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Amulet (novel)

May 04, 2024

This article is about the novel by Roberto Bolaño. For the graphic novel series by Kazu Kibuishi, see Amulet (comics). For the 1979 horror novel by Michael McDowell, see The Amulet (novel).

Amulet (Spanish: Amuleto) is a short novel by the Chilean author Roberto Bolaño (1953–2003). It was published in 1999. An English translation, by Chris Andrews, was published by New Directions in 2006.

Amulet
First edition (Spanish)
AuthorRoberto Bolaño
Original titleAmuleto
TranslatorChris Andrews
CountrySpain
LanguageSpanish
PublisherAnagrama
Publication date
1999
Published in English
2006
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages154
ISBN8433910973

The book is dedicated to the author's poet friend Mario Santiago Papasquiaro (1953–1998), who died the year it was being written; as "Ulises Lima", Santiago was prominently featured in The Savage Detectives and gets a cameo in this story.

The novel is contextualized at the time of the 1968 Movement in Mexico, specifically in the army invasion of the Ciudad Universitaria, on 18 September 1968, which preceded the Tlatelolco massacre of 2 October of the same year occurred at the end of the government of Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz.

Plot summary edit

Amulet embodies in one woman's voice the melancholy and violent history of Latin America. It begins: "This is going to be a horror story. A story of murder, detection and horror. But it won't appear to be, for the simple reason that I am the teller. Told by me, it won't seem like that. Although, in fact, it's the story of a terrible crime."

The speaker is named Auxilio Lacouture,[1] dubbed "the mother of Mexican poetry", though her own take is, "I could say I am the mother of all Mexican poets, but I better not". Tall, thin, blonde, and old enough to actually be their mother, she's a Uruguayan exile living illegally in Mexico City since the 1960s, lending a maternal hand to those in need (even her forename means "Help" in Spanish), doing odd jobs for old writers and at the Faculty of Philosophy and Literature.

She becomes famous as the sole person who symbolically resists the army's 1968 invasion of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) two weeks before the now infamous Tlatelolco massacre (2 October) – she hides in a fourth-floor lavatory cubicle "for thirteen days" from 18 to 30 September.

As she tries to outlast the occupiers and grows ever hungrier, Auxilio recalls her life, her lost teeth, her beloved friends and poets, and she soon moves on to strange landscapes: ice-bound mountains, seedy bars in "the dark night of the soul of Mexico City", a terrifying chasm, and a bathroom where moonlight shines, moving slowly from tile to tile.

Her recollections mostly drift from 1965 (when she arrived in Mexico) to 1976 (when Belano left Mexico), but end on an eponymous vision of the victims: "And although the song that I heard was about war, about the heroic deeds of a whole generation of Latin Americans led to sacrifice, I knew that above and beyond all, it was about courage and mirrors, desire and pleasure. And that song is our amulet."

Connections with other Bolaño novels edit

Auxilio was already featured in a chapter of Bolaño's novel The Savage Detectives (1998), where she narrates her stay in the restroom of the besieged university. However, as Francisco Goldman has noted, Amulet "sings an enthralling and haunting ode to youth, life on the margins, poetry and poets, and Mexico City. Much more than a companion piece to The Savage Detectives – it shares some of the same characters – Amulet may be Bolaño's most autobiographical book. Formally and verbally, it also represents some of his most innovative and thrilling writing."[citation needed]

Amulet features some other characters from The Savage Detectives: mainly the author's alter-ego, Arturo Belano, and his friend Ernesto San Epifanio, but also Laura Jáuregui, Felipe Müller, and Ulises Lima. It also names historical figures, from ChE Guevara to mostly writers and artists (like León Felipe, Pedro Garfias, Rubén Bonifaz Nuño, Remedios Varo and Lilian Serpas)

The novel also features Bolaño's only direct reference to the eponymous year of his novel 2666: "Guerrero, at that time of night, is more like a cemetery than an avenue, not a cemetery in 1974 or in 1968, or 1975, but a cemetery in the year 2666, a forgotten cemetery under the eyelid of a corpse or an unborn child."

References edit

  1. ^ Amulet – Roberto Bolaño

External links edit

May 04, 2024
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This article is about the novel by Roberto Bolano For the graphic novel series by Kazu Kibuishi see Amulet comics For the 1979 horror novel by Michael McDowell see The Amulet novel Amulet Spanish Amuleto is a short novel by the Chilean author Roberto Bolano 1953 2003 It was published in 1999 An English translation by Chris Andrews was published by New Directions in 2006 AmuletFirst edition Spanish AuthorRoberto BolanoOriginal titleAmuletoTranslatorChris AndrewsCountrySpainLanguageSpanishPublisherAnagramaPublication date1999Published in English2006Media typePrint Paperback Pages154ISBN8433910973 The book is dedicated to the author s poet friend Mario Santiago Papasquiaro 1953 1998 who died the year it was being written as Ulises Lima Santiago was prominently featured in The Savage Detectives and gets a cameo in this story The novel is contextualized at the time of the 1968 Movement in Mexico specifically in the army invasion of the Ciudad Universitaria on 18 September 1968 which preceded the Tlatelolco massacre of 2 October of the same year occurred at the end of the government of Mexican President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Contents 1 Plot summary 2 Connections with other Bolano novels 3 References 4 External linksPlot summary editAmulet embodies in one woman s voice the melancholy and violent history of Latin America It begins This is going to be a horror story A story of murder detection and horror But it won t appear to be for the simple reason that I am the teller Told by me it won t seem like that Although in fact it s the story of a terrible crime The speaker is named Auxilio Lacouture 1 dubbed the mother of Mexican poetry though her own take is I could say I am the mother of all Mexican poets but I better not Tall thin blonde and old enough to actually be their mother she s a Uruguayan exile living illegally in Mexico City since the 1960s lending a maternal hand to those in need even her forename means Help in Spanish doing odd jobs for old writers and at the Faculty of Philosophy and Literature She becomes famous as the sole person who symbolically resists the army s 1968 invasion of the National Autonomous University of Mexico UNAM two weeks before the now infamous Tlatelolco massacre 2 October she hides in a fourth floor lavatory cubicle for thirteen days from 18 to 30 September As she tries to outlast the occupiers and grows ever hungrier Auxilio recalls her life her lost teeth her beloved friends and poets and she soon moves on to strange landscapes ice bound mountains seedy bars in the dark night of the soul of Mexico City a terrifying chasm and a bathroom where moonlight shines moving slowly from tile to tile Her recollections mostly drift from 1965 when she arrived in Mexico to 1976 when Belano left Mexico but end on an eponymous vision of the victims And although the song that I heard was about war about the heroic deeds of a whole generation of Latin Americans led to sacrifice I knew that above and beyond all it was about courage and mirrors desire and pleasure And that song is our amulet Connections with other Bolano novels editAuxilio was already featured in a chapter of Bolano s novel The Savage Detectives 1998 where she narrates her stay in the restroom of the besieged university However as Francisco Goldman has noted Amulet sings an enthralling and haunting ode to youth life on the margins poetry and poets and Mexico City Much more than a companion piece to The Savage Detectives it shares some of the same characters Amulet may be Bolano s most autobiographical book Formally and verbally it also represents some of his most innovative and thrilling writing citation needed Amulet features some other characters from The Savage Detectives mainly the author s alter ego Arturo Belano and his friend Ernesto San Epifanio but also Laura Jauregui Felipe Muller and Ulises Lima It also names historical figures from ChE Guevara to mostly writers and artists like Leon Felipe Pedro Garfias Ruben Bonifaz Nuno Remedios Varo and Lilian Serpas The novel also features Bolano s only direct reference to the eponymous year of his novel 2666 Guerrero at that time of night is more like a cemetery than an avenue not a cemetery in 1974 or in 1968 or 1975 but a cemetery in the year 2666 a forgotten cemetery under the eyelid of a corpse or an unborn child References edit Amulet Roberto BolanoExternal links editAmulet at Complete Review CR review meta review and links to international reviews including from Bookslut Boston Review The Guardian The Independent The New York Sun The Quarterly Conversation The Telegraph Found in Translation by Aura Estada Boston Review July 2007 Amulet by Roberto Bolano Bookslut March 2007 Roberto Bolano s Lost Boys by Benjanin Lytal New York Sun 17 January 2007 Amulet by Roberto Bolano by Scott Bryan Wilson The Quarterly Conversation Spring 2007 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Amulet novel amp oldid 1175444472, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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