The Savage DetectivesThe Savage Detectives
Score Modern
What it's about
In Mexico City in 1975, Juan García Madero, a seventeen-year-old would-be poet, joins the visceral realists, a group of young rebel poets led by Arturo Belano and Ulises Lima. On New Year's Eve, the two leaders take off for the Sonoran Desert in search of a vanished poet from the 1920s, with Juan and a young prostitute. The novel's long middle section is made of dozens of testimonies, over twenty years, from people who knew Belano and Lima.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the New York Times list of the century's best books. It's Bolaño's most joyful and accessible novel, a love letter to youth and poetry.
You'll love it if you liked
2666
Infinite Jest
FiccionesGood to know
The middle section is long, with a huge number of narrators. Belano is based on Bolaño himself.
By the numbers
- Readers78 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller24 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
- #254 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #504 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
More by Roberto Bolaño
If you like this, read next
The Book Thief
Americanah
Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets
The Help
Pachinko
Shuggie BainExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Savage Detectives worth reading?
Yes. It's on the New York Times list of the century's best books. It ranks #504 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 78.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Savage Detectives about?
In Mexico City in 1975, Juan García Madero, a seventeen-year-old would-be poet, joins the visceral realists, a group of young rebel poets led by Arturo Belano and Ulises Lima. On New Year's Eve, the two leaders take off for the Sonoran Desert in search of a vanished poet from the 1920s, with Juan and a young prostitute. The novel's long middle section is made of dozens of testimonies, over twenty years, from people who knew Belano and Lima.
How long does it take to read The Savage Detectives?
About 15 hours (592 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Savage Detectives?
If you liked it, try 2666 by Roberto Bolaño, Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace or Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges.