I’m not really sure what to say about this latest read. This short book of Bolaño is about Monsieur Pain, a mesmerist who heals people with his hands, a veteran of the I World War. Madame Reynaud, an object of his affection and widow after a man whom Mr Pain didn’t manage to save, asks him one day to save another man’s life. Her friend’s husband, Vallejo, is dying of... hiccups. For some reason everything seems to be against Pain saving Vallejo – strange men, strange doctors...At some points this all feels a bit like Kafka – people getting lost in weird places, people being followed and following others. You feel that there is something weird going on but you never find out what really happened. Lots of dark scenes and dark characters.
I heard that other Bolano’s books were good – 2666 or The Savage Detectives. I don’t know, I haven’t read anything by Bolano and I’m not convinced I will in the near future. And I’m happy to move on the next book! I’ll give it one heart though – it’s Christmas in the end!
Happy Christmas everyone and see you in the New Year.
My rating: YYYYY
Instead of "Never Let Me Go," if you had read Ishiguro's "The Unconsoled" just before reading "Monsieur Pain," you might have found them similar.
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