2666 (Part III): THE PART ABOUT FATE by Roberto Bolaño

This is part of a 5-video series on 2666.
• 2666 Group Read
I am happy to be reading this in tandem with The Recognitions Book Club.
Check them out:
/ therecognitionsbookclub
/ trbcmag
/ the-recognitions-book-...

[@thomasfranche6770]

Towards the end, after the Twin Peaks reference, the journaliste Rosa and Fate meet says that "nobody pays any attention to these crimes, but within them lies the secret of the universe". That provides a lot of atmosphere and ambiance.

[@denzelromero4796]

Omg another recent reader

[@bbegins10]

I’m reading this now and watching each video after I finish a section. You do a fantastic job of giving context to each chapter

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Always great to hear that the videos are useful. Happy reading!

[@tboss8157]

This part absolutely blew my gourd off. I was sweating reading that ending. And so many random things you could talk about. That weird pornographic Robert rodriguez film? Freaky! Masterclass for sure.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

No kidding! Man-I regret not bringing in that whole but about the Rodriguez film. Like you said, this book presents so many things to discuss!

[@jameshumphries7272]

I was also surprised by the David Lynch references and Fate's appreciation for The Elephant Man.

[@duncan_xyz]

@@jameshumphries7272 I loved the reference to David Lynch. Especially when the clerk said Twin Peaks was David Lynch's greatest work. The dreaminess and unreal quality of Fate's experiences definitely have a Lynchian quality too. The narrator mentions dreams a lot as well.

[@duncan_xyz]

@@LeafbyLeaf The whole section that takes place in Charly Cruz's house was so intense.

[@DiproBro]

@@duncan_xyzI especially loved the references to Lynch because this novel seems to have a lot in common with Twin Peaks: The Return

[@dreamyphil]

DEFINITELY more entertaining than realistic ... what I loved the most about this section was where it circled back to previous elements of the story so in that sense I'm not sure if it would work quite as well as a separate novella ... but regardless it's totally raw and intense.

[@lock67ca]

That ending...oh, that ending It really reminded me of certain parts of McCarthy's Blood Meridian....

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Indeed! Astonishing the effect Bolaño created. Blood Meridian has been brought up a few times in the discussion.

[@dickdingus775]

I think this part is where the book really hooked me, I really enjoyed the earlier sections but they are very dense and languidly paced, fates section has real narrative propulsion

[@therecognitionsbookclub8673]

Yeah, that ending is amazing. I'm thinking maybe the stuff about giants is partly an allusion to the giants of Greek myth. In Greek myth the giants who battled the gods in the very early history of the world were strongly associated with volcanos. Later in Part 5 Lotte dreams of Archimboldi: "She saw him sitting on a huge volcanic slab, dressed in rags and with an ax in one hand, looking at her sadly. (p. 881) ". Maybe. Could be a coincidence. Anyway, clearly the ax in that quote ties in with the stuff at the end of Fate about the trees falling, the woodcutter, etc.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Oh, I like that proposition! I thought of the Nephilim from Genesis 6, but from my readings of Bolaño so far, I think you're more on track. He would connect to Greek mythos before Hebrew. I also liked Lotte's vision of him coming across the desert. That really reached out an toyed with me. Man, now I'm wanting to read the book again.

[@human.yoohoo4646]

I love this. This makes me think about when Espinoza and Pelletier are talking about the Greeks in Part I and also about the simple detail that Archimboldi is described to be freakishly tall.

[@TheSamthaman24]

This chapter is the greatest novella I’ve ever read.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@marinamaccagni5253]

Wow! How many videos on 2666! Great resource if I decide to give it a try! Thanks!

[@LeafbyLeaf]

You're welcome! There will be 2 more after this (1 video for each of the book's 5 parts). Always great to hear from you! Ciao!

[@rocinante.262]

I think you just helped make this my favorite part of the book. Tied with part 5. Great video, very much enjoying this reading club.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Awesome! Always glad to help expand appreciation. Part 5 was so brilliant it nearly rendered me incapable of making a video at all. My first thought upon finishing it: “What can I possibly say?”

[@therecognitionsbookclub8673]

I think Part 5 is my favorite

[@liquidpebbles7475]

Thats some great writing advice at the begginig! Liked that part but it was so out of the main story it kinda threw me off, prolly my least favorite section, tho i can remember how damn impressive the ambiance was, and even some quotes, since it's the shortest I might give it another re-read. Also when I read it in Spanish I was too dense to read "Fate" as the English word "fate" until the very end and I probably missed 99% of the book's value just because of that lol Great vid as always, waiting eagerly for the last two!

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thanks! I agree about the writing advice! It has been really cool to hear about everyone’s favorite part (Bolaño really set out a sumptuous buffet without differing quality overall)!

[@duncan_xyz]

Loved this part of the book. Does anyone else think the suspect "giant albino" that Guadalupe, Rosa and Fate meet in the prison is an allusion to The Judge from Blood Meridian? Is it possible that Bolaño had read McCarthy's novel? Perhaps Bolaño's use of a giant albino to represent evil is the result of that personification/zoomorphism of evil being common in literature; Moby-dick, Blood Meridian etc.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

That's a good parallel, but I can't say conclusively. I can't remember from my reading of Between Parentheses if Robert mentions Cormac.

[@duncan_xyz]

@@LeafbyLeaf Now that I'm nearly finished with The Part About the Crimes, my thoughts on Klaus Haas have changed a lot.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

I was waiting for that. The final section will be the capstone.

[@duncan_xyz]

@@LeafbyLeaf Very late follow up to this. I have acquired a copy of Between Parentheses and Bolaño does in fact have a brief review of Blood Meridian on pg. 201 in my paperback copy. (He also writes about Philip K. Dick. Very cool!)

[@kalishakta]

How about the video store named Fire Walk With Me?

[@LeafbyLeaf]

I suppose he was a David Lynch fan, eh?

[@rickharsch8797]

Second half: fucking brilliant ( patagonia!)

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thanks, Rick! Wasn't there a rather lengthy book someone put out not too long ago that had very much to do with Patagonia as literary trope?

[@TheCollidescopePodcast]

As I had suspected when first starting, the novel's power comes from accumulation rather than any sentence-level power. And each part does get better overall, although part 2 is not as good as part 1, I'd say. Neither part would work as a standalone for me and thank Thoth it was published altogether but you know me, I prefer full novels over novellas or short stories, for the most part. Someone in the comments here made a comparison to Cormac McCarthy. I can see that, though definitely not McCarthy at his greatest which such phrases as "death hilarious" or "autistic darkness."

[@LeafbyLeaf]

I, too, think his family and literary executor made the right decision to publish in one volume. You’ve nailed it: the power comes from accumulation. Several people brought up McCarthy, yes, I think mostly because of the linkages of Mexico and violence (thus: Blood Meridian). Speaking of which, I really need some McCarthy in my diet soon. Last book of his I read was All the Pretty Horses which I found almost painful in its stark beauty.

[@TheCollidescopePodcast]

@@LeafbyLeaf I've only read The Road, which was quite good, and Blood Meridian which I gave up on because it was too repetitive. I think that one is definitely overrated. I've heard Suttree is quite good. Whenever I read McCarthy again, I might go with that one.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Suttree and Outer Dark should be minded.

[@rickharsch8797]

Fucking brilliant

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Your seal is all I need.

[@rickharsch8797]

@@LeafbyLeaf Look, I told you that you can borrow my seal for birthday parties for the kids, but that's it.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

@@rickharsch8797 HAHAHA!

[@ramonek9109]

Twenty Six Sixty Six or Two Thousand Six hundred Sixty Six. I always read it as the latter. As in the year 2666. Maybe there is a different way in America to say the number of years?

[@ramonek9109]

Ha. Right after posting I remembered that 1984 is also called nineteen eighty four. Just being German I always read it our way, even in English

[@LeafbyLeaf]

lol. Language is so much fun! I think in general for Americans it’s a combination of what’s shortest snd easiest to say.