By Night In Chile

Roberto Bolano

Considered by many to be one of, it not the, greatest work by the Chilean master, By Night In Chile is the reflections of a dying priest, with a literary bent, on the life he lived. The books that captivated him, the generals who, the fellow Chileans lost in the wars. It’s stunning. At times horrifying, at others, darkly funny, and throughout incredibly well written.

There’s a sweet spot for me between formal experimentation and narrative plot, and this fever dream of a novel hit it perfectly. Yes, Bolano requires the reader to work at bit (the narrative, such as it is, is given in a stream of conscious way. There are no paragraph breaks). But, as always, he rewards that work greatly. If literary fiction is you thing, this is well worth you time.

Recommended.