From Rimbaud to Lalo Cura in Bolaño’s narrative: the wound that does not close

Abstract

This article considers Arthur Rimbaud’s influence on Roberto Bolaño, which he recognized in his works of fiction, his essays, and interviews. This influence has been widely cited in previous studies, but this article reviews the particular way in which the French poet influenced Bolaño’s imaginary, comparing with Rimbaud’s influence on Chilean writers admired by Bolaño. Specifically, Rimbaud’s life and work affects the configuration of the character Lalo Cura, in a story that connects three of Bolaño’s most important novels. Gilles Deleuze’s reflection on event and wound, from Joe Bousquet, will allow us to understand all violence as a single experience that is repeated and inherited throughout history.