Andrew Ervin

The Miami Herald today published my review of the new Roberto Bolaño novella. The editor there, Connie Ogle, runs an amazing book section. She also has an excellent blog.

The satire isn’t limited to mocking a bunch of pretentious, pantywaist Nazis. These often absurd portraits add up into something unique, and seemingly random threads combine to form a richly textured tapestry.

Bolaño’s genius then, lies not only in telling a series of compelling stories, nor even in piling those up to form a larger narrative about a particular and unfortunate (if make-believe) artistic movement, but also in gently prodding us to ask some important questions about our own literary establishment.