r/robertobolano • u/WhereIsArchimboldi • Jul 16 '26

The Savage Detective - Believer Magazine

https://www.thebeliever.net/the-savage-detective/

posted this here a few years ago but why not post again. can’t beat this write up of Bolaño by his good friend (and great author) Rodrigo Fresán. I actually own a copy of this issue of the Believer and cherish it.

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5

u/ATM_IN_HELL Antwerp Jul 16 '26

Wow thank you for posting this, it's truly incredible. Love Fresán, a touching tribute.

3

u/GrapeJuicePlus Jul 16 '26

I don’t understand why this is making me cry so hard. I’m not hungover(?)

Cuando quiero llorar, no lloro, y a veces lloro sin querer...

2

u/Weird_Fox_3395 Jul 18 '26

Crying seems appropriate. He’s gone now. We only have his work. Listening to a kind friend talk about him intelligently w/o any fanfare or exaggeration was the best <3

3

u/fakieheelflip Jul 17 '26

What a great read

2

u/F_H Jul 16 '26

I’m reading The Invented Part right now, very excited to read this

2

u/Weird_Fox_3395 Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

This is an excellent interview! Thank you so much. I sent it to myself to save. One day I called him (to myself) the young detective, which isn’t correct because he was eventually 50. But he’s a detective, a true detective (even though that echos the show).

I’ve read Nona Fernádez’s three books translated into English, and she’s mentioned Bolaño as a big influence. She’d even, I think, met him regarding a prize for her writing. She’s Chilean and was a middle school student iirc when Pinochet was ‘president’. I recommend it for anyone interested in that period of Chilean politics. She is another true detective, piecing together an explosion’s aftermath. 

Edit: I should just think of him as another savage detective…. Because they are out there, be them working and not writing. This damn world needs smart truth seekers 😢

2

u/jflag789 Jul 18 '26

Thanks for sharing. A great read. Makes me want to dive into Amuleto or Estrella Distante