Roberto Bolano: The Savage Detectives
A vast, sprawling, engaging novel revolving around the members of an obscure Mexican-based poetry movement known as the 'visceral realists'.
Essentially, a story involving a night-time escape from Mexico City by a group of poets protecting a girl from her violent pimp. This escape also becomes a search for an elusive poet in the deserts of Northern Mexico.
But sandwiched between this story are a series of wonderful short stories - told 'talking heads / documentary style' describing various adventures of the poets - taking us from Mexico to Nicaragua, to Paris, Barcelona, Israel, Angola, Liberia, etc.
Such is the scope of this novel that I will probably need to read it again to fully appreciate everything within. A monumental work.
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