The passage from this week’s reading that I think will stick with me the most is Pelletier’s dream, which was fascinating and hard to decipher. Your description of the artist who mutilated his hand for the sake of art got me thinking about the end of this dream. To quote it, “And then Pelletier began to weep and he watched as what was left of a statue emerged from the bottom of the metallic sea…and this statue came out of the sea and rose above the beach and it was horrific and at the same time very beautiful” (79)
Pelletier is almost glued to his spot in this dream, forced to watch the beachgoers observe the ocean, though he can’t see what they’re looking at. To me, I think this is emblematic of Pelletier’s character. He is the first character Bolano introduces, yet besides his passion for Archimboldi and Liz, he seems to not possess much of his own personality. By that I mean, Espinoza seems far more “in charge” of their friendship. Espinoza has a more impassioned, emotional reaction to something and Pelletier follows suit in a colder—though not fully heartless—manner.
I’m curious about considering this dream alongside the senseless beating of the taxi driver. Will this act of violence, which strangely united the 3 critics for a moment, produce “art” or “beauty” as it did with the artist in Liz’s story to Morini (since so far there have been no consequences for that decision)? I look forward to finding out!!
Also: it’s interesting that Espinoza and Morini both had moments of unintentionally forgetting a woman they saw. For M this happens on 43, for E on 85. Not sure if it’s connected but odd that it happened twice!!
Andy, thank you for commenting on Pelletier’s weird, disturbing dream, which seems to have happened the night after the beating to the cab driver. Espinoza has a “minor breakdown” that night in Madrid and confesses to the cab driver taking him home from the airport. (Undoubtedly a bit unnerving to hear for the Madrid driver!). Is the dream a product of his guilt? The fact that he stood by and watched Espinoza initiate the attack on the driver, before he started kicking him as well “when Espinoza flagged?” I will be interesting to see if this dream or versions of it reoccur.
I agree with you that Espinoza is the more impassioned of the two. But it is interesting that Pelletier establishes a type of relationship with a prostitute, Vanessa, whereas Espinoza “never saw the same girl twice” and didn’t remember any of their names, as you mentioned. And I, too, noted Morini’s romantic imaginings about the female reporter who wrote the article on the Mexican femicides: “I’d love her until the end of time, he thought. An hour later he’d already forgotten the matter completely.” This could mean the murders, the reporter, or both.
The passage from this week’s reading that I think will stick with me the most is Pelletier’s dream, which was fascinating and hard to decipher. Your description of the artist who mutilated his hand for the sake of art got me thinking about the end of this dream. To quote it, “And then Pelletier began to weep and he watched as what was left of a statue emerged from the bottom of the metallic sea…and this statue came out of the sea and rose above the beach and it was horrific and at the same time very beautiful” (79)
Pelletier is almost glued to his spot in this dream, forced to watch the beachgoers observe the ocean, though he can’t see what they’re looking at. To me, I think this is emblematic of Pelletier’s character. He is the first character Bolano introduces, yet besides his passion for Archimboldi and Liz, he seems to not possess much of his own personality. By that I mean, Espinoza seems far more “in charge” of their friendship. Espinoza has a more impassioned, emotional reaction to something and Pelletier follows suit in a colder—though not fully heartless—manner.
I’m curious about considering this dream alongside the senseless beating of the taxi driver. Will this act of violence, which strangely united the 3 critics for a moment, produce “art” or “beauty” as it did with the artist in Liz’s story to Morini (since so far there have been no consequences for that decision)? I look forward to finding out!!
Also: it’s interesting that Espinoza and Morini both had moments of unintentionally forgetting a woman they saw. For M this happens on 43, for E on 85. Not sure if it’s connected but odd that it happened twice!!
Andy, thank you for commenting on Pelletier’s weird, disturbing dream, which seems to have happened the night after the beating to the cab driver. Espinoza has a “minor breakdown” that night in Madrid and confesses to the cab driver taking him home from the airport. (Undoubtedly a bit unnerving to hear for the Madrid driver!). Is the dream a product of his guilt? The fact that he stood by and watched Espinoza initiate the attack on the driver, before he started kicking him as well “when Espinoza flagged?” I will be interesting to see if this dream or versions of it reoccur.
I agree with you that Espinoza is the more impassioned of the two. But it is interesting that Pelletier establishes a type of relationship with a prostitute, Vanessa, whereas Espinoza “never saw the same girl twice” and didn’t remember any of their names, as you mentioned. And I, too, noted Morini’s romantic imaginings about the female reporter who wrote the article on the Mexican femicides: “I’d love her until the end of time, he thought. An hour later he’d already forgotten the matter completely.” This could mean the murders, the reporter, or both.
So much to unpack in this wonderful novel!