Conclusion of Part 2
Books on clotheslines, eliminating philosophers names from lists, voices from beyond the grave, wives sleeping with cab drivers for money, searching for poets...where do I start this post? As Bolano began the section with Amalfitano stating, "I don't know what I'm doing in Santa Teresa." Let me say I don't know the answer either after finishing this section!
Amalfitano is the focus of this section. We learn more about his estranged wife, Lola in the beginning of this part of 2666. Just like the critics in Part 1, Lola is also searching for an illusive literary figure. However, in this case the writer is someone that she does have a relationship. It is a poet who she met and had sex with at a party several years ago in Barcelona. We never learn the name of the poet. Perhaps this is because he is actually Archimboldi from Part 1?
This novel works like a puzzle. As I have mentioned before there is so much detail that it is difficult to decipher which parts are important and which parts are actually part of some sort of story arch. There are some unreliable narrators in this section, Amalfitano's story is in direct contrast to his wife's account. He claims that the first time that Lola heard about the Poet was when he provided her with a book of his work after they were married. Amalfitano also claims that the Poet is gay and Lola couldn't possibly have met him over an all night sexual escapade.
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