Thank God I'm finished with this Frankenstein-like monster! Aaarrrggghhh. I'm giving it 3 stars even though I DID NOT really enjoy this book and normally would have awarded it a measly two, only because there IS one chapter I think makes up for the rest of the hit or miss aspects of the rest of the book. And that chapter is The Part About the Crimes.

Many people, probably, feel this is the worst chapter, or in other words, the most difficult chapter to get through and, well, I have to agree with them, perversely. It WAS hard going. It DID seem endless and repetitive. It did cause one to become numb after a while, to become apathetic. And that's why it works so well. It shines an unforgiving spotlight on some of Mexico's most shameful and painful realities. That chapter was relentless in the stark portrayal of a country making great strides to become a better, more productive, modern country in one sense but at the same time being mired in the mud of some of the most shameful aspects of Mexican culture. Finally, what is more frightening? The thought of one serial killer, raping, then murdering hundreds of young women and the police incompetent or worse? Or the thought of literally hundreds of murderers killing women, not necessarily strangers, but perhaps, wives, sisters? And the whole country more or less condoning that behavior by the apathetic, half-hearted responses of its citizens and government, both?

The rest of the book was basically hit or miss for me. It felt like Bolano had something urgent and pressing he wanted to get off his chest. It also felt like he was too scattered and flighty in his approach to the material. If he would have had more time, perhaps he could have tightened the whole mess up a wee bit. But as it stands it just feels long-winded in a weirdly rushed and distracted sort of way. I'm sure most of the symbolism went right over my head as I am a mostly plot and character driven reader. I think the book might better be thought of as five stories loosely related and ultimately centered on the fictitious city Saint Teresa than as one cohesive novel as there really was not a plot to follow throughout , to hold together this tome.

It definitely felt like a journey, I'll give it that. It was NOT an especially enjoyable journey, no doubt, but IT WAS a journey wherein one learned some painful truths, where one became a more knowledgeable citizen of the world. So THAT, is worth at least three stars. Right?