26662666
Score Modern
What it's about
Roberto Bolaño's last novel, published after his death, is made of five connected parts. Four European scholars obsessed with a reclusive German novelist named Archimboldi follow his trail to Santa Teresa, a city on the Mexican border based on Ciudad Juárez. There, hundreds of women are being murdered. The book's longest section describes those killings one by one. Its last part finally tells the story of Archimboldi himself.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the New York Times list of the century's best books and won the National Book Critics Circle Award. It's one of the most ambitious novels of the century.
You'll love it if you liked
Infinite Jest
Ficciones
The Master and MargaritaGood to know
It's around 900 pages. The fourth part, a long record of murders of women, is extremely difficult reading. Each part can be read separately.
By the numbers
- Readers84 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics82 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller54 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #6 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #45 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #82 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, Moving
More by Roberto Bolaño
If you like this, read next
Gone Girl
Piranesi
Big Little Lies
Where the Crawdads Sing
Anxious People
The Orphan Master's SonExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is 2666 worth reading?
Yes. It's on the New York Times list of the century's best books and won the National Book Critics Circle Award. It ranks #82 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 87.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is 2666 about?
Roberto Bolaño's last novel, published after his death, is made of five connected parts. Four European scholars obsessed with a reclusive German novelist named Archimboldi follow his trail to Santa Teresa, a city on the Mexican border based on Ciudad Juárez. There, hundreds of women are being murdered. The book's longest section describes those killings one by one. Its last part finally tells the story of Archimboldi himself.
How long does it take to read 2666?
About 22 hours (898 pages), or about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has 2666 won?
NBCC Award (Fiction) winner (2008).
What should I read after 2666?
If you liked it, try Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace, Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges or The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.