2666, Part 2: The Part About Amalfitano

“It’s a lonesome book, isn’t it?”

Amalfitano hanging a geometry book on a clothesline is so haunting. He just wants the wind to bleach the ideas out of it.

“The voice said: it’s only a little bit of bad luck.”

Grief feels like hearing a voice in your head that isn't yours. He starts to wonder if he is going crazy or just finally listening.

Living in Santa Teresa feels like waiting for a storm that never breaks. You can smell the violence in the desert air before you see it.

“They prefer the great works, but they don't want to see the struggle.”

Intellectuals often use big books to hide from the world. Amalfitano realizes his library can't protect his daughter from the real shadows outside.