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“In some lost fold of the past, we wanted to be lions and we're no more than castrated cats”
Here Bolano is highlighting the idea that there is a difference between the way that one sees themselves and how others see them. Figures like Belano and Lima are often those disguised as lions, whereas characters like Juan are externally portrayed as the “cats” but inherently have the soul of a lion.
Literature is not innocent
“Literature is no innocent.”
This simple quote by the narrator is reflective of the literature in this book. Usually, we have naïve perspectives on literature as a whole, as being a medium through which one expresses their inner feelings and thoughts. However, Bolano takes it a step further in this book by ingraining literature in every part of the self, including relationships, sex, friendships, adventures, lies, deceit etc.
