Una novelita lumpen

Bianca, the narrator, is a young Italian woman in Rome whose parents have died in a car accident, leaving her and her younger brother Bruno on their own. They get by on small jobs until Libio, a friend, proposes a scheme involving Maciste, a blind former film star who lives in Rome, and Bianca has to spend time with the old man. Bolaño narrates in a plain, sad voice, and the plot stays close to the two siblings and the people around them.

Roberto Bolaño's short novel is a quick, bleak story of poverty and desperation. It suits readers who want a way into Bolaño that is quicker than his long novels.

Open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.

Best for readers like The Deep Diver. Which reader are you?