Amalfitano, a leftist literary scholar from Chile, lives in Barcelona with his daughter Rosa after the death of his wife. His late coming out and liaisons with students cause a scandal at the university, prompting father and daughter to emigrate to Mexico, to the nowhere of the border town Santa Teresa. Here, Amalfitano reads the "imaginary novels" of the writer J.G. Arcimboldi and falls in love with the art forger Castillo, while police chief Negrete has long been seemingly unfoundedly shadowing him and Rosa. In his last unfinished novel, Bolano explores, as he does in his monumental work "2666," literary uncharted territory - a fireworks display of humor, imagination, and profound wit.