BOOKMARK
TEXT SIZE
2666, the epic novel that was the major preoccupation of Chilean writer Robert Bolaño in the last five years of his life, can finally be enjoyed in English. The English-language translation by Natasha Wimmer, which became available in the US in November, is holding fast on the Independent Hardcover Bestseller List.
The book he raced against death to complete is an darkly beautiful, unsettling murder mystery centered on an eclectic group of characters. Among them are three academics on the trail of a reclusive German author; a New York reporter on his first Mexican assignment, a teenage student alogn with her widowed, mentally unstable father and a police detective in love with an elusive older woman.Their lives intersect in Santa Teresa, a fictional Ciudad Juárez on the U.S.-Mexico border, where hundreds of young factory workers have disappeared.
Published to great acclaim after Bolaño's death, 2666 was hailed as his masterpiece. While beloved by critics, it is hardly a light read. Bolaño's style is innovative and cryptic, subjects terrifying and he leaves many mysteries unresolved.
Mass Market |
Last Week/ Weeks on List |
|
| 1. | The Appeal John Grisham, Dell, $7.99, 9780440243816 |
1/4 |
| 2. | T Is for Trespass Sue Grafton, Berkley, $7.99, 9780425224847 |
2/3 |
| 3. | The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, 4th Edition Merriam-Webster, $7.50, 9780877799290 |
6/37 |
| 4. | The Audacity of Hope Barack Obama, Vintage, $7.99, 9780307455871 |
4/6 |
| 5. | Marley & Me John Grogan, Harper, $7.99, 9780061687204 |
9/3 |
| 6. | Dead Until Dark Charlaine Harris, Ace, $7.99, 9780441016990 |
5/11 |
| 7. | The Pagan Stone Nora Roberts, Jove, $7.99, 9780515144666 |
3/3 |
| 8. | The Pillars of the Earth Ken Follett, Signet, $7.99, 9780451166890 |
8/60 |
| 9. | The Venetian Betrayal Steve Berry, Ballantine, $9.99, 9780345485786 |
7/4 |
| 10. | The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger, Warner, $6.99, 9780316769488 |
/108 |
Trade Paperback Fiction |
Last Week/ Weeks on List |
|
| 1. | The Shack William P. Young, Windblown, $14.99, 9780964729230 A man's relationship with God is changed when his daughter is abducted. |
1/30 |
| 2. | The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Junot Diaz, Riverhead, $14, 9781594483295 The bestselling sci-fi journey from the Dominican Republic to the U.S. and back is now available in paperback. |
3/15 |
| 3. | A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini, Riverhead, $16, 9781594483851 Splendid characters and plot indeed, once again set in Afghanistan, by the author of the wondrous The Kite Runner. |
2/3 |
| 4. | Out Stealing Horses Per Petterson, Picador, $14, 9780312427085 A widower's recollections of a day with his childhood friend. |
4/33 |
| 5. | The White Tiger Aravind Adiga, Free Press, $14, 9781416562603 Adiga's darkly comic debut novel looks at India's class struggles. Winner of the 2008 Man Booker Prize for Fiction. |
5/9 |
| 6. | The Elegance of the Hedgehog Muriel Barbery, Europa Editions, $15, 9781933372600 Barbery's novel, a major bestseller in Europe, is a September Indie Next List Notable title. |
6/15 |
| 7. | Loving Frank Nancy Horan, Ballantine, $14, 9780345495006 Horan's fictionalized account of Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheney's love story is now available in paperback. |
7/36 |
| 8. | The Hearts of Horses Molly Gloss, Mariner, $13.95, 9780547085753 A young woman gets to live a cowboy's life during World War II. |
9/4 |
| 9. | Run Ann Patchett, Harper Perennial, $14.95, 9780061340642 An intimate domestic drama from the author of Bel Canto. |
8/20 |
| 10. | Water for Elephants Sara Gruen, Algonquin, $13.95, 9781565125605 An indie fave about a traveling circus comes to paperback. |
10/88 |
| 11. | The Best American Short Stories 2008 Salman Rushdie, Heidi Pitlor (Eds.), Houghton Mifflin, $14, 9780618788774 A brilliant collection of the year's best short fiction. |
13/11 |
| 12. | World Without End Ken Follett, NAL, $22, 9780451224996 Follett brings us back to Kingsbridge, the setting of his bestselling Pillars of the Earth. |
11/10 |
| 13. | In the Woods Tana French, Penguin, $14, 9780143113492 French's debut novel is a gripping story of the murder of a child in a suburb of Dublin. |
14/30 |
| 14. | The Secret Life of Bees Sue Monk Kidd, Penguin, $14, 9780142001745 The story of a 14-year-old girl set in South Carolina in 1964. |
12/169 |
| 15. | The Road Cormac McCarthy, Vintage, $14.95, 9780307387899 A barren, post-apocalyptic landscape is the foreground, and background, for this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. |
/84 |
| ON THE RISE | ||
| 27. | The Reader Bernhard Schlink, Vintage, $13.95, 9780307454898 This novel of post-World War II Germany is now a major motion picture. |
Trade Paperback Nonfiction |
Last Week/ Weeks on List |
|
| 1. | Three Cups of Tea Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin, Penguin, $15, 9780143038252 An American's effort to open 50 schools across rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. |
2/98 |
| 2. | Dreams From My Father Barack Obama, Three Rivers, $14.95, 9781400082773 An elegant memoir of race and place from the president-elect. |
1/108 |
| 3. | The Audacity of Hope Barack Obama, Three Rivers, $14.95, 9780307237705 The president-elect's vision of hope for the future of our country. |
3/51 |
| 4. | Team of Rivals Doris Kearns Goodwin, S&S, $21, 9780743270755 The prize-winning historian studies Lincoln as the ultimate manager and motivator. |
4/28 |
| 5. | Marley & Me John Grogan, Harper, $13.95, 9780060817091 Irresistible, funny, and finally available in paperback! |
5/32 |
| 6. | Musicophilia Oliver Sacks, Vintage, $14.95, 9781400033539 Sacks looks at the affect music can have in our daily lives. |
8/12 |
| 7. | World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009 World Almanac Books, World Almanac, $12.99, 9781600571053 The dependable reference guide, updated for 2009. |
7/3 |
| 8. | Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Barbara and Camille Kingsolver, Steven Hopp, Harper Perennial, $14.95, 9780060852566 The Kingsolver family moves to a rural Virginia farm and vows to eat locally for one year. |
6/33 |
| 9. | The Omnivore's Dilemma Michael Pollan, Penguin, $16, 9780143038580 A hard-boiled look at the food chain. |
10/68 |
| 10. | Our Dumb World The Onion, Little Brown, $17.99, 9780316018432 In a world gone haywire, The Onion pokes fun at our secret fears and ignorance! |
12/5 |
| 11. | The Zookeeper's Wife Diane Ackerman, Norton, $14.95, 9780393333060 The true story of the zookeeper who hid hundreds of Polish Jews during WWII, based on diaries of the wife. |
9/15 |
| 12. | The Old Farmer's Almanac 2009 , Old Farmer's Almanac, $6.95, 9781571984531 The annual almanac of weather, astrology, calendars, gardening tips, home remedies, and more. |
13/7 |
| 13. | Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert, Penguin, $15, 9780143038412 The author's yearlong search for spiritual meaning. |
11/99 |
| 14. | The Nine Jeffrey Toobin, Anchor, $15.95, 9781400096794 Supreme Court watcher and analyst Toobin takes us behind the veil to reveal (some of) the mystery of the high court. |
15/14 |
| 15. | Listening Is an Act of Love: Dave Isay (Ed.), Penguin, $15, 9780143114345 Isay presents stories of regular folk, from interviews by the StoryCorps Project. |
14/3 |
| ON THE RISE | ||
| 27. | Immoveable Feast: A Paris Christmas John Baxter, Harper Perennial, $13.95, 9780061562334 A witty collection of essays by the bestselling author of We'll Always Have Paris. |
Hardcover Fiction |
Last Week/ Weeks on List |
|
| 1. | The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows, Dial, $22, 9780385340991 This wonderful, poignant novel is the number one August Indie Next Great Read. |
1/20 |
| 2. | The Story of Edgar Sawtelle David Wroblewski, Ecco, $25.95, 9780061374227 A masterful debut novel of a mute boy's coming of age in rural Wisconsin. This July Indie Next List Great Read is now an Oprah Book Club title. |
2/27 |
| 3. | A Mercy Toni Morrison, Knopf, $23.95, 9780307264237 Morrison's remarkable novella of a daughter sold into slavery is a November Indie Next List Remarkable Read. |
4/5 |
| 4. | The Private Patient P.D. James, Knopf, $25.95, 9780307270771 The latest masterful novel featuring Adam Dalgliesh is a December Indie Next List Great Read. |
3/4 |
| 5. | The Hour I First Believed Wally Lamb, Harper, $29.95, 9780060393496 This new novel by the bestselling author of I Know This Much Is True is the #1 December Indie Next List Great Read. |
5/5 |
| 6. | Scarpetta Patricia Cornwell, Putnam, $27.95, 9780399155161 The 16th Kay Scarpetta novel by the bestselling author of Book of the Dead. |
6/2 |
| 7. | The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larsson, Knopf, $24.95, 9780307269751 This debut thriller by Swedish journalist Larsson is an October Indie Next List Great Read. |
12/13 |
| 8. | Cross Country James Patterson, Little Brown, $27.99, 9780316018722 A new Alex Cross thriller by the bestselling author of Jack & Jill. |
10/4 |
| 9. | The Christmas Sweater Glenn Beck, Threshold Editions, $19.99, 9781416594857 An inspiring Christmas tale by the well-known radio and television host. |
7/5 |
| 10. | Unaccustomed Earth Jhumpa Lahiri, Knopf, $25, 9780307265739 The latest collection of stories by the author of The Namesake. |
/25 |
| 11. | The Gate House Nelson DeMille, Grand Central, $27.99, 9780446533423 DeMille's sequel to his 1990 bestseller, The Gold Coast. |
9/7 |
| 12. | 2666 Roberto Bolano, FSG, $30, 9780374100148 This daring novel by the author of The Savage Detectives is a December Indie Next List Great Read. |
/2 |
| 13. | A Most Wanted Man John le Carré, Scribner, $28, 9781416594888 Le Carré's latest novel of spies and counterspies is an October Indie Next List Great Read. |
8/10 |
| 14. | The Art of Racing in the Rain Garth Stein, Harper, $23.95, 9780061537936 A look at life through the eyes of Enzo, a mixed-breed pooch. |
/25 |
| 15. | Just After Sunset Stephen King, Scribner, $28, 9781416584087 King's first collection of short fiction since 2002's Everything's Eventual. |
14/5 |
Hardcover Nonfiction |
Last Week/ Weeks on List |
|
| 1. | Dewey Vicki Myron, Grand Central, $19.99, 9780446407410 The touching true story of an abandoned kitten's impact on a public library and the town of Spencer, Iowa. |
1/13 |
| 2. | Outliers Malcolm Gladwell, Little Brown, $27.99, 9780316017923 The author of Blink and The Tipping Point looks at what makes some people successful-- and others not. |
2/4 |
| 3. | American Lion Jon Meacham, Random House, $30, 9781400063253 A vivid look at the life of the seventh president of the United States. |
3/5 |
| 4. | Hot, Flat, and Crowded Thomas L. Friedman, FSG, $27.95, 9780374166854 The latest by the author of The World Is Flat looks at the global environmental crisis, and what we can do about it. |
4/14 |
| 5. | The Last Lecture Randy Pausch, Hyperion, $21.95, 9781401323257 The life-affirming "last lecture" by Pausch, then a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. |
7/36 |
| 6. | Holidays on Ice David Sedaris, Little Brown, $16.99, 9780316035903 Sedaris' bestselling holiday collection is new again, with six more pieces. |
5/6 |
| 7. | Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter, $35, 9781400054350 The latest cookbook from the Food Network star and bestselling author of Barefoot in Paris. |
6/7 |
| 8. | The Snowball Alice Schroeder, Bantam, $35, 9780553805093 A biography of one of the most successful and well respected men of our time, Warren Buffett. |
11/11 |
| 9. | Letter to My Daughter Maya Angelou, Random House, $25, 9781400066124 Wonderful essays by the beloved author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. |
10/11 |
| 10. | Guinness World Records 2009 Guinness, $28.95, 9781904994374 The annual look at world records, wild, wacky, and serious. |
13/12 |
| 11. | When You Are Engulfed in Flames David Sedaris, Little Brown, $25.99, 9780316143479 Yet another laugh-out-loud collection of essays by indie fave Sedaris. |
/27 |
| 12. | Annie Leibovitz at Work Annie Leibovitz, Random House, $40, 9780375505102 Leibovitz describes how her famous pictures were made. |
9/4 |
| 13. | Deciding the Next Decider Calvin Trillin, Random House, $14, 9781400068289 Trillin's humorous look at the 2008 presidential election, in rhyme. |
12/2 |
| 14. | Alex & Me Irene M. Pepperberg, Collins, $23.95, 9780061672477 An extraordinary true story of the bond between a human and a parrot. |
14/3 |
| 15. | Goodnight Bush Erich Origen, Gan Golan, Little Brown, $14.99, 9780316040419 The Bush administration is roasted in this fun parody of the children's classic Goodnight Moon. |
8/28 |
| ON THE RISE | ||
| 28. | Pat the Husband: A Parody Kate Nelligan, Cider Mill, $9.95, 9781604330144 This humorous parody points out that men are really little boys at heart! |
Based on reporting from hundreds of independent bookstores across the United States. For an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound.org.
Subscribe to this comment's feed