2666英文版.pdf

Roberto Bolaño
English translation by by Natasha Wimmer

1
An Oasis of Horror in a Desert of Boredom
- Charles Baudelaire
For Alexandra Bolaño and Lautaro Bolaño
2
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR’S HEIRS .............................................................................................................. 5
1 THE PART ABOUT THE CRITICS .................................................................................................................... 6
2 THE PART ABOUT AMALFITANO ................................................................................................................95
3 THE PART ABOUT FATE........................................................................................................................... 127
4 THE PART ABOUT THE CRIMES ................................................................................................................ 202
5 THE PART ABOUT ARCHIMBOLDI .............................................................................................................. 329
NOTE TO THE FIRST EDITION ...................................................................................................................... 476

3
4
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR’S HEIRS
Realizing that death might be near, Roberto left instructions for his novel 2666 to be published
divided into five books corresponding to the five parts of the novel, specifying the order in which
they should appear, at what intervals (one per year), and even the price to be negotiated with the
publisher. With this decision, communicated days before his death by Roberto himself to Jorge
Herralde, Roberto thought he was providing for his children's future.
After his death, and following the reading and study of his work and notes by Ignacio
Echevarria (a friend Roberto designated as his literary executor), another consideration of a less
practical nature arose: respect for the literary value of the work, which caused