Mexico City, Paris, and Life versus Art

This chapter examines Roberto Bolaño’s relation to the Tel Quel group in Paris by offering a close reading of his short story “Labyrynth.” Though few Latin Americans participated in Tel Quel, Bolaño was fascinated by the group’s ability to create an influential literary movement. The chapter provides an overview of Tel Quel’s lack of interest in Latin American writers and explores Bolaño’s commentary on each of the members, including Philippe Sollers and Julia Kristeva. The chapter also discusses Bolaño’s fascination with other literary groups around the world, including Octavio Paz’s circle in Mexico City, which appears in a key scene in The Savage Detectives.