Is this a good book? Why or why not?

Probably in it's original language. For me I couldn't make it past the beginning. But then a lot say it's not great at the start.

Structure wise is genius, plot and characters are great, but don't look for good prose in it.

True the prose (in the English translation) is not high quality but is very engaging. It's a book you can tear through in a matter of days

I read in spanish and the prose is great, much better that TSD, which is extreamly dry

2666 was unfinished? I wouldn't say the first part is the worst. I think Bolano did a good job of creating the comfy atmosphere between the three friends who wanted to find the writer. Worst part is probably part two or four. I struggled with both of them but could easily blow through parts III and V.

What's tpk?

Standalone. I read 2666 first.

I fucking lived it. It's a difficult book to read, especially section 3, but it's unlike any other.

to my amigos espanhóis, is bolano's spanish hard?

the pale king

I'm a native so it was easy to me, but I would read a translation if it is a good one.
I would say Bolaño's prose in 2666 is somehow equivalent in "difficulty" to DFW. Imagine how would be for someone non-english-native to read DFW un-translated, thats how it would be to you to read 2666 in spanish, maybe even a little harder since Bolaño's straight up journalistic prose usually develops into a prosaic-poetic prose, which is more esoteric compared to DFW's more "logical" prose.

Standalone.

Not at all. He writes in a mix between a concise periodistic style and a poetic, darkly beautiful style. If you want to get into him, read Estrella Distante, it's short and pretty good.

Ah yes, the prose. The prooooooose. the PROOOOOOOSE. There's a reason why the pseuds on this website are always so willing to talk about "the prose" of a book when discussing its merits or flaws. Why attempt to analyze the merits and effects of the literary devices used to add to the development of characters, why attempt to understand the interplay of the perspectives of different characters and the emphasis this places on different themes, the spectrum of ironies used throughout the novel, the historical significance of the novel and the influence it has spawned in literary tradition or the influences seen throughout the work, the specific structure and literary underpinnings of the novel and the way it influences the tone, the author's relationship to the characters and the theme, the presentation of the novel itself to the audience and thus the relationship between reader and text --- why do any of this, when you could talk about "the prose?" You know that you have such a deep understanding of the book, don't you, when you talk about "the prose," the "musicality of it," the "sparseness." What a great artistic touch you have, don't you! Such a highly refined poetic sense! And you feel like such a true reader of literature when you are able to compare these styles: "I am partial to the lyricism of Joyce's prose, as well as the clean and scientific prose of Borges," you might say. What a deep understanding you show! Because the "prose" of a work is such an accessible topic, something that is felt immediately in the body and senses, a nice little sensation and flutter of the heart. Art obviously has nothing else to it, nothing other than the little sensations that I experience, because why should i attempt to understand it on a deeper level than this, when I have such a "refined" sense of the "prose?" Why even attempt to analyze the prose and the poetic and rhythmical underpinnings of it, when I could use a pretty little metaphor for it? It matters little that virtually every reader of literature has access to the music of the words and so my understanding is not quite so advanced as I would think, that form is something that goes hand in hand with theme, that I missed all the deep relationships between characters and between text and reader that existed in the work and that comprise a large part of the literary merit of the text, for my understanding of "the prose" shows such a mastery of language, a fine-tuned sense of the magical flow of the words! Having understood this work, I may as well move onto the next, the next bundle of pretty sensations to experience, the next bagful of fun linguistic treats!

This is reddit. Get the fuck off my board, pseud

you are very stupid

you were just waiting to spring this stale pasta, huh?

>listen here prose prudes and pseuds
>farts loudly and leans head down to crotch height
>snifffffffff snifffffffffffff ah yes a wet one

savage detectives is better