Reviews
The novel is the writer's second, and his first as the sole author: it was first published in 1984 under the title "La Senda de los elefantes", while in 1999 the Anagrama publishing house re-released it with the current title, "Monsieur Pain".
The book is dedicated to Carolina López, the wife of Roberto Bolaño. It is a short novel. It is divided into small sections with an extensive use of dialogue; the version published by the Spanish publishing house Anagrama is preceded by a preliminary note from the Chilean writer explaining the brief history of the book: its participation in Spanish provincial competitions and the variety of cases narrated about the book, such as Vallejo's hiccups and the indifference of his doctors.
December 15th 2025