Personajes transversales de ficción en la narrativa de Roberto Bolaño

Abstract

The study of cross-cutting characters in Roberto Bolaño's narrative becomes essential when examining the existing critical bibliography on the Chilean author. Many analyses focus on individual characters or specific works, overlooking the cohesive nature of Bolaño's fictional universe. This article aims to present a comprehensive history of the interconnected characters in Bolaño's texts, exploring their evolution and the interplay between the plots of his stories and novels. By examining the complete range of recurring characters, the article uncovers multiple cross-cutting character arcs that span across several of Bolaño's works. While Bolaño's recognition grew after receiving the Rómulo Gallegos Prize in 1998, academic interest in his works further intensified with subsequent publications, including monographs, theses, and critical studies. Notable contributions include works that extensively analyse various aspects of Bolaño's writing but fall short of a comprehensive study of his cross-cutting characters. This article fills that gap by exploring the appearances and transformations of characters such as Arturo Belano and Ulises Lima, examining instances of character rewriting, and delving into the portrayal of characters in different works. By offering a holistic and intertextual understanding of Bolaño's narrative, this study contributes to the critical analysis of his literary oeuvre.

Keywords

• Literature
• Narrative
• Roberto Bolaño
• cross-cutting characters
• intertextuality
• interconnected plots