Rating: 
Summary: Labyrinths With No Bottom!
Review: If you cannot gather from the title, Jorge Luis Borges' Labyrinths, is a collection of short stories and other writings based on labyrinths--you know, mazes. The first story in the collection, "Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius" is a really interesting tale. In the story, this intellectual finds a copy of the Anglo-American Cyclopedia which includes an entry on a country, Tlon. Wanting to find more information on Tlon, he searches other anthologies and encyclopedias, but can never find any more information on the country. He finds shortly thereafter, however, that a group of scholars, years before, sat down in conferences and created Tlon--a country with idealistic laws, optimal time-keeping systems, and so on--and than amended their fictions to the end of one copy of the Anglo-American Cyclopedia. After finding this and then making this interesting find public, the world, slowly adapts this Tlon, this world created by man, as their own--that is, after a little time, the culture and history of Tlon become the culture and history of Earth. "The Garden of Forking Paths" is another interesting story from the collection. It's about Ts'ui Pen, a man who writes a novel that is regarded as nonsensical garbage because no one can understand it. It is found, however, that the story does have meaning. Instead of explaining the whole idea [you should read the story instead], I will say that the idea is very interesting and worth noting--another labyrinth, of course. This story, this "Garden of Forking Paths" reminds me a lot of Joyce's Finnigan's Wake. I'm sure that Joyce did something similar in that novel as Ts'ui Pen does in his. Many of the stories in this collection are like these two that I have described [though some better than others], but there is also some nonfiction, academic writings, as well, including one devoted to Franz Kafka. Borges is a gifted wordsmith; he writes in such a way that you feel as if your brain is really working and that you are actually becoming more intelligent. It is nice that absolutely anyone, with whatever experience [even me], can read these stories and get something smart out of them--that is, anybody can enjoy them. I like these stories enough that I will even forgive Borges for his ignorant slandering of the style used by Bob Dylan in the story, "Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote"--saying that works that "situate Christ on a boulevard" or "Don Quixote on Wall Street" work "only to produce the plebeian pleasure of anachronism or (what was worse) to enthrall us with the elementary idea that all epochs are the same or are different." It is interesting that, truly, it is Dylan who is the master of the labyrinthine and subterranean, though he never mentions them, and not Borges, who mentions them all the time. Borges' statement is absurdly ironic as he happens to be deriding Dylan [indirectly, of course] for something which he does himself only half as well. Bob Dylan's labyrinths are indeed labyrinths, but they are labyrinths with various determined and meaningful end points [his labyrinths, I know for fact, have more meaning than that mentioned in the quotation above], unlike Borges' labyrinths in which ends would be inconsequential and unnecessary. Thus, Borges' labyrinths, truthfully, ARE [really!] more "plebeian" than are Dylan's. It's true! In spite of this, Labyrinths is still a good compilation of the writings of Borges. My only real qualm with the book is that I wish there could have been a little more diversity in the subject matter and the thoughts being conveyed. Overall, though, it is an interesting book.
Rating:
Summary: Labyrinths With No Bottom!
Review: If you cannot gather from the title, Jorge Luis Borges? Labyrinths, is a collection of short stories and other writings based on labyrinths--you know, mazes. The first story in the collection, "Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius" is a really interesting tale. In the story, this intellectual finds a copy of the Anglo-American Cyclopedia which includes an entry on a country, Tlon. Wanting to find more information on Tlon, he searches other anthologies and encyclopedias, but can never find any more information on the country. He finds shortly thereafter, however, that a group of scholars, years before, sat down in conferences and created Tlon--a country with idealistic laws, optimal time-keeping systems, and so on--and than amended their fictions to the end of one copy of the Anglo-American Cyclopedia. After finding this and then making this interesting find public, the world, slowly adapts this Tlon, this world created by man, as their own--that is, after a little time, the culture and history of Tlon become the culture and history of Earth. ?The Garden of Forking Paths? is another interesting story from the collection. It?s about Ts?ui Pen, a man who writes a novel that is regarded as nonsensical garbage because no one can understand it. It is found, however, that the story does have meaning. Instead of explaining the whole idea [you should read the story instead], I will say that the idea is very interesting and worth noting--another labyrinth, of course. This story, this ?Garden of Forking Paths? reminds me a lot of Joyce?s Finnigan?s Wake. I?m sure that Joyce did something similar in that novel as Ts?ui Pen does in his. Many of the stories in this collection are like these two that I have described [though some better than others], but there is also some nonfiction, academic writings, as well, including one devoted to Franz Kafka. Borges is a gifted wordsmith; he writes in such a way that you feel as if your brain is really working and that you are actually becoming more intelligent. It is nice that absolutely anyone, with whatever experience [even me], can read these stories and get something smart out of them--that is, anybody can enjoy them. I like these stories enough that I will even forgive Borges for his ignorant slandering of the style used by Bob Dylan in the story, ?Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote?--saying that works that ?situate Christ on a boulevard? or ?Don Quixote on Wall Street? work ?only to produce the plebeian pleasure of anachronism or (what was worse) to enthrall us with the elementary idea that all epochs are the same or are different.? It is interesting that, truly, it is Dylan who is the master of the labyrinthine and subterranean, though he never mentions them, and not Borges, who mentions them all the time. Borges? statement is absurdly ironic as he happens to be deriding Dylan [indirectly, of course] for something which he does himself only half as well. Bob Dylan?s labyrinths are indeed labyrinths, but they are labyrinths with various determined and meaningful end points [his labyrinths, I know for fact, have more meaning than that mentioned in the quotation above], unlike Borges? labyrinths in which ends would be inconsequential and unnecessary. Thus, Borges? labyrinths, truthfully, ARE [really!] more ?plebeian? than are Dylan?s. It?s true! In spite of this, Labyrinths is still a good compilation of the writings of Borges. My only real qualm with the book is that I wish there could have been a little more diversity in the subject matter and the thoughts being conveyed. Overall, though, it is an interesting book.
Rating: 
Summary: A great read for avid philosophy and poetry readers alike.
Review: If you enjoy poetry, you will love Borges' unique style.
If, like me, you're more inclined to philosophy you will love Borges' refreshing and entertaining treatment of classic philosophical ideas and theories such as Berkeleyan idealism and Zeno's paradox.
Rating:
Summary: The key to The Name of the Rose
Review: If you have read Eco's masterpiece and you would like to understand it thoroughly, then this is a good place to start. Influences from this book may also be seen in other modern fiction (for example Paul Auster's New York Trilogy). The selected stories and essays presented here provide a schematic upon which many a great novel could be based. However, Borges' writing style is brief, and readers who desire voluptuous sentences should look elsewhere. The book also appeals to those who may be looking for something spiritual in their reading. Although obviously the work does not answer any universal questions, it may lead the curious reader to the clues that he/she needs to start their search.
Rating:
Summary: infinite art
Review: Jorge Luis Borges is a master of spanish letters. His short tales are gold. Over the different languages he represents one of the literature enterprises in our century, but reading him in spanish should be great. It's poetry.
Rating:
Summary: Decoke your mind with a trip in the intellectual fast lane
Review: Jorge Luis Borges is the personification of one of the most famous rules in the style guide of the magazine The Economist -- 'be succinct'. He never wrote a novel, and his stories are often very short indeed. One critic thinks of them more as plotlines than as finished stories. But what stories! Terse, pared to the bone, free of anything extraneous, yet charged with wry and detached humor, Borges takes us to amazing and often horrific universes in which literary, mathematical, scientific and philosophical riddles are made real. Here are stories exploring the nature of existence and the meaning of infinity, but which still work as powerful narratives. The plainness of the prose (I have only read it in English translation, of course) only throws the emotional impact of Borges' tales into sharper relief. In 'Kafka and his precursors', Borges lampoons the very idea of authorship, yet his own influences are clear. He is as journalistic and rational as his heroes, Wells and Poe, and has a sharp, ironic style every bit as focused as Kafka, but if anything even harder hitting. The themes sound lofty, and they are -- but the execution is much more accessible than one would think, and it often has the beauty of the abbreviated, Japanese poetic form called the Haiku: I think of phrases such as "some birds, a horse, saved the ruins of an amphitheatre". My first copy of Labyrinths was given to me by my father for something to read while I was recuperating from a medical operation. I've read it so often it's fallen to pieces, and I've had to buy a second copy. If I only ever had one book, this would be it. Like a book in one of Borges' other collections, Labyrinths looks like an ordinary book from the outside. From the inside, it's infinite in extent.
Rating: 
Summary: Understanding Borges
Review: Like many readers I found Borges very difficult to read. However, he is well worth the effort. I was finally able to decipher his style by listening to audio readings of his stories. Much of his style is poetry-like. Why not listen to enjoy the words and make him more easily understood? I currently cannot find his stories on audio tape like the copy I once had. It's too bad book sellers don't carry him in the audio books section. Are you listening amazon.com?
Rating:
Summary: A mixed collection
Review: Like most collections, the contents have a mixed quality. This is a collection of short stories, essays, and parables. Some of the short stories are in the traditional mystery format, and some are philosophical discussions. The stories tend to be on the dark side. Overall, the collection will appeal more to students of literature than to the average reader. Borges was very creative in developing original plots.
Rating:
Summary: This is good science fiction
Review: One previous reviewer stated that Borges wrote bad science fiction, and another reviewer said that this is not science fiction. Rather, he said, it is "speculations about the metaphysical mysteries of possible worlds which closely resemble our own." I can hardly think of a better definition of *good* science fiction. Bad science fiction is the pulp written by so many famous writers who write boring "adventure" genre titles. Go to any used bookstore, and you will find shelves of them, bought by people looking to escape. Borges (perhaps without realizing it) wrote excellent fantasy & SF stories, which are bought by people looking to think. These stories (as many other reviewers note) cause the reader to question the nature of the world and perception. They are also beautifully written, and draw the reader into whatever form of madness is presented in the story. Borges causes the reader to question the nature of madness and sanity, of reality and perception, and of thought and time. Buy this book!
Rating:
Summary: WHAT'S THE SECRET OF THE SECRET SECT?
Review: Several of the previous reviewers of LABYRINTHS have done an excellent job of discussing its nature and general contents as well as addressing Borges, his background, and his philosophical bent. Rather than going back over material previously covered, I'd like to address a few of the short stories, or as he refers to them, fictions. I'll stick to these and leave the essays and parables to another reviewer. A few of his fictions, such as "The Shape of the Sword," are fairly straightforward narrative accounts. "The Shape of the Sword" does have a bit of a twist at the end that makes it very worth reading, but it is not on this type of story that Borges built his reputation. That reputation comes more from such fictions as "The Lottery in Babylon," "The Library of Babel," and "The Sect of The Phoenix," among others. I hope that a short discussion of these three will whet one's appetite to read Borges in his own words. "The Lottery In Babylon" is the story of the evolution of a simple lottery into an all encompassing game of life. It leaves one with the philosophical question as to whether life is controlled by some master gamesmen or is all a matter of random chance. "The Library of Babel" imagines a world composed of a library without physical or temporal end. You cannot read this story and not wonder about the concept of infinity. That concept is obviously one of physical, metaphysical, and philosophical import. A thoroughly thought-provoking story. "The Sect of the Phoenix" is a bit sneaky. Borges discusses a sectarion group with a secret rite that has infused itself throughout our world. This rite, though almost universally practiced, is rather hush-hush in polite society. Borges never overtly reveals what this secret rite is, but somewhere along the line, the reader uncovers the mystery and will probably kick himself and say "I should have seen that coming." I can't imagine reading this book without becoming more aware of the mysteries around us.
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