently, a number of readers have expressed experiencing a burnout from reading the whole book in one go. Others suggest that to be able to enjoy this tremendous piece of work, it's helpful to read each of the five books singly, interspersing them with other books. That's what we've decided to do.
So the plan is to read one book a month. The schedule is as follows:
- May ~ Part 1: The Part About the Critics, pp. 1-160
- June ~ Part 2: The Part About Amalfitano, pp. 161-228
- July ~ Part 3: The Part About Fate, pp. 229-350
- August ~ Part 4: The Part About the Crimes, pp. 351-634
- September ~ Part 5: The Part About Archimboldi, pp. 635-894
September may seem a long way off, but we've decided to make this a relaxing read for everyone who wants to read along. No pressure. You may read anytime you feel so inclined during the month. Whether you start at the beginning of the month or the last week, it's up to you. We also want everyone to have the opportunity to squeeze in other reads in between, hence the time allowance.
The only thing we would love to see is if everyone could do a wrap-up post for each part at the end of each month, or thereabouts. Steph and I are still undecided on what sort of wrap-up posts we could do. They could be just the regular posts we usually do on each of our blogs, or we could round up a set of questions, like a meme, for each one to answer. That way, we'll be able to compare notes better. Any opinions or suggestions on this? Your thoughts are welcome.
So other than the scheduled month for each part, and the wrap-up post at the end of the month, the rest is entirely up to you. In fact, not even that. We won't hold it against you if you'd like to read the whole thing in one go, or if you decide to start after a month or two or so after we've started. You may even decide not to post a wrap-up if you so please, if you maybe just would like to comment on the other posts, or even if not. Or even give up on the book entirely, anytime along the way. The idea is just to have fun with it, which we are hoping we will all be doing. As Steph said, and I quote: "This is really a do-as-you-please read-along!"
Care to read along? Please let us know so we can link to you. Everyone is welcome.
* *
Participants (whether sure or unsure):
Me
23 comments:
I became interested in this book when I saw it was one (the one?) best novel in translation last year.
I would love to join you, but I may not be able to start until nearer the end of the month/at the beginning of June.
Count me in, wild woman! Will make it work somehow. The thrill of the near impossible! It will feel like grad school. Suuurrrre I can read 2,000 pages a week. Thanks for the push! My set has been collecting dust.
Oh, I'm in. I might have to read ahead or wait to finish after July. I'm moving twice in three weeks -- once with my parents and then off to college by myself -- so I'm not sure if I'll be able to stick around in August and September. We'll have to see.
Jackie.. No problem about starting late. :D
Frances.. Yay! You're responsible for this, too, you know. Lol. :D
Christina.. You can go ahead and finish as early as you like. :D
Oooh, I might read this one with y'all. I've been wanting to read it! I have to get a copy first though :p I'll let you know when I do!
It appears now that a 6th part of 2666 has been found among the papers of Bolano-I read 2666, Savage Detectives, and Nazi Literature in American in the last six months. If you can, read Savage Detectives before you read 2666. Both books are to a large extent about the reading life.
I'm in! I like the idea of one book each month. That's probably all I can handle. I'll be starting at the end of May when school is finally over. A meme sounds like a great idea for the wrap-up posts each month.
Good luck! I read it in one go over the Christmas holiday and hope you like it more than I did. I suspect you're taking the better road, though--I did like each part individually.
Chris.. That's great! You may catch up whenever!
mel ulm.. Wow, I didn't know that. That's really wonderful news. Savage Detectives will have to take the backseat though, as wer'e already armed with 2666. But thanks for the tip. Others here might want to do that.
Vasilly.. Suggestions for meme questions are open. :D
Trevor.. I remember your review so very well. One of the reasons why I wanted to read it month to month. Stewart suggested the interspersing, as he was enjoying it that way apparently. I wonder how his reading is going.
I'm tempted, and at so few pages a month, I may be able to join in. I'm trying to go slower these days!
I'm intrigued; count me in. I ordered a copy today (I'm going on a book-buying outing for my birthday!), so I'll be able to start sometime this month. Thanks for the suggestion; it sounds like a lot of fun!
Here is a link that gives some good information on newly found manuscripts of Roberto Bolano, including what appears to be part 6 of 2666
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/03/found_in_roberto_bolaos_desk_t.html
oh boy...this looks like quite an undertaking. i'm scare--a commitment phobe! i'll stick with my light reading as the weather gets warmer. maybe i'll tackle these in the winter. :)
Rebecca.. Really hoping you can join!
Emily.. Yay, I'm so glad you're reading along. And happy birthday. Enjoy the book (and the other birthday books as well)! :D
mel.. Thank you for the link. I'll check that out in a while.
Natalie.. This does sound heavy for summer, eh? It's good my other reads are lighter. :D
Hi Claire! I really want to join this one .. but I think I'll settle for reading your thoughts. And Steph's, of course.
Still so many unread books on my shelf!
Happy reading :)
I haven't heard of this!! I need to look into it.
Claire, please count me in too! I've actually been taking an extended break from "2666" because of factors unrelated to the quality of the book, but it'd be cool to revisit the novel in the company of your reading group. I'm a huge fan of Bolaño's work, and this will be the fourth novel of his I'll have completed if I don't stop to read another shorter book by him in the meantime! Thanks again!
I'm definitely going to be doing this. I LOVE translated fiction (in fact, it's the focus of my blog) and have been wanting to read this forever. I just ordered a copy from the library. I guess I'll have to just keep renewing it. . .
funny, i just got back from a walk to the bookstore. i had a copy of 2666 (compiled version) in my hand & was about to buy it. but, i put it back on the shelf because i don't think i could handle a thicker book with my current sked.
looking forward to what you think of it.
Ooh, sign me up! School finishes mid-May, and I'm aiming to do some "fun" reading this summer - plus, I've been meaning to read 2666 for a while.
(i posted the same comment over at Stephanie's blog)
I have been trying to finish 2666 all spring. I am into ‘The Part About Amalfitano’ (Part II) still in the first volume. I actually love it but find myself interrupted by other books often and needing to savor it. At times I don’t find myself driven forward by it but am never bored. My reading habits are highly erratic anyway due to movie and internet addiction and general spider mind tendencies but I did sense there was something particular about this book so am glad to be vindicated.
From this book (haven’t read his others) I find Bolano great company to linger in, like a person whom you enjoy talking with no matter what the topic, his perceptions and sensibilities at once familiar but highly unique.
I am hoping your read-a-long will help me let go of the anxiety that has started to surround the book for me and look forward to exchanging comments on it.
Yes, I'm in. Was off line for most of the week and missed the post.
Er...I may be jumping the gun a bit, but I posted my thoughts on the first part over here. Let me know if I should be checking in elsewhere. :-) Thanks for recommending this, Claire, I'm LOVING it so far!
Post a Comment