The Insufferable Gaucho

'His work is as vital, thrilling and life-enhancing as anything in modern fiction' Sunday TimesRoberto Bolaño's place as a giant of Latin American literature was confirmed by the publication of his posthumous masterpiece, 2666. The Insufferable Gaucho was the last book he prepared for publication before he died in 2003. Unpredictable and daring, highly controlled and yet somehow haywire, the five short stories included here are some of Bolaño's best. Whether they concern a stalwart rodent detective trying to investigate the mysterious deaths of his fellow rats, an elderly judge giving up his job in the city for an improbable return to the family farm in the Pampas, or a confrontation between an elusive film-maker and the little-known Argentinian novelist whose work he's plagiarized for years, they are as haunting as they are enthralling. In addition, two essays are included: provocative and often scathing, they too are alive with Bolaño's trademark humour, violence and utter faith in the power of the written word.'A superb introduction - a kind of tasting menu - to a writer of distinction and range' Times Literary Supplement