Fictions, Jorge Luis Borges
I got along with Fictions a lot better than with The Book of Imaginary Beings; while it’s still composed of various short pieces, each one has a plot and a purpose. The writing is beautiful; if the translation does any justice to the original, it must be gorgeous in its simplicity, while describing plots and settings that are anything but simple. I could almost go learn Spanish just to read Borges’ own words — though this Penguin translation by Andrew Hurley is a good one, and makes the stories accessible and clear.
Can you even pick a favourite from this volume? I suppose maybe I can — ‘The Library of Babel’, maybe, or ‘The Lottery in Babylon’. I’m going to keep this book around and reread it sometime, slower, in a different order, whatever. Just dip in and out see what else I find in these stories that I didn’t see this time. And it’s high praise for me to say that I am sure there’s a lot I didn’t see.
Rating: 5/5
I’ve kept my copies of Borges ever since I read them in the late 70s or early 80s, but while dipping into them now and again haven’t got round to re-reading and reviewing — yet! Like your positive comments, reminds me how good he was, how stimulating and thought-provoking.
They are great stories. I should look for more of his work, I think.
That is such a great collection, and I certainly can’t pick a favorite.
It was hard!