Plot Summary

By Night in Chile

Roberto Bolaño
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By Night in Chile

Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 2000

Book Brief

Roberto Bolaño

By Night in Chile

Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 2000
Book Details
Pages

128

Format

Novella • Fiction

Setting

Chile • 20th century

Publication Year

2000

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

In Roberto Bolaño's novella By Night in Chile, Jesuit priest Father Sebastian Urrutia Lacroix, on his deathbed, recounts his life, revealing his internal conflict and moral failings during Pinochet's oppressive regime in Chile, intertwining his journey in the priesthood with his associations in the literary world, and his eventual complicity in societal and political transgressions.

Mysterious

Dark

Contemplative

Melancholic

Unnerving

Reviews & Readership

4.1

14,192 ratings

70%

Loved it

24%

Mixed feelings

7%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Roberto Bolaño's By Night in Chile is lauded for its poetic prose and insightful critique of Chile's political landscape. Critics praise its narrative structure and complex characters, though some find the dense, stream-of-consciousness style challenging. Overall, a compelling and thought-provoking read that offers profound reflections on history and morality.

Who should read this

Who Should Read By Night in Chile?

By Night in Chile by Roberto Bolaño appeals to readers who enjoy political intrigue, philosophical reflections, and literary sophistication. Similar to Gabriel García Márquez's The Autumn of the Patriarch and W.G. Sebald's Austerlitz, it captivates those interested in complex narratives and Latin American history.

4.1

14,192 ratings

70%

Loved it

24%

Mixed feelings

7%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

128

Format

Novella • Fiction

Setting

Chile • 20th century

Publication Year

2000

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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