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Summary: "The Theme is Time"
Review: "'The future already exists,' I replied, 'but I am your friend'" (p 28).
This slim volume, a select sampling of Borges' thought experiments translated into English, has literally inspired generations to the recognition that our way of insisting on our realities is not the only way to do so (to paraphrase Michel Foucault), or the best way to understand our daily lives. Borges, like Nietzsche, wraps apparently absurd ideas in such beautiful and convincing prose that the reader can't avoid a moment's reflection, perhaps affirmation. But unlike Nietzsche, Borges doesn't want to convince you of his reality. He seems content instead to let you experience the styrofoam feel of The Consensus as you negotiate your assumptions and his presentation. "A Garden of Forking Paths" is a terrific example of this, and my favorite story in this collection. Yes, it works in translation, even a dated translation.
And you can see versions of Borges' strategy quoted in Foucault's The Order of Things, and adapted implicitly in Tarthang Tulku's Time, Space, and Knowledge. Have you read these in the future, present, or past?
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Summary: A winding Labyrinth of odd prose
Review: 'Odd prose' is perhaps the best phrase for Borges, being nearly oxymoronic. For Borges's musings, it seems very appropos. Borges, aside from the authors mentioned as he predecessors, seems as much derived from Poe, Lovecraft (though they wrote about the same time), and Hodgeson as anyone else. He has influences, and in 'Labyrinths' he mentions some in passing, though not naming them all as influences. Kafka, Swift, Kierkegaard, are some that he mentions and seem fairly intuitive. Borges's influences were numerous, and it shows in his writing, though it is distinctly his and none other. His writing is nearly a constant horror/ paradoxical fiction that will leave the reader with much to ponder. Borges, like Lovecraft, writes about interesting sounding books that don't exist and leaves much to the imagination.
If you enjoyed Lovecraft or Kierkegaard, 'Labyrinths' is an excellent introduction into this necessary author to those interested in the his esoteric musings and fantastic fiction.
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Summary: This book is NOT bad science fiction...
Review: ...it is an amazing collection of metaphysical labyrinths (hence the title). It contains Borges' metaphysical speculations in short story form. When reading the stories, one is reminded of the famous paradoxes of Zeno of Elea (you know, the arrow that cannot move through space, the runner that cannot run, etc.). DO NOT READ THIS AS SCIENCE FICTION, or you will miss the point. Read it for what it is - speculations about the metaphysical mysteries of possible worlds which closely resemble our own. It takes a moderate amount of patience for someone to work through his various labyrinths, but there are rich rewards. In short, ten bucks to gain greater insight into the implications of the laws that govern the world we live in is quite the bargain. This one won't collect dust as long as you don't hastily dismiss it as science fiction or pseudo-intellectual babble (as in other reviews). It would be impossible for me to recommend this book strongly enough, but I can say that it is one that you won't forget.
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Summary: Sci-fiction? I dont think so- you missed the boat
Review: 6 Characters in Search of an Author and It is so if you think So are hardly sci-fi. Its called theatre of the absurd, folks, not sci-fi. Hey , Im a Lit major (B.A.) so I know the difference between Jean Paul Sartre and Arthur C Clarke! Cmon folks.
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Summary: Amazing!
Review: An amazingly erudite author, Borges drops references to existing and non-existing books (that SHOULD have existed) in a way that will leave your mind reeling. All of this, plus twisted metaphysical plots combine to make each and every story a gem. I've read and re-read his stories and every time, I find myself pondering them a little more. A perennial favorite of mine, Borges always has a little more to give every time you read him!-cs
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Summary: The One Book I Take When I Travel....
Review: And I take it with me because I can read each story a hundred times over and still find something new each time. My personal favorite is "The House of Asterion," which brings a new dimension to an old myth. This book is perfect for anybody--it was given to me as a gift and now, seven years later, I can honestly say it was the best present I ever received.
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Summary: Ficciones: Brilliantly imaginative and challenging.
Review: Borges combines fiction, fact, science, imagination, and philosophy like no other. The stories in Ficciones demonstrate his unparalleled depth, each needs to be read several times to determine what transpires. He often allows for several levels of interpretation, for example 'The Garden of Forking Paths'; which perhaps serves as the best first story for one new to Borges, they will quickly learn just what they have sank their teeth into. Borges shatters such accepted notions as the linear nature of time, the limits of reality, the difference between fiction and history. He is simultaneously toying with modern man's universe and offering metaphysical theories. I don't think he is as appreciated in the US as in South America, where his influence is pervasive. Must read stories include "Theme of the Traitor and the Hero", "Three Versions of Judas" and "The Library of Babel"; indeed the entire book. His stories are even more profound in Spanish than English. This book is a must for any fan of literature.
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Summary: Lo imposible--the impossible
Review: Borges es capaz de meter en un cuadrado perfectamente delimitado en número y centÃmetros una circunferencia infinita. Borges is able to put inside a perfectly delimited square in number and centimetres an infinite circle.
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Summary: Hypnotically Hyperreal
Review: Borges has ability to bring you into the multi-dimensional pockets of his hyperrealistic stories. A most romantic observer, and a wonderful story teller.
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Summary: Something You Have to Settle Into
Review: Borges is like coffee (and I am aware at how he would cringe at such a hackneyed comparison)--he is difficult to become accustomed to, but soon part of your life. He wanders behind me, always there, and bits of his stories resurface constantly in my other readings and experiences. Fiercely intelligent, with a wit that transcends the sometimes clumsy translations, he is an original, a major literary voice.
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