About this title: Father Urrutia wanted to be a poet but ended up a Jesuit literary critic who hobnobs with the famous and the mighty. Then he is secretly recruited to teach the dictator Pinochet the history of Marxism. Roberto Bolaņo's novel recounts all this in the priest's deathbed confession--a searing attack on the corruption and horror embedded deeply in Chilean politics. Bolaņo, who died in 2003, is widely considered to be one of Chile's great writers.
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Binding: Paperback
Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corpor
Date Published: 2003
ISBN-13:9780811215473ISBN:0811215474
Description: Very Good. Cover has some edge wear. Light soiling on sides of book. Slight corner creasing or edge wear. Pages are clean and unmarked. read more
Binding: PAPERBACK
Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation
ISBN-13:9780811215473ISBN:0811215474
Description: Very Good. 0811215474 Paperback, Condition: Very Good; this book is in very good condition with light curve to the spine / light reading creases to the covers. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: New Directions
Date Published: 2003-12-01
ISBN-13:9780811215473ISBN:0811215474
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780811215473. read more
Binding: PAPERBACK
Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation
ISBN-13:9780811215473ISBN:0811215474
Description: Very Good. 0811215474 Paperback, Condition: Very Good; this book is in very good condition with light curve to the spine / light reading creases to the covers. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corpor
Date Published: 2003
ISBN-13:9780811215473ISBN:0811215474
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: VINTAGE Country = UNITED KINGDOM
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9780099459392ISBN:0099459396
Description: BRAND NEW PAPERBACK. 144 pages. During the course of a single night, fatherr sebastian urrutia lacroix, a chilean priest, who is a literary critic and a mediocre poet, relives some of the crucial events of his life. this title offers glimpses of the great poet pablo neruda, the german writer ernst junger, general pinochet, whom father lacroix instructs in marxist doctrine. (Paperback) read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9780099459392ISBN:0099459396
Description: New. During the course of a single night, Fatherr Sebastian Urrutia Lacroix, a Chilean priest, who is a literary critic and a mediocre poet, relives some of the crucial events of his life. This title offers glimpses of the great poet Pablo Neruda, the Germ... read more
Description: New. DISPATCHED FROM UNITED KINGDOM. NO EXPEDITED SHIPPING! Please note orders are confirmed immediately and may take 2-3 business days to ship. This processing time is in addition to the shipping time. Please allow 10-14 days for delivery. Brand new item. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Order with confidence. Code: G20091120050558D. read more
"Continuing my tour of Roberto Bolaño's tiny novellas, I've arrived at By Night in Chile, the story of Sebastian Urrutia Lacroix, a Chilean priest, poet, and ascendant literary critic. Urrutia is approached by Mr. Raef and Mr. Etah, two shadowy figures who commission him to travel across Europe, reporting back on the preservation of ancient churches. When Urrutia performs admirably at this task, Raef and Etah dispatch him on a second, more serious mission: tutoring the new President of Chile, Augusto Pinochet.
A history buff, I was delighted by Urrutia's encounters with famous Chileans. At dinner party, he stumbles across Pablo Neruda, crouched outside in the garden, whispering to the moon. After a late night tutoring session, Urrutia has a heart-to-heart with the President, and Pinochet asserts that he, unlike his predecessor Allende-that "magazine reader"-is a true intellectual. Urrutia's story is over-brimming with references to famous writers and artists, and Bolaño does a nice job of blending real life with fiction.
Through Urrutia, Bolaño laments for the political state of affairs in his home country, and perhaps we see him here coming to terms with the fact that many Chileans quietly complied with or even supported Pinochet's repressive regime. The deathbed confession framing the story is somewhat cliche, but otherwise this is an excellent book-symbolically rich, beautifully written, including some captivating descriptions of, of all things, falconry. Without a doubt, this is one of the best novellas I've read-not a high bar, really-and I'm eager to continue reading his works."
"I was really excited to read this after having read glowing critical reviews. Truthfully, I never really "got into" the story. It was a quick read, and eloquently translated but I never made an emotional connection with the characters or the events. The narrative is a stream of consciousness....a dying man looking back on his life and judging his own behavior and detachment from reality during a gruesome political upheaval in his country. I'm under the impression that this confession should be disturbing to the reader, but it just misses the mark. Translation, perhaps?"
"In one regard, I am surprised that this is the first book of his to be translated. While it is short, the 130 page paragraph aspect is intimidating to the reader. Were it not for the fact that I have a few of his books that I have decided to save for last for the sake of savoring, I likely would have read this one last due to that reason. However, while a 130 page paragraph is difficult to read in multiple sittings, in this instance, it becomes hypnotizing in one. In fact, I don't think that I have ever seen someone do so much with 130 pages. While it is not Bolano's most enjoyable work, this novel (novella?) may be his most complete and perfected. I should have been to bed an hour ago, but I quite literally could not put the book down until I was finished, if that says anything."
"I decided in order to review this book I would read other reviews to help me understand the book I read one sentence of one review which said something like Bolano spends a lot of time making diversion while he takes you from plot point to plot point. I stopped here because I don't believe that this book has any plot. I mean I think the only way that you could assume that this book has a plot is if you forced one on it because you require books to have one. This is not an eco book where he is simply disinterested in the plot, he doesn't seem to have bothered to think of one to begin with.
Now I read wikipedia for more thoughts to react to because I am too sleepy to think of things on my own. wikipedia says this books is remarkably accessible. I strongly disagree. It is extremely confusing and convoluted. It seems to me to be a step down from joyce, but not much of a step down, perhaps because of the lack of plot.
On the other hand this is exactly the book that I asked for when I read the Swallows of Kabul. No wrapped up ending other than the one every person has, just several moments of life.
This book appears to be one paragraph meaning you have to read it all in as few sittings as possible.
I have trouble rating this book because I feel it will settle with me and I will have fond memories of it, but right now when I remember it so well I simply feel confused. I give the book a tentative four stars for innovation and giving me what I claim to want. The genius I think is in the blurring of the book with time. Although I felt while reading it that I should instantly read it again because I didn't understand all of it. I think that clarity makes something like this suffer. A death bed rant exists best in the natural form of a memory. A simple collage of this is me, who am I? and that is what this book gives you. That never makes sense in the moment, but like Emerson says nothing looks consistent while you are doing it, but when you see the overall trajectory everything makes sense.
In fact after this processing I have decided this book deserves its four stars. (Unlike the unnamed recent reviews where I talked myself down a star writing the review)"
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