The sky, at sunset, looked like a carnivorous flower.
Roberto BolanoRead
Coincidence obeys no laws and if it does we don't know what they are. Coincidence, if you'll permit me the simile, is like the manifestation of God at every moment on our planet. A senseless God making senseless gestures at his senseless creatures. In that hurricane, in that osseous implosion, we find communion.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that coincidences are random occurrences that may reflect a divine presence, yet remain ultimately meaningless.
In this quote, Roberto Bolano reflects on the nature of coincidences, asserting that they exist outside any known laws and that their randomness can be likened to the unpredictable gestures of a nonsensical deity. He views these coincidences as moments of connection amidst chaos, indicating that even in the most absurd situations, there exists a form of communion among humanity, which invites contemplation on the nature of existence and the mysterious forces at play in our lives.
Themes
CoincidenceGodMeaningChaosExistence
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophical debate about the nature of fate and randomness.
More from Roberto Bolano
All quotes →I'd obviously never heard of the group, but my ignorance in literary matters is to blame for that (every book in the world is out there waiting to be read by me).
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Bright colours in the west, giant butterflies dancing as night crept like a cripple toward the east.
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Being alone makes us stronger. That’s the honest truth. But it’s cold comfort, since even if I wanted company no one will come near me anymore.
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Of all the islands he'd visited, two stood out. The island of the past, he said, where the only time was past time and the inhabitants were bored and more or less happy, but where the weight of illusion was so great that the island sank a little deeper into the river every day. And the island of the future, where the only time was the future, and the inhabitants were planners and strivers, such strivers, said Ulises, that they were likely to end up devouring one another.
Roberto BolanoRead
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