Our vacation to the oases of horror in a desert of boredom reaches its conclusion. This week, John and Ben talk about the final section of Roberto Bolaño's "2666": The Part About Archimboldi. Topics of discussion include the kunstleroman genre, Dracula, and how Bolaño subverts genre expectations to invoke his deeper themes.

This week, the Book Boys discuss Tanith Lee's first novel: "Birthgrave".

CONTENT WARNING:

This episode includes detailed discussion of violence & sexual assault.

We return to "2666" to discuss "The Part About the Crimes". Topics of conversation include the legendary reputation of this portion of Bolano's novel, depictions of violence against women in literature, and conspiracy as a theme in Bolano's oeuvre.

As always, we hope you enjoy!

This week we've got friend of the show Dan back in the stacks to discuss Mo Yan's opus: "Life And Death Are Wearing Me Out". Topics of conversation include Chinese-English translation, reincarnation in fiction, and authorial self-inserts.

As always, we hope you enjoy the conversation!

The Book Boys return to the sweltering climes of Santa Theresa to discuss Part III of Roberto Bolano's "2666": The Part about Fate.

Global Forms in Bolaño’s 2666: Genre, Race, Capital by Jack Weizhe Cao can be found here.

It's the Infinite Library Pride Month Special! Today, John and Ben queen out and discuss Michał Witkowski's "Lovetown". We discuss the relation between experimental fiction and marginalized points of view, the depiction of queer life in capitalist vs non-capitalist systems, and, of course, gay sex.

¡Hola, los amigos des libros! In the first episode of the Summer Season, the Book Banditos, Ben and John, head south of the border to chat about Roberto Bolaño's magnum opus: "2666". Is the tone of this description a meta commentary on Bolaño's portrayal of hapless literati facing the true horror at the heart of the world? You'll have to listen to find out!

In this episode, the first of four, we discussed "The Part About the Critics" and "The Part About Amalfitano". Topics of conversation include Bolaño's use of genre elements to develop tone, a psychoanalytic reading of the behavior of bourgeoisie academics, and the magickal power of the Western Canon.

As always, we hope that you enjoy our conversation!

Groovy Baby! We close out our Spring 2025 Season by discussing Samuel R. Delany's "Nova". We discuss Delany's place in the history of sci-fi, archetypes, and the role of time in writing. As always, we hope you enjoy our conversation.

What a long, strange trip it's been...this week, the Book Boys finish up their read-through of the works of Michael Chabon with "Moonglow". Does the Baron of Berkley/Prince of Pittsburgh manage to redeem himself after the missteps of "Telegraph Avenue"? Tune in this week to find out!

John and Ben dive deep into Scam-erican literature this week with the help of friend of the pod and resident Melville expert: Chris Thomas. We discuss Melville's final novel: "The Confidence Man: His Masquerade". Topics of discussion include the trustworthiness of barbers, America's enduring interest in flim-flam artists of all sorts, and the long shadow of Don Quixote.

As always, we hope that you enjoy the conversation.