Written in 1989 and only discovered among his papers after his death, The Third Reich is an early work by the Chilean poet-turned-novelist Roberto Bolano, in which he experimented with themes and structure, stretching himself to see what he was capable of.
Written in 1989 and only discovered among his papers after his death, The Third Reich is an early work by the Chilean poet-turned-novelist Roberto Bolano, in which he experimented with themes and structure, stretching himself to see what he was capable of.
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alastair mabbott
The circumstances in which it was found suggest the author didn't consider it a successful endeavour, though it's an enlightening and fascinating volume for existing Bolano fans.
It's the diary of Udo Berger, a German revisiting the Costa Brava hotel he used to come to with his family. This time, he's brought his girlfriend, Ingeborg, along with his precious board game, The Third Reich. In the intervening years, Udo has become a wargaming champion, and the purpose of his holiday is to study the game and work out winning strategies for a magazine article. This, obviously, isn't the best way to bond with Ingeborg. Another German couple, Charly and Hanna, who latch on to them, are an unwelcome distraction too. Then there's a death, which compels Udo to stay on longer than he planned.
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