Week 11: A Distant Star - Roberto Bolano
I actually really liked this short novel. This book was for the most part pretty interesting and left me wanting to know more as I went along. However, there were certainly some chapters that ended up feeling a bit lengthy and irreverent when thinking about the novel as a whole. Altogether though, definitely one of my favourite styles of writing from the previous literature covered so far.
I enjoyed how at the beginning of the book, it was following the lives of university students in their early twenties studying poetry. I imagined it as an interesting group and felt relatable as a student with friends in poetry. I was certainly intrigued by Alberto Ruiz-Tagle and had a funny sense of him as we began to learn more about his character. He presented some unique qualities that were unlike the other poets, whether that be from the attention he received from women, or his really nice clothes and his mysterious and cold poetry. After his visit to the twin's house, this funny sense I had became more true as things only started to go downhill from that point on in the book.
Chapter six which discussed the airplane releasing smoke that wrote out poems was the most interesting for me to read. As discussed in the lecture, all the poems included some aspects of death, (such as “death” is a responsibility, love, growth etc.). It was a unique way to make a statement to so many people and also a clear example of how this book was able to combine art and politics together. The second part of this chapter was even more intriguing. Wieder had a select few over to showcase his art of the women he had taken photos of, with the same background, some being alive, and some others dead. This whole scene made me feel rather uncomfortable. This definitely made me think of the story of ted bundy! Someone who is charming, a “smooth talker” when it comes to women and gets away with keeping a low profile. Something screamed ‘red flags’ about Wieder from the start! This made me wonder why he did not do anything to harm ‘fat Marta’ when she was alone with him in his empty apartment. Perhaps there was something about her that was different from his other victims? Moreover, she herself was brave to go over and ask why everyone had been disappearing and have enough of a sense that he might potentially do something to her too.
I feel like there is so much more to discuss in regard to this novel so im really looking forward to class tomorrow! I feel like I barely scratched the surface! To end, my question to you all is what is the significance of the final line in the air show that hardly anyone saw that “death is resurrection”...What do you think is the significance of this, and the significance that not many were able to see it?
Ted Bundy? He hadn't thought of that connection, but now that you mention it, there's something about Wieder's personality that's almost cinematic, as if we can see him unfold in the places he goes through fulfilling a social role in which he doesn't believe too much. Is his dedication to art the facade or the true foundation of his actions? I would like to know what you think of his poems, which, as you say, are difficult to interpret.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed the style of writing in this book. Straightforward but also filled with many deep layers of theme and questions about the role of the artist in society. I thought belief in Weider as an opportunist simply basking in violence as a very thought provoking one, and made me reconsider what I knew about the book. Perhaps all artists have a streak of crazy to them!
ReplyDeleteHi Daisy,
ReplyDeleteI like your discussion about how Wieder intermixes art with politics. Of course, his 'Death Is...' poem could be that exactly! (a combination of an avant-garde artform combined with the fascist notion of annihilation of dissenting voices). To your connection to Ted Bundy, that remark actually makes me feel a little more uneasy about the story.
As the reader, we are lead to believe that Wieder is a Pinochetian chesspiece (if you will) primarily, and he just so happens to find expression in art. This, at least, is how I understood the book. However, it is well likely (if not definitely the case) that Wieder first and foremost is a person, a human being, with desires, whims, emotions, and his personhood finds solace in Pinochetian-backed murders... This is more disturbing... That a disturbed person prescribes to a horrific doctrine/set of rules as to actualize, let us say, heinous and undesirable tendencies...
What do you think about all this?
Curtis HR
I think "death is resurrection" might represent a kind of avant-garde artistic manifesto - the prevailing forms must be destroyed in order to create something new - that was taken to literal extremes in the murder of actual artists like the Garmendia sisters for the sake of a new form of art that makes a spectacle out of violence.
ReplyDeleteHi Daisy! I agree with all your points about this book and I also definitely enjoyed reading it as well. I think this point you brought up about the mixing of art and politics is really interesting. I feel like most of the time the two are seen as two separate entities when in reality they should be mixed together in order to get a reaction or produce some kind of change. I think this is was Wieder was trying to do with his death poem. Maybe the "death is resurrection" could be a nod to the fact that in order to start something new, or experience some kind of change, something has too die. Anyways, can't wait to read next weeks book with you!
ReplyDeleteHi Daisy! You make some interesting points about our main poet character, whatever his name may be at the time. Chapter 6 also caught my attention, and it was such a loud and direct connection made between art and politics, and what a thought provoking connection you have made to Ted Bundy. Being a charmer is also has the skill (or necessity?) to keep a low profile is surely a strong parallel to be drawn between the two.
ReplyDelete