Chile, after the coup, disappearances, deaths. And a man is responsible for some of them. This is a story about him, told remotely, but passionate in its own way. Bolaño captures the mood well. Sadness. ( )

this was a perfect little meditation on the dark side of art. some parts are hard to read, and the menace embodied in the main subject was a little difficult to live with while reading, but it was worth it ... to me. you may disagree. ( )

Me cae difícil discutir este libro afuera del contexto de sus otras obras Detectives salvajes y 2666 porque se trata de una investigación, una búsqueda en vano muy parecido a las de los dos libros posteriores.
No sé entonces si recomendar al nuevo lector de Bolaño que lea a ésta para prepararse y gozar del personaje principal bien raro, a ver si tiene la atención para 2666 en particular, o si recomendar que pase a este libro y se eche directamente al mucho más desarrollado 2666. Me parece que los personajes y el mundo en 2666 contienen la búsqueda imposible y mundo literario inventado mejor que la breve Estrella distante. No obstante este librito desborda con detalles autobiográficos y otros datos claves que pueden ayudar a la lectura de las obras posteriores.
SPOILER ALERT hace claro este libro que

SPOILER ALERT el narrador de 2666 probablemente es

SPOILER ALERT ¡Arturo Belano mismo! ( )

An engrossing, tense and disturbing read. I was sad that I lacked the background to appreciate fully the deeper subtleties. ( )

The first chapter of this novel in itself makes it worth reading. If published by itself, it would be a perfect short-story. The rest of the book is no less, though, and there is a lot of what usually makes readers love or hate Bolaño, depending.

One of my favorite novels by Bolaño so far, not quite at the height of Los Detectives Salvajes or La Pista de Hielo but pretty close. ( )