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JeanVanDeVelde t1_j5zlzqk wrote

2666 is absolutely brutal and ruthless. That being said, it's totally OK to enjoy it in the way that Bolaño originally intended, as five separate novels. Also consider that he left this unfinished, so that's something to consider. The section about Professor Amalfitano was my favorite part.

I'd suggest that anyone looking to get into Bolaño try The Savage Detectives first. I like his short stories the best, it gets a lot of criticism but I think The Skating Rink was beyond brilliant.

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Hats668 t1_j5zuitr wrote

What I had heard was that he split up into 5 to maximize the amount of money he could leave his son (he was dying as he wrote it), though I'm not completely sure that is true.

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JeanVanDeVelde t1_j5zzcle wrote

Either way, it works out for the reader. No problem to treat each part as a separate novel, it's not exactly breezy reading.

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