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丕賱賲乇丕賷丕 賵丕賱賲鬲丕賴丕鬲
This is a collection, in translation, of short stories and essays by Argentina's most avant-garde writer. He was born of mixed Spanish, English, and remotely Portuguese-Jewish ancestry in Buenos Aires in 1899, inheriting as well the flux and inconsistency of a far-flung border area of Western culture.
Borges began his literary career as a poet and then turned to these prose-poem stories and fables. They display an intellectual pyrotechnical brilliance, carried to the furthest limit. Borges' nihilism also far outstrips Sartre or Becket, and in comparison with his elegance, invention and universal culture, they are not much more than bourgeois humanists. This Argentinian with a cabalistic turn of mind, takes all literature, philosophy and metaphysics as his domain and they become, as Andre Maurois says in his preface, "a game of the mind". Borges seeks to astonish and does so successfully.
Borges began his literary career as a poet and then turned to these prose-poem stories and fables. They display an intellectual pyrotechnical brilliance, carried to the furthest limit. Borges' nihilism also far outstrips Sartre or Becket, and in comparison with his elegance, invention and universal culture, they are not much more than bourgeois humanists. This Argentinian with a cabalistic turn of mind, takes all literature, philosophy and metaphysics as his domain and they become, as Andre Maurois says in his preface, "a game of the mind". Borges seeks to astonish and does so successfully.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1962
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About the author
Jorge Luis Borges
1,868听books13.6k听followersJorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator regarded as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known works, Ficciones (transl.鈥塅ictions) and El Aleph (transl.鈥塗he Aleph), published in the 1940s, are collections of short stories exploring motifs such as dreams, labyrinths, chance, infinity, archives, mirrors, fictional writers and mythology. Borges's works have contributed to philosophical literature and the fantasy genre, and have had a major influence on the magic realist movement in 20th century Latin American literature.
Born in Buenos Aires, Borges later moved with his family to Switzerland in 1914, where he studied at the Coll猫ge de Gen猫ve. The family travelled widely in Europe, including Spain. On his return to Argentina in 1921, Borges began publishing his poems and essays in surrealist literary journals. He also worked as a librarian and public lecturer. In 1955, he was appointed director of the National Public Library and professor of English Literature at the University of Buenos Aires. He became completely blind by the age of 55. Scholars have suggested that his progressive blindness helped him to create innovative literary symbols through imagination. By the 1960s, his work was translated and published widely in the United States and Europe. Borges himself was fluent in several languages.
In 1961, he came to international attention when he received the first Formentor Prize, which he shared with Samuel Beckett. In 1971, he won the Jerusalem Prize. His international reputation was consolidated in the 1960s, aided by the growing number of English translations, the Latin American Boom, and by the success of Gabriel Garc铆a M谩rquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. He dedicated his final work, The Conspirators, to the city of Geneva, Switzerland. Writer and essayist J.M. Coetzee said of him: "He, more than anyone, renovated the language of fiction and thus opened the way to a remarkable generation of Spanish-American novelists."
Born in Buenos Aires, Borges later moved with his family to Switzerland in 1914, where he studied at the Coll猫ge de Gen猫ve. The family travelled widely in Europe, including Spain. On his return to Argentina in 1921, Borges began publishing his poems and essays in surrealist literary journals. He also worked as a librarian and public lecturer. In 1955, he was appointed director of the National Public Library and professor of English Literature at the University of Buenos Aires. He became completely blind by the age of 55. Scholars have suggested that his progressive blindness helped him to create innovative literary symbols through imagination. By the 1960s, his work was translated and published widely in the United States and Europe. Borges himself was fluent in several languages.
In 1961, he came to international attention when he received the first Formentor Prize, which he shared with Samuel Beckett. In 1971, he won the Jerusalem Prize. His international reputation was consolidated in the 1960s, aided by the growing number of English translations, the Latin American Boom, and by the success of Gabriel Garc铆a M谩rquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. He dedicated his final work, The Conspirators, to the city of Geneva, Switzerland. Writer and essayist J.M. Coetzee said of him: "He, more than anyone, renovated the language of fiction and thus opened the way to a remarkable generation of Spanish-American novelists."
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August 2, 2021
(Book 441 From 1001 Books) - Labyrinths: Selected Stories & Other Writings, Jorge Luis Borges
Labyrinths (1962) is a collection of short stories and essays by Jorge Luis Borges.
It includes "Tl枚n, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius", "The Garden of Forking Paths", and "The Library of Babel", three of Borges' most famous stories.
Many of the stories are from the collections Ficciones (1944) and El Aleph (1949).
賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕蹖 亘賵乇禺爻 - 禺賵乇禺賴 賱賵卅蹖爻 亘賵乇禺爻 (讴鬲丕亘 夭賲丕賳) 丕丿亘蹖丕鬲貨 鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮 爻丕賱 2006賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕蹖 亘賵乇禺爻貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 禺賵乇禺賴 賱賵卅蹖爻 亘賵乇禺爻貨 賲鬲乇噩賲 丕丨賲丿 賲蹖乇毓賱丕蹖蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 讴鬲丕亘 夭賲丕賳貙 1356貙 丿乇 259氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 爻賵卅丿貙 丕賮爻丕賳賴貙 1369貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 讴鬲丕亘 夭賲丕賳貙 1380貙 丿乇 296氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9646380166貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 亘丕 丨乇賵賮趩蹖賳蹖 賲鬲賮丕賵鬲 1381貨 丿乇 296氐貙 卮丕亘讴 丕蹖讴爻 - 964638028貨 賲賵囟賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 讴賵鬲丕賴 賵 賳賵卮鬲賴 賴丕 賵 卮毓乇 卮丕毓乇丕賳 丌乇跇丕賳鬲蹖賳 - 丕賲乇蹖讴丕蹖 賱丕鬲蹖賳 - 爻丿賴 20賲
賳賯賱 丕夭 亘賵乇禺爻: 丨讴賲鬲 賵丿丕毓: (讴賲 讴賲 鬲賮丕賵鬲賽 馗乇蹖賮賽 賲蹖丕賳 賳诏賴鈥� 丿丕卮鬲賳 蹖讴 丿爻鬲貙 賵 夭賳噩蹖乇讴乇丿賳 蹖讴 乇賵丨 乇丕貙 蹖丕丿 禺賵丕賴蹖 诏乇賮鬲貙 丕蹖賳讴賴 毓卮賯 鬲讴蹖賴 讴乇丿賳 賳蹖爻鬲貙 賵 乇賮丕賯鬲 丕胤賲蹖賳丕賳 禺丕胤乇貙 賵 蹖丕丿 賲蹖鈥屭屫臂� 讴賴 亘賵爻賴鈥� 賴丕 賯乇丕乇丿丕丿 賳蹖爻鬲賳丿貙 賵 賴丿蹖賴鈥� 賴丕貙 毓賴丿 賵 倬蹖賲丕賳 賲毓賳蹖 賳賲蹖鈥屫囐嗀� 賵 卮讴爻鬲鈥屬囏й屫� 乇丕 禺賵丕賴蹖 倬匕蹖乇賮鬲貙 賵 爻乇鬲 乇丕 亘丕賱丕 禺賵丕賴蹖 诏乇賮鬲貙 亘丕 趩卮賲丕賳 亘丕夭貙 亘丕 馗乇丕賮鬲蹖 夭賳丕賳賴貙 賵 賳賴 丕賳丿賵賴蹖 讴賵丿讴丕賳賴貙 賵 蹖丕丿 賲蹖鈥屭屫臂� 讴賴 賴賲賴 乇丕賴鈥屬囏й屫� 乇丕 賴賲 鈥屫з呚辟堌� 亘爻丕夭蹖貙 讴賴 禺丕讴 賮乇丿丕 亘乇丕蹖 禺蹖丕賱鈥屬囏� 賲胤賲卅賳 賳蹖爻鬲貙 賵 丌蹖賳丿賴貙 丕賲讴丕賳蹖 亘乇丕蹖 爻賯賵胤 亘賴 賲蹖丕賳賴 蹖 賳夭丕毓貙 丿乇 禺賵丿 丿丕乇丿.貨 讴賲鈥� 讴賲 蹖丕丿 賲蹖鈥屭屫臂屫� 讴賴 丨鬲蹖 賳賵乇 禺賵乇卮蹖丿 賲蹖鈥屫迟堌藏з嗀� 丕诏乇 夭蹖丕丿 丌賮鬲丕亘 亘诏蹖乇蹖. 倬爻 亘丕睾 禺賵丿 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屭┴ж臂屫� 賵 乇賵丨鬲 乇丕 夭蹖賳鬲 賲蹖鈥屫囒屫� 亘賴 噩丕蹖 丕蹖賳讴賴 賲賳鬲馗乇 讴爻蹖 亘丕卮蹖貙 鬲丕 亘乇丕蹖鬲 诏賱 亘蹖丕賵乇丿貙 賵 蹖丕丿 賲蹖鈥屭屫臂屫� 讴賴 賲蹖鈥屫堌з嗃� 鬲丨賲賱 讴賳蹖貙 讴賴 賲丨讴賲 賴爻鬲蹖貙 讴賴 禺蹖賱蹖 賲蹖鈥屫ж必槽屫� 賵 賲蹖鈥屫①呝堌槽� 賵 賲蹖鈥屫①呝堌槽屫� 亘丕 賴乇 禺丿丕丨丕賮馗蹖貙 蹖丕丿 賲蹖鈥屭屫臂�)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱 丕夭 禺賵乇禺賴 賱賵蹖蹖爻 亘賵乇禺爻
亘賴 亘乇賴丕賳 賳丕丌卮賳丕卅蹖賲 亘賴 賮乇賴賳诏蹖 讴賴貙 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄 丕夭 丌賳 賲蹖賳丕賱丿貙 賵 爻丕夭 禺賵蹖卮 賳蹖夭貙 賴賲丕乇賴 賳蹖夭 禺賵卮 賲蹖賳賵丕夭賳丿貙 丕爻鬲毓丕乇賴 賴丕蹖 丕蹖卮丕賳 乇丕 讴賲鬲乇 丿乇賲蹖蹖丕亘賲貙 亘乇丕蹖 賴賲蹖賳 丕爻鬲 卮丕蹖丿貙 亘丕 丕蹖賳讴賴 丕夭 禺賵丕賳卮 賵 禺賵丕賳丿賳 趩賳丿亘丕乇賴 丕卮貙 賱匕鬲賴丕 亘乇丿賴 丕賲貙 賳賲蹖丿丕賳賲 趩乇丕責 賲蹖禺賵丕賴賲 亘丕夭賴賲 讴鬲丕亘 乇丕 亘禺賵丕賳賲貨 卮丕蹖丿 亘賮賴賲賲 趩賴 賲蹖诏賵蹖賳丿貨 乇賵丕賳卮丕丿 芦诏賱卮蹖乇蹖: (1316 - 1379賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖)禄 讴賴 丌禺乇蹖賳 丕賮夭賵丿賴 乇丕 亘乇 讴鬲丕亘 亘賳賵卮鬲賴 丕賳丿貙 丕夭 禺賵丿 賲蹖倬乇爻賳丿: 芦乇丕爻鬲蹖 賳讴賳丿 讴賴 亘賵乇禺爻貙 賲丨氐賵賱 乇賵蹖丕蹖 倬丿乇 讴賵乇 禺賵丿 亘丕卮丿禄責 卮丕蹖丿 賴賲 亘賴 卮蹖賵賴 蹖 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄貙 亘卮賵丿 诏賮鬲: (丌賳讴賴 丿乇 亘丕乇賴 蹖 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄 賲蹖賳賵蹖爻丿貙 亘蹖卮鬲乇 丿乇 賲賵乇丿 禺賵丿貙 蹖丕 丌孬丕乇 禺賵丿 賲蹖賳賵蹖爻丿)貨
倬爻 亘诏匕丕乇蹖丿 丿蹖丿诏丕賴 禺賵蹖卮 乇丕 賳蹖夭 亘賳诏丕乇賲貙 丿乇 亘丕乇賴 蹖 賲鬲賳 賳賵卮鬲丕乇賴丕蹖 芦禺賵乇禺賴禄: 趩賴 丕丨爻丕爻 夭蹖亘丕卅蹖貙 賵丕亘爻鬲诏蹖 賴賲丕乇賴貙 賴賲丕賵乇丿 丌夭丕丿蹖 丕爻鬲貨 毓卮賯 丿乇 亘乇丕亘乇 乇賴丕蹖蹖 丕爻鬲貨 丕賲丕 诏賵蹖丕貙 鬲賳賴丕 诏賳噩卮讴讴丕賳 丕蹖賳诏賵賳賴 丕賳丿貙 賴賲 乇丕 丿賵爻鬲 賲蹖丿丕乇賳丿貙 賵賱蹖 胤乇賮 乇丕 賴乇诏夭蹖 亘賳丿蹖 賳賲蹖讴賳賳丿貨 亘乇賴丕賳卮 丕蹖賳讴賴貙 丌賳诏丕賴 讴賴 丕夭 趩蹖夭蹖 禺賵卮鬲 丌賲丿貙 丿賱鬲 賲蹖禺賵丕賴丿 丕夭 丌賳 鬲賵 亘丕卮丿貨 丿蹖诏乇 丕賵 丌夭丕丿 賳蹖爻鬲貨 賵賯鬲蹖 丌夭丕丿 賳蹖爻鬲貙 亘乇丕蹖鬲丕賳 丕乇夭卮蹖 賳丿丕乇丿貙 讴爻貙 亘乇丕蹖 亘賴 丿爻鬲 丌賵乇丿賳卮貙 亘丕 卮賲丕 賳賲蹖噩賳诏丿貨 賲毓丕丿賳 乇丕 亘乇丕蹖 蹖丕賮鬲賳卮 賳賲蹖讴丕賵丿貨 丿乇蹖丕賴丕 乇丕 丿乇 噩爻鬲噩賵蹖 丕賵貙 丿乇賳賲蹖賳賵乇丿丿貨 丕夭 亘乇丕蹖 氐蹖丿卮貙 亘賴 跇乇賮丕蹖 丌亘賴丕蹖 卮賵乇 賵 卮蹖乇蹖賳貙 賵 诏乇賲 賵 爻乇丿貙 爻乇讴 賳賲蹖讴卮丿貨 賲乇賵丕乇蹖丿蹖 讴賴 丿乇 賲賵夭賴 亘賴 鬲賲丕卮丕蹖 丿蹖诏乇丕賳 诏匕丕卮鬲賴 卮丿賴貙 賴乇诏夭蹖 丕乇夭卮 賵丕賯毓蹖 禺賵丿 乇丕貙 賳賲蹖賳賲丕蹖丕賳丿貨 丕賲丕 丌賳诏丕賴 讴賴 丿乇賵賳 氐丿賮 禺賵蹖卮 丕爻鬲貙 賵 丿乇 賯毓乇 丿乇蹖丕 鬲賳賴丕貙 丌夭丕丿貙 賵 丕夭 丌賳 禺賵丿 丕爻鬲貙 賵 賲丕賱讴蹖 賳丿丕乇丿貙 趩賳丿蹖賳 睾賵丕氐貙 亘乇丕蹖卮貙 賳賮爻 丿乇 爻蹖賳賴 丨亘爻 賲蹖讴賳賳丿貙 噩丕賳賴丕 亘賴丕蹖 丕賵爻鬲貨
讴賱丕賲 芦禺賵乇禺賴禄貙 丕賵噩 卮賳丕禺鬲 丨賯 丿蹖诏乇蹖爻鬲貨 亘丕蹖丿貙 爻丿蹖 賳亘爻鬲貙 丨鬲蹖 亘賴 乇賵丿 禺卮讴 賳蹖夭貨 賵诏乇賳賴 丿蹖诏乇貙 趩卮賲賴 賴丕蹖 夭賱丕賱貙 噩丕乇蹖貙 賳蹖賱诏賵賳貙 賵 賮蹖乇賵夭賴 丕蹖 賳禺賵丕賴丿 賲丕賳丿貙 賵 亘賵丿貨 丌爻賲丕賳 乇丕 诏賵蹖丕 丕夭 丕蹖卮丕賳 诏乇賮鬲賴 亘丕卮蹖丿貙 丿蹖诏乇 丿乇禺鬲 亘蹖丿貙 賲賵蹖 禺賵丿 乇丕貙 亘丕 鬲賲丕卮丕 丿乇 丌亘 噩丕乇蹖貙 卮丕賳賴 賳賲蹖讴賳丿貨 丕夭 倬丕 禺賵丕賴丿 丕賮鬲丕丿貙 賵 亘乇讴賴 丕蹖 禺賵丕賴丿 卮丿貙 鬲丕 爻賲賵乇 丌亘蹖貙 卮丕蹖丿 丿乇 丌賳 亘賴 诏卮鬲 賵 诏匕丕乇 亘倬乇丿丕夭丿貙 賵 賱丕賳賴 亘賳丕 讴賳丿貨 賵丕跇賴 蹖 丿賵爻鬲貙 卮丕蹖丿 丕夭 芦丿賵 鬲丕 丕爻鬲禄 亘乇诏夭蹖丿賴 卮丿賴 亘丕卮丿貙 蹖毓賳蹖 丿賵 賲鬲賮丕賵鬲貙 賵 賵丕亘爻鬲賴 丿乇 亘毓囟蹖 丕夭 禺賵丕賴卮賴丕 亘賴 賴賲貙 丕賱亘鬲賴 讴賴 亘賴 丿賱禺賵丕賴 賴乇 丿賵貨 丌蹖丕 賲丕 賳蹖夭 趩賳蹖賳蹖賲責 芦禺賵乇禺賴禄 亘爻蹖丕乇 馗乇蹖賮 丕賳丿蹖卮蹖丿賴貙 賵 丿蹖丿賴 丕爻鬲貨 毓卮賯 乇丕 賴賲乇丕賴蹖 丿蹖丿賴貨 丕诏乇 賴丿蹖賴 丕蹖 賴賲 亘丕卮丿貙 亘丕蹖丿 亘丿賵賳 賲賳丕爻亘鬲 賵 丿賱禺賵丕賴 賴丿蹖賴 丿賴賳丿賴 賵 诏蹖乇賳丿賴貙 亘丕卮丿貨 丕賱亘鬲賴 讴賴 亘丿賵賳 丕賳鬲馗丕乇 倬乇爻卮 賵 倬丕爻禺貨 賳賴 丌賳 亘賳丿蹖 讴賴 亘丕 丌賳 賴丿蹖賴貙 诏賵卅蹖丕 賳丕禺賵丕爻鬲賴 卮丕蹖丿貙 亘賴 倬丕蹖 丿蹖诏乇蹖 賲蹖亘賳丿蹖賲貨 亘丕蹖丿 亘丕睾 禺賵蹖卮鬲賳 乇丕 禺賵丿 亘讴丕乇蹖賲貙 賵 乇賵丨賲丕賳 乇丕貙 夭蹖賳鬲 賴賲丕賳 亘丕睾 禺賵蹖卮 讴賳蹖賲貙 鬲丕 诏乇丿卮诏乇丕賳貙 賴賲趩賵賳 禺乇丿賴 賴丕蹖 丌賴賳 亘賴 爻賵蹖 丌賴賳 乇亘丕蹖卮貙 亘賴 爻賵蹖 夭蹖亘丕卅蹖 趩賳丕賳 賵 趩賳蹖賳 乇賵丨蹖貙 诏乇丿 丌蹖賳丿貨 鬲賴乇丕賳 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
Apr 26, 2008
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 27/05/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 10/05/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
Labyrinths (1962) is a collection of short stories and essays by Jorge Luis Borges.
It includes "Tl枚n, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius", "The Garden of Forking Paths", and "The Library of Babel", three of Borges' most famous stories.
Many of the stories are from the collections Ficciones (1944) and El Aleph (1949).
賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕蹖 亘賵乇禺爻 - 禺賵乇禺賴 賱賵卅蹖爻 亘賵乇禺爻 (讴鬲丕亘 夭賲丕賳) 丕丿亘蹖丕鬲貨 鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮 爻丕賱 2006賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕蹖 亘賵乇禺爻貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 禺賵乇禺賴 賱賵卅蹖爻 亘賵乇禺爻貨 賲鬲乇噩賲 丕丨賲丿 賲蹖乇毓賱丕蹖蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 讴鬲丕亘 夭賲丕賳貙 1356貙 丿乇 259氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 爻賵卅丿貙 丕賮爻丕賳賴貙 1369貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 讴鬲丕亘 夭賲丕賳貙 1380貙 丿乇 296氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9646380166貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 亘丕 丨乇賵賮趩蹖賳蹖 賲鬲賮丕賵鬲 1381貨 丿乇 296氐貙 卮丕亘讴 丕蹖讴爻 - 964638028貨 賲賵囟賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 讴賵鬲丕賴 賵 賳賵卮鬲賴 賴丕 賵 卮毓乇 卮丕毓乇丕賳 丌乇跇丕賳鬲蹖賳 - 丕賲乇蹖讴丕蹖 賱丕鬲蹖賳 - 爻丿賴 20賲
賳賯賱 丕夭 亘賵乇禺爻: 丨讴賲鬲 賵丿丕毓: (讴賲 讴賲 鬲賮丕賵鬲賽 馗乇蹖賮賽 賲蹖丕賳 賳诏賴鈥� 丿丕卮鬲賳 蹖讴 丿爻鬲貙 賵 夭賳噩蹖乇讴乇丿賳 蹖讴 乇賵丨 乇丕貙 蹖丕丿 禺賵丕賴蹖 诏乇賮鬲貙 丕蹖賳讴賴 毓卮賯 鬲讴蹖賴 讴乇丿賳 賳蹖爻鬲貙 賵 乇賮丕賯鬲 丕胤賲蹖賳丕賳 禺丕胤乇貙 賵 蹖丕丿 賲蹖鈥屭屫臂� 讴賴 亘賵爻賴鈥� 賴丕 賯乇丕乇丿丕丿 賳蹖爻鬲賳丿貙 賵 賴丿蹖賴鈥� 賴丕貙 毓賴丿 賵 倬蹖賲丕賳 賲毓賳蹖 賳賲蹖鈥屫囐嗀� 賵 卮讴爻鬲鈥屬囏й屫� 乇丕 禺賵丕賴蹖 倬匕蹖乇賮鬲貙 賵 爻乇鬲 乇丕 亘丕賱丕 禺賵丕賴蹖 诏乇賮鬲貙 亘丕 趩卮賲丕賳 亘丕夭貙 亘丕 馗乇丕賮鬲蹖 夭賳丕賳賴貙 賵 賳賴 丕賳丿賵賴蹖 讴賵丿讴丕賳賴貙 賵 蹖丕丿 賲蹖鈥屭屫臂� 讴賴 賴賲賴 乇丕賴鈥屬囏й屫� 乇丕 賴賲 鈥屫з呚辟堌� 亘爻丕夭蹖貙 讴賴 禺丕讴 賮乇丿丕 亘乇丕蹖 禺蹖丕賱鈥屬囏� 賲胤賲卅賳 賳蹖爻鬲貙 賵 丌蹖賳丿賴貙 丕賲讴丕賳蹖 亘乇丕蹖 爻賯賵胤 亘賴 賲蹖丕賳賴 蹖 賳夭丕毓貙 丿乇 禺賵丿 丿丕乇丿.貨 讴賲鈥� 讴賲 蹖丕丿 賲蹖鈥屭屫臂屫� 讴賴 丨鬲蹖 賳賵乇 禺賵乇卮蹖丿 賲蹖鈥屫迟堌藏з嗀� 丕诏乇 夭蹖丕丿 丌賮鬲丕亘 亘诏蹖乇蹖. 倬爻 亘丕睾 禺賵丿 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屭┴ж臂屫� 賵 乇賵丨鬲 乇丕 夭蹖賳鬲 賲蹖鈥屫囒屫� 亘賴 噩丕蹖 丕蹖賳讴賴 賲賳鬲馗乇 讴爻蹖 亘丕卮蹖貙 鬲丕 亘乇丕蹖鬲 诏賱 亘蹖丕賵乇丿貙 賵 蹖丕丿 賲蹖鈥屭屫臂屫� 讴賴 賲蹖鈥屫堌з嗃� 鬲丨賲賱 讴賳蹖貙 讴賴 賲丨讴賲 賴爻鬲蹖貙 讴賴 禺蹖賱蹖 賲蹖鈥屫ж必槽屫� 賵 賲蹖鈥屫①呝堌槽� 賵 賲蹖鈥屫①呝堌槽屫� 亘丕 賴乇 禺丿丕丨丕賮馗蹖貙 蹖丕丿 賲蹖鈥屭屫臂�)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱 丕夭 禺賵乇禺賴 賱賵蹖蹖爻 亘賵乇禺爻
亘賴 亘乇賴丕賳 賳丕丌卮賳丕卅蹖賲 亘賴 賮乇賴賳诏蹖 讴賴貙 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄 丕夭 丌賳 賲蹖賳丕賱丿貙 賵 爻丕夭 禺賵蹖卮 賳蹖夭貙 賴賲丕乇賴 賳蹖夭 禺賵卮 賲蹖賳賵丕夭賳丿貙 丕爻鬲毓丕乇賴 賴丕蹖 丕蹖卮丕賳 乇丕 讴賲鬲乇 丿乇賲蹖蹖丕亘賲貙 亘乇丕蹖 賴賲蹖賳 丕爻鬲 卮丕蹖丿貙 亘丕 丕蹖賳讴賴 丕夭 禺賵丕賳卮 賵 禺賵丕賳丿賳 趩賳丿亘丕乇賴 丕卮貙 賱匕鬲賴丕 亘乇丿賴 丕賲貙 賳賲蹖丿丕賳賲 趩乇丕責 賲蹖禺賵丕賴賲 亘丕夭賴賲 讴鬲丕亘 乇丕 亘禺賵丕賳賲貨 卮丕蹖丿 亘賮賴賲賲 趩賴 賲蹖诏賵蹖賳丿貨 乇賵丕賳卮丕丿 芦诏賱卮蹖乇蹖: (1316 - 1379賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖)禄 讴賴 丌禺乇蹖賳 丕賮夭賵丿賴 乇丕 亘乇 讴鬲丕亘 亘賳賵卮鬲賴 丕賳丿貙 丕夭 禺賵丿 賲蹖倬乇爻賳丿: 芦乇丕爻鬲蹖 賳讴賳丿 讴賴 亘賵乇禺爻貙 賲丨氐賵賱 乇賵蹖丕蹖 倬丿乇 讴賵乇 禺賵丿 亘丕卮丿禄責 卮丕蹖丿 賴賲 亘賴 卮蹖賵賴 蹖 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄貙 亘卮賵丿 诏賮鬲: (丌賳讴賴 丿乇 亘丕乇賴 蹖 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄 賲蹖賳賵蹖爻丿貙 亘蹖卮鬲乇 丿乇 賲賵乇丿 禺賵丿貙 蹖丕 丌孬丕乇 禺賵丿 賲蹖賳賵蹖爻丿)貨
倬爻 亘诏匕丕乇蹖丿 丿蹖丿诏丕賴 禺賵蹖卮 乇丕 賳蹖夭 亘賳诏丕乇賲貙 丿乇 亘丕乇賴 蹖 賲鬲賳 賳賵卮鬲丕乇賴丕蹖 芦禺賵乇禺賴禄: 趩賴 丕丨爻丕爻 夭蹖亘丕卅蹖貙 賵丕亘爻鬲诏蹖 賴賲丕乇賴貙 賴賲丕賵乇丿 丌夭丕丿蹖 丕爻鬲貨 毓卮賯 丿乇 亘乇丕亘乇 乇賴丕蹖蹖 丕爻鬲貨 丕賲丕 诏賵蹖丕貙 鬲賳賴丕 诏賳噩卮讴讴丕賳 丕蹖賳诏賵賳賴 丕賳丿貙 賴賲 乇丕 丿賵爻鬲 賲蹖丿丕乇賳丿貙 賵賱蹖 胤乇賮 乇丕 賴乇诏夭蹖 亘賳丿蹖 賳賲蹖讴賳賳丿貨 亘乇賴丕賳卮 丕蹖賳讴賴貙 丌賳诏丕賴 讴賴 丕夭 趩蹖夭蹖 禺賵卮鬲 丌賲丿貙 丿賱鬲 賲蹖禺賵丕賴丿 丕夭 丌賳 鬲賵 亘丕卮丿貨 丿蹖诏乇 丕賵 丌夭丕丿 賳蹖爻鬲貨 賵賯鬲蹖 丌夭丕丿 賳蹖爻鬲貙 亘乇丕蹖鬲丕賳 丕乇夭卮蹖 賳丿丕乇丿貙 讴爻貙 亘乇丕蹖 亘賴 丿爻鬲 丌賵乇丿賳卮貙 亘丕 卮賲丕 賳賲蹖噩賳诏丿貨 賲毓丕丿賳 乇丕 亘乇丕蹖 蹖丕賮鬲賳卮 賳賲蹖讴丕賵丿貨 丿乇蹖丕賴丕 乇丕 丿乇 噩爻鬲噩賵蹖 丕賵貙 丿乇賳賲蹖賳賵乇丿丿貨 丕夭 亘乇丕蹖 氐蹖丿卮貙 亘賴 跇乇賮丕蹖 丌亘賴丕蹖 卮賵乇 賵 卮蹖乇蹖賳貙 賵 诏乇賲 賵 爻乇丿貙 爻乇讴 賳賲蹖讴卮丿貨 賲乇賵丕乇蹖丿蹖 讴賴 丿乇 賲賵夭賴 亘賴 鬲賲丕卮丕蹖 丿蹖诏乇丕賳 诏匕丕卮鬲賴 卮丿賴貙 賴乇诏夭蹖 丕乇夭卮 賵丕賯毓蹖 禺賵丿 乇丕貙 賳賲蹖賳賲丕蹖丕賳丿貨 丕賲丕 丌賳诏丕賴 讴賴 丿乇賵賳 氐丿賮 禺賵蹖卮 丕爻鬲貙 賵 丿乇 賯毓乇 丿乇蹖丕 鬲賳賴丕貙 丌夭丕丿貙 賵 丕夭 丌賳 禺賵丿 丕爻鬲貙 賵 賲丕賱讴蹖 賳丿丕乇丿貙 趩賳丿蹖賳 睾賵丕氐貙 亘乇丕蹖卮貙 賳賮爻 丿乇 爻蹖賳賴 丨亘爻 賲蹖讴賳賳丿貙 噩丕賳賴丕 亘賴丕蹖 丕賵爻鬲貨
讴賱丕賲 芦禺賵乇禺賴禄貙 丕賵噩 卮賳丕禺鬲 丨賯 丿蹖诏乇蹖爻鬲貨 亘丕蹖丿貙 爻丿蹖 賳亘爻鬲貙 丨鬲蹖 亘賴 乇賵丿 禺卮讴 賳蹖夭貨 賵诏乇賳賴 丿蹖诏乇貙 趩卮賲賴 賴丕蹖 夭賱丕賱貙 噩丕乇蹖貙 賳蹖賱诏賵賳貙 賵 賮蹖乇賵夭賴 丕蹖 賳禺賵丕賴丿 賲丕賳丿貙 賵 亘賵丿貨 丌爻賲丕賳 乇丕 诏賵蹖丕 丕夭 丕蹖卮丕賳 诏乇賮鬲賴 亘丕卮蹖丿貙 丿蹖诏乇 丿乇禺鬲 亘蹖丿貙 賲賵蹖 禺賵丿 乇丕貙 亘丕 鬲賲丕卮丕 丿乇 丌亘 噩丕乇蹖貙 卮丕賳賴 賳賲蹖讴賳丿貨 丕夭 倬丕 禺賵丕賴丿 丕賮鬲丕丿貙 賵 亘乇讴賴 丕蹖 禺賵丕賴丿 卮丿貙 鬲丕 爻賲賵乇 丌亘蹖貙 卮丕蹖丿 丿乇 丌賳 亘賴 诏卮鬲 賵 诏匕丕乇 亘倬乇丿丕夭丿貙 賵 賱丕賳賴 亘賳丕 讴賳丿貨 賵丕跇賴 蹖 丿賵爻鬲貙 卮丕蹖丿 丕夭 芦丿賵 鬲丕 丕爻鬲禄 亘乇诏夭蹖丿賴 卮丿賴 亘丕卮丿貙 蹖毓賳蹖 丿賵 賲鬲賮丕賵鬲貙 賵 賵丕亘爻鬲賴 丿乇 亘毓囟蹖 丕夭 禺賵丕賴卮賴丕 亘賴 賴賲貙 丕賱亘鬲賴 讴賴 亘賴 丿賱禺賵丕賴 賴乇 丿賵貨 丌蹖丕 賲丕 賳蹖夭 趩賳蹖賳蹖賲責 芦禺賵乇禺賴禄 亘爻蹖丕乇 馗乇蹖賮 丕賳丿蹖卮蹖丿賴貙 賵 丿蹖丿賴 丕爻鬲貨 毓卮賯 乇丕 賴賲乇丕賴蹖 丿蹖丿賴貨 丕诏乇 賴丿蹖賴 丕蹖 賴賲 亘丕卮丿貙 亘丕蹖丿 亘丿賵賳 賲賳丕爻亘鬲 賵 丿賱禺賵丕賴 賴丿蹖賴 丿賴賳丿賴 賵 诏蹖乇賳丿賴貙 亘丕卮丿貨 丕賱亘鬲賴 讴賴 亘丿賵賳 丕賳鬲馗丕乇 倬乇爻卮 賵 倬丕爻禺貨 賳賴 丌賳 亘賳丿蹖 讴賴 亘丕 丌賳 賴丿蹖賴貙 诏賵卅蹖丕 賳丕禺賵丕爻鬲賴 卮丕蹖丿貙 亘賴 倬丕蹖 丿蹖诏乇蹖 賲蹖亘賳丿蹖賲貨 亘丕蹖丿 亘丕睾 禺賵蹖卮鬲賳 乇丕 禺賵丿 亘讴丕乇蹖賲貙 賵 乇賵丨賲丕賳 乇丕貙 夭蹖賳鬲 賴賲丕賳 亘丕睾 禺賵蹖卮 讴賳蹖賲貙 鬲丕 诏乇丿卮诏乇丕賳貙 賴賲趩賵賳 禺乇丿賴 賴丕蹖 丌賴賳 亘賴 爻賵蹖 丌賴賳 乇亘丕蹖卮貙 亘賴 爻賵蹖 夭蹖亘丕卅蹖 趩賳丕賳 賵 趩賳蹖賳 乇賵丨蹖貙 诏乇丿 丌蹖賳丿貨 鬲賴乇丕賳 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
Apr 26, 2008
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 27/05/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 10/05/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
January 4, 2020
"You who read me, are You sure of understanding my language?"
Borges would have been the first to point out that an answer in the affirmative to his own question would be a likely sign that the reader indeed had understood nothing of any importance. So I won't make any claims. I did however experience something approaching perfect reading pleasure, - fully aware that perfection is unlikely to be approved by Borges - being too static, unchangeable, and definitive.
Halfway through the essay collection, I became acutely conscious of knowing the stories already, but I was not able to recall whether I had read them before, or just heard about them in other essay collections. It left me in the dreamlike, surreal state of mind that Borges enjoys evoking - blurring the lines between reality and literature, proving over and over again that storytelling is the origin of humankind as a thinking species.
Are we real? Or are we just part of a giant narrative, told in infinite volumes of books in a labyrinthine library which contains us, the universe and all our imagination, including our deities?
Moving from one fictional character to the next (Don Quixote, Hamlet, Dante in his fictional self) and questioning our right to claim more authenticity than these immortal characters, Borges involves his own identity as a person and as a writer in the narrative process, and makes a distinction between what Borges - the person - and Borges - the writer of mythical dimensions - represents, without being sure where one identity ends and the other begins:
"I do not know which of us has written this page."
Why are readers confused when they realise that characters in books turn into readers of the same book, like Don Quixote in the second part of the Cervantes' masterpiece? - Borges claims it disturbs our sense of reality. We might be part of a story ourselves, a story about a character reading about reading, and reflecting on how to establish an objective identity.
If our universe is a great labyrinthine library containing all the stories of the world, then time and space are meaningless measurements of life. We can be in different stories at the same time, and change pattern, plot and character in case we are not happy with the thread we are following at the moment:
"Next time I kill you", replied Scharlach, "I promise you that labyrinth, consisting of a single line which is invisible and unceasing."
Why did I like this collection so much? Why did it give me such a deep, deep sense of satisfaction, despite being obscure, incoherent, and slightly surreal?
I think the answer is that to me, the world is a library, and Borges gave me the narrative to prove that my reading and dreaming self is just as real as the self that is busy with everyday chores. I have always felt at home in books in a way that I rarely feel at home in the world.
Within Borges' labyrinth, I found my true home address.
Moving from Dante and Kafka over Shakespeare to Cervantes feels natural and logical to me, and I gather that I am among old friends. I identify strongly with the idea of seeing the world as an infinite number of story fragments, all available to be reinterpreted by me, the reader. I am part of the story as well, changing the narrative with my existence in time, just like Borges himself:
"Time is the substance I am made of. Time is a river which sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger which destroys me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire which consumes me, but I am the fire. The world, unfortunately, is real; I, unfortunately, am Borges."
I was Borges too, for a short time, while I read his words. And it swept me away!
Borges would have been the first to point out that an answer in the affirmative to his own question would be a likely sign that the reader indeed had understood nothing of any importance. So I won't make any claims. I did however experience something approaching perfect reading pleasure, - fully aware that perfection is unlikely to be approved by Borges - being too static, unchangeable, and definitive.
Halfway through the essay collection, I became acutely conscious of knowing the stories already, but I was not able to recall whether I had read them before, or just heard about them in other essay collections. It left me in the dreamlike, surreal state of mind that Borges enjoys evoking - blurring the lines between reality and literature, proving over and over again that storytelling is the origin of humankind as a thinking species.
Are we real? Or are we just part of a giant narrative, told in infinite volumes of books in a labyrinthine library which contains us, the universe and all our imagination, including our deities?
Moving from one fictional character to the next (Don Quixote, Hamlet, Dante in his fictional self) and questioning our right to claim more authenticity than these immortal characters, Borges involves his own identity as a person and as a writer in the narrative process, and makes a distinction between what Borges - the person - and Borges - the writer of mythical dimensions - represents, without being sure where one identity ends and the other begins:
"I do not know which of us has written this page."
Why are readers confused when they realise that characters in books turn into readers of the same book, like Don Quixote in the second part of the Cervantes' masterpiece? - Borges claims it disturbs our sense of reality. We might be part of a story ourselves, a story about a character reading about reading, and reflecting on how to establish an objective identity.
If our universe is a great labyrinthine library containing all the stories of the world, then time and space are meaningless measurements of life. We can be in different stories at the same time, and change pattern, plot and character in case we are not happy with the thread we are following at the moment:
"Next time I kill you", replied Scharlach, "I promise you that labyrinth, consisting of a single line which is invisible and unceasing."
Why did I like this collection so much? Why did it give me such a deep, deep sense of satisfaction, despite being obscure, incoherent, and slightly surreal?
I think the answer is that to me, the world is a library, and Borges gave me the narrative to prove that my reading and dreaming self is just as real as the self that is busy with everyday chores. I have always felt at home in books in a way that I rarely feel at home in the world.
Within Borges' labyrinth, I found my true home address.
Moving from Dante and Kafka over Shakespeare to Cervantes feels natural and logical to me, and I gather that I am among old friends. I identify strongly with the idea of seeing the world as an infinite number of story fragments, all available to be reinterpreted by me, the reader. I am part of the story as well, changing the narrative with my existence in time, just like Borges himself:
"Time is the substance I am made of. Time is a river which sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger which destroys me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire which consumes me, but I am the fire. The world, unfortunately, is real; I, unfortunately, am Borges."
I was Borges too, for a short time, while I read his words. And it swept me away!
September 15, 2018
why haven't i read borges before?? no one knows. and he was always pushed upon me - "how can you like marquez if you haven't read borges??" "you like donoso - you should read borges." "machado is good, but you should read borges." so - fine - i did. and i am utterly underwhelmed. so there. i am learning during my "summer of classix" that most of the books i have for some reason or another overlooked were probably overlooked for a reason. i naturally gravitate towards what i like - and i seem to have a filter that prevents me from picking up too many books i don't. when i force it, this happens. and i liked some of the stories. but borges isn't for everyone (although scrolling down my "friends who have read" list, it looks as though all my friends gave it five stars.) and i'm not accusing you bitches of inflating your ratings, but i have the sense with borges that some people are guilted into liking him. or pretending that they like him more than they do because he's borges. but i won't be. because i am not ashamed of my intellectual shortcomings. i embrace them. i am incapable of abstract thought. fact. as hard as i try, that whole achilles/tortoise thing? does not compute. so all of this hexagon spiraling into hexagon on top of hexagon... i feel like i am back in college (where every single person i ever knew had a copy of this book. and was a stoner.)but this is classic stoner thinking-chains. reflections, labyrinths, it's perfect for that kind of mindset. "dooood, imagine we were in a hexagon right now??" and i know this makes sense to some people with philosophical and theological mindbents, but for me its almost pain. there were about 6 stories i liked, but the first few almost made me weep with trying to find the value in them. sorry, borges. we were never meant to be.
mmmmkay - it seems that there are those who think it would be valuable "in a book review" to list the stories i did like. so: the shape of the sword, theme of the traitor and the hero, death and the compass, the secret miracle, three versions of judas, story of the warrior and the captive, emma zunz, the house of asterion, and the waiting. more than i thought i liked, but still - a sad minority.
mmmmkay - it seems that there are those who think it would be valuable "in a book review" to list the stories i did like. so: the shape of the sword, theme of the traitor and the hero, death and the compass, the secret miracle, three versions of judas, story of the warrior and the captive, emma zunz, the house of asterion, and the waiting. more than i thought i liked, but still - a sad minority.
November 21, 2016
The stories, essays and parables in this Borges collection, with all their esoteric references to multiple histories, cultures and literatures, are no more likely to appeal to a casual reader then a textbook on cognitive psychology. To extract literary gold from highly intricate, complex works like The Garden of Forking Paths, Emma Zunz, The Library of Babel or The Zahir requires careful multiple readings as well as a willingness to occasionally investigate terms and references, for example here are several from The Zahir: The Book of Rites, Isaac Laquendem, The Nibelungen, the novel Confessions of a Thug, The Book of Things Unknown.
And, speaking of The Zahir, if I were to move from referring to the tale itself to the ideas which lie behind it, how would my review read? What does it mean for a narrator to dissolve the universe into a single coin? Why does Borges describe, right at the outset, how at different times in the past the Zahir, a coin he was handed in a bar, morphed into a tiger, a blind man, a small compass, a vein in the marble of a pillar, the bottom of a well? How does one compress all time into this one sentence I am now writing? And what of the philosophical and cultural context in which Borges wrote this tale? Could a first-person short-story like The Zahir have been written in Ancient China? Medieval Persia? Colonial America? These are questions that lie outside the framework of this Borges tale. Or do they?
Philosophical musing on the reality of the Zahir propels Borges (and us as readers) to multiple worlds: of a woman who seeks to makes every one of her actions correct to the point where she desires the absolute in the momentary; the dark light of the Gnostics; a dream where he, Borges the narrarator, becomes a pile of coins guarded by a gryphon. Then, after Borges鈥� fascination with the Zahir slides into obsession, driving him to seek out a psychiatrist, he writes, 鈥淭ime, which softens memories, only makes the memory of the Zahir sharper. First I could see the face of it, then the reverse; now I can see both sides at once. It is not as though the Zahir were made of glass, since one side is not superimposed upon the other; rather it is as though the vision were spherical and the Zahir flutters in the center.鈥�
Such refection bring to mind Hesse鈥檚 The Glass Bead Game, where the beads are, in fact, made of glass and can represent, in turn, cosmic topology, a fugue of celestial spheres, variations on relational placement as in the colors and lines of a Mondrian or circles with plasticity in Vasarely; only the Zahir has about it more unity then plurality, and thus one M枚bius strip, one musical note, one painting, one print. Toward the very end we read: 鈥淥thers will dream that I am mad, while I dream of the Zahir. When every person on earth thinks, day and night of the Zahir, which will be dream and which reality, the earth or the Zahir?鈥�
Regarding the essays, Partial Magic in the Quixote opens us to a least a dozen unique angles in our approach to this Spanish classic; Kafka and His Precursors explores the connection of writers like Kierkegaard and Browning along with Zeno鈥檚 paradox to the famous author of The Metamorphosis; The Mirror of Enigmas delves into conundrums such as the symbolic significance of Sacred Scriptures and various forms of metaphysical writings as reflected on by, among others, Philo of Alexandria. Seven more essays will bend and stretch you mind in ways you never thought possible.
In the parable, Borges and I, the author conducts a dialogue with himself as well as, take your pick - author, public persona, alter ego, younger self, older self, second self 鈥� and is uncertain as he concludes his parable who exactly is the author of the lines he has just written. Everything and Nothing is a parable featuring Shakespeare with a multiple identity crisis; another parable, The Witness, has the narrator brooding over memory and death and yet in another parable, Inferno 1,32, we encounter a leopard, Dante, and God in what could be viewed as a dreamscape.
Reading Labyrinths years ago, I was inspired to write this micro-fiction as a tribute to Jorge Luis Borges:
LIFE STORY
The bold letters on the cover read: Harold Blackman 鈥� Life Story. The book looks quite ordinary. One is required to make a special inspection to see a queer spring-like device along the spine. Harold Blackman opens the book before him. The title page is completely blank as are all the pages. He runs gnarled fingers, tips calloused and slightly trembling, lightly over this ghost of a title page and reflects on the long agonizing nights when he tried to pen the fire of his youth and the spume of his manhood without success. What he saw when the ink dried always left him feeling flat, unsettled. Closing his eyes, he repeats an incantation learned from a half-crazed Argentine, then opens them slowly, very slowly. Harold Blackman, weary adventurer, is now standing on the writing table, shrunken to the size of the book. Lying down on the title page, the back of his legs, buttocks and backbone relax to the paper鈥檚 slight give. He released a catch on the spine, the leather cover snapping shut with the vengeance of a mousetrap. But for a muffled groan all is silence. Over time, the blood seeps through the pages, forming, words, sentences, paragraphs.
April 16, 2018
丿賵 亘賵乇禺爻
賮賰乇 賰賳賲 亘丕賷丿 亘賵乇禺爻 乇賵 丿賵 亘禺卮 賰乇丿. 賷賰 亘賵乇禺爻貙 亘賵乇禺爻 "诏丕趩賵"賴丕爻鬲: 诏丕賵趩乇丕賳 賴丕賶 丕賲乇賷賰丕賶 賱丕鬲賷賳貙 賵 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕賶 丕賮爻丕賳賴 丕賶 賰賴 賲乇丿賲 乇丕噩毓 亘賴 亘賶 乇丨賲賶 賵 趩丕賯賵賰卮賶 賵 賲乇丿丕賳诏賶 賵 亘賶 亘丕賰賶 丕賵賳 賴丕 爻丕禺鬲賳. 趩蹖夭蹖 卮亘賷賴 亘賴 賱賵胤賶 賴丕賶 禺賵丿賲賵賳.
賴乇 趩賳丿 丕賷賳 亘賵乇禺爻 賴賲 丕夭 毓賳丕氐乇 噩丕丿賵賷賶 鬲賵賶 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕賶 诏丕賵趩乇丕賳 賴丕 丕爻鬲賮丕丿賴 賲賶 賰賳賴 (賲孬賱 丕賷賳 賰賴 乇賵丨 趩丕賯賵賰卮 賴丕賶 亘夭乇诏 丿乇 丿卮賳賴 賴丕卮賵賳 丨賱賵賱 賲賶 賰賳賴 賵 亘毓丿 丕夭 賲乇诏卮賵賳 賴賲趩賳丕賳 丕夭 胤乇賷賯 丿卮賳賴 賴丕 亘賴 禺賵賳乇賷夭賶 丕丿丕賲賴 賲賷丿賳) 丕賲丕 丕賷賳 毓賳丕氐乇 賲丨丿賵丿賳貙 賵 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕 丨賵賱 賲丨賵乇 诏丕賵趩乇丕賳 賴丕 賵 丿賵卅賱 賴丕卮賵賳 賵 丿卮賲賳蹖 賴丕 賵 毓卮賯 賴丕蹖 丕賮爻丕賳賴 丕蹖 卮賵賳 賲賶 趩乇禺賳 賵 丕夭 賮囟丕賶 丕賲乇賷賰丕賶 賱丕鬲賷賳 亘賷乇賵賳 賳賲賷乇賳.
丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕賶 賳氐賮 丕賵賱 賰鬲丕亘貙 丕睾賱亘 鬲賵賶 丕賷賳 賮囟丕 賴爻鬲賳. 賵 亘賴 禺丕胤乇 鬲賰乇丕乇賶 卮丿賳 爻賵跇賴 賴丕卮賵賳 賲賲賰賳賴 丨賵氐賱賴 乇賵 爻乇 亘亘乇賳. 賲賳 賲丿鬲 賴丕 賯亘賱 賰賴 丕賷賳 賰鬲丕亘 乇賵 禺賵賳丿賲貙 亘賴 禺丕胤乇 賴賲賷賳 毓丿賲 噩匕賾丕亘賷鬲 賵 鬲賰乇丕乇賶 卮丿賳 爻賵跇賴 賴丕貙 賰鬲丕亘 乇賵 賳賷賲賴 賰丕乇賴 乇賴丕 賰乇丿賲貙 賵 丨丕賱丕 鬲賵賶 乇賷賵賷賵賴丕 丿賷丿賲 賰賴 亘毓囟賶 丕夭 丿賵爻鬲丕賳 丿賷诏賴 賴賲 賴賲賷賳 胤賵乇 賰鬲丕亘 乇賵 賳氐賮賴 乇賴丕 賰乇丿賳.
亘賵乇禺爻 诏丕賵趩乇丕賳 賴丕 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕卮鬲賳賶 賴爻鬲貙 賵賱賶 丕诏賴 賰丕乇 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賳賵賷爻賶 卮 乇賵 亘賴 賴賲賷賳 賲丨丿賵丿 賲賶 賰乇丿貙 賮賰乇 賰賳賲 賴賷趩 賵賯鬲 丌賵丕夭賴 卮 丕夭 賰卮賵乇賴丕賶 賱丕鬲賷賳 賮乇丕鬲乇 賳賲賶 乇賮鬲.
亘賵乇禺爻 賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕
亘賵乇禺爻 丿賵賲貙 亘賵乇禺爻 "賴夭丕乇鬲賵"賴丕爻鬲: 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕蹖蹖 睾乇蹖亘 丕夭 卮乇賯貙 噩丕丿賵诏乇蹖貙 毓乇賮丕賳貙 賲賳胤賯 丕賱胤蹖乇 毓胤丕乇貙 賴賳丿賵爻鬲丕賳貙 毓丕乇賮丕賳 賯乇賵賳 賵爻胤丕貙 讴蹖賲蹖丕诏乇蹖貙 賵 亘蹖卮鬲乇 丕夭 賴賲賴 賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕. 丿蹖诏賴 讴賲鬲乇 丕孬乇蹖 丕夭 丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖 賱丕鬲蹖賳 鬲賵蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕 賴爻鬲貙 賵 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕 亘蹖卮鬲乇 賵 亘蹖卮鬲乇 乇賳诏 賵 亘賵蹖 丕爻胤賵乇賴 賴丕蹖 亘蹖 夭賲丕賳 賵 亘蹖 賲讴丕賳 賲蹖 诏蹖乇賳. 賵 噩丕賱亘 丕蹖賳 讴賴 丕蹖賳 亘賵乇禺爻 丿賵賲 賴賲夭賲丕賳 亘丕 卮乇賵毓 賳丕亘蹖賳丕蹖蹖 亘賵乇禺爻貙 亘賴 丿賳蹖丕 丕賵賲丿. 丕賳诏丕乇 賴乇 趩蹖 趩卮賲 馗丕賴乇蹖卮 亘賴 乇賵蹖 丕蹖賳噩丕 賵 丕讴賳賵賳 亘爻鬲賴 鬲乇 賲蹖 卮丿貙 趩卮賲 丿乇賵賳蹖卮 亘賴 賱丕賲讴丕賳 賵 賱丕夭賲丕賳 亘丕夭鬲乇 賲蹖 卮丿.
丕蹖賳 讴賴 趩乇丕 亘賵乇禺爻賽 诏丕趩賵賴丕貙 亘賴 亘賵乇禺爻賽 賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕 鬲亘丿蹖賱 賲蹖 卮賴貙 乇蹖卮賴 卮 丿乇 讴賵丿讴蹖 亘賵乇禺爻賴貙 讴賴 丿乇 讴鬲丕亘禺賵賳踿 賯丿蹖賲蹖 賵 亘夭乇诏 倬丿乇卮 爻倬乇蹖 卮丿. 亘賵乇禺爻 丿乇 賲氐丕丨亘踿 丌禺乇 讴鬲丕亘 鬲毓乇蹖賮 賲蹖 讴賳賴 讴賴 趩胤賵乇 爻丕毓鬲 賴丕蹖 賲鬲賲丕丿蹖 丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘禺賵賳賴 賲蹖 賲賵賳丿賴 賵 讴鬲丕亘 賴丕蹖 賯丿蹖賲蹖 乇賵 賲蹖 禺賵賳丿賴貙 丕夭 噩賲賱賴 賴夭丕乇 賵 蹖讴 卮亘 讴賴 鬲禺蹖賱 讴賵丿讴丕賳賴 卮 乇賵 爻丨乇 讴乇丿賴 亘賵丿. 亘賵乇禺爻 賲蹖 诏賴: 丨丕賱丕 讴賴 賮讴乇 賲蹖 讴賳賲 賲賳 賴賳賵夭 乇賵丨賲 鬲賵蹖 賴賲賵賳 讴鬲丕亘禺賵賳賴 亘丕賯蹖 賲賵賳丿賴 賵 賴賲趩賳丕賳 丿爻鬲 丕夭 禺賵賳丿賳 讴鬲丕亘 賴丕蹖 丕賵賳 讴鬲丕亘禺賵賳賴 賳讴卮蹖丿賲.
丕賵賱蹖賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳蹖 讴賴 亘賵乇禺爻 乇賵 丕夭 丿賳蹖丕蹖 诏丕趩賵賴丕 丿乇丌賵乇丿 賵 亘賴 丿賳蹖丕蹖 賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕 賵丕乇丿 讴乇丿貙 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 "鬲賯乇賾亘 亘賴 丿乇诏丕賴 丕賱賲毓鬲氐賲" 亘賵丿. 亘賵乇禺爻 丕蹖賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 乇賵 丿乇 郾酃鄢鄣 賵賯鬲蹖 爻蹖 賵 卮卮 爻丕賱賴 亘賵丿 賳賵卮鬲. 鬲賲丕賲 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丿乇 丨賯蹖賯鬲 "乇蹖賵蹖賵"蹖 蹖讴 乇賲丕賳 賴賳丿蹖賴貙 讴賴 賵噩賵丿 禺丕乇噩蹖 賳丿丕乇賴. 賴乇 趩賳丿 賱丨賳 賲賯丕賱賴-賲丕賳賳丿 丿丕爻鬲丕賳貙 乇賮乇賳爻 賴丕 賵 亘丨孬 賴丕蹖 賲丨賯賯丕賳踿 亘賵乇禺爻 乇丕噩毓 亘賴 趩丕倬 賴丕蹖 賲禺鬲賱賮 乇賲丕賳貙 亘丕毓孬 賲蹖卮賴 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴 賮讴乇 讴賳賴 讴賴 丿乇 丨丕賱 禺賵賳丿賳 蹖賴 賲賯丕賱賴 丕爻鬲 乇丕噩毓 亘賴 蹖賴 乇賲丕賳 賵丕賯毓蹖.
賴賲 丕賳鬲禺丕亘 爻賵跇賴 (噩丕丿賵貙 毓乇賮丕賳 賵 卮乇賯) 賵 賴賲 爻亘讴 (丿丕爻鬲丕賳-賲賯丕賱賴) 亘毓丿賴丕貙 賲禺氐賵氐丕賸 亘毓丿 丕夭 賳丕亘蹖賳丕蹖蹖貙 亘賴 卮讴賱 丕氐賱蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕蹖 亘賵乇禺爻 鬲亘丿蹖賱 卮丿貙 賵 亘賵乇禺爻 乇賵 丕夭 蹖賴 賳賵蹖爻賳丿踿 賲丨賱賾蹖 讴賴 丌乇跇丕賳鬲蹖賳蹖 賴丕 賵 卮丕蹖丿 丨丿丕讴孬乇 賲乇丿賲 丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖 噩賳賵亘蹖 賲蹖 鬲賵賳爻鬲賳 亘丕 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕卮 丕乇鬲亘丕胤 亘乇賯乇丕乇 讴賳賳貙 亘賴 蹖賴 賳賵蹖爻賳丿踿 亘丿賵賳 賲乇夭 鬲亘丿蹖賱 讴乇丿 讴賴 賴乇 讴爻蹖 讴賴 丿睾丿睾踿 丕亘丿蹖鬲 丿丕卮鬲賴 亘丕卮賴貙 賲蹖 鬲賵賳賴 鬲賵蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕蹖 乇丐蹖丕賲丕賳賳丿卮 睾乇賯 亘卮賴貙 蹖丕 亘賴 毓亘丕乇鬲蹖 讴賴 禺賵丿 亘賵乇禺爻 亘蹖卮鬲乇 賲蹖 倬爻賳丿賴: 鬲賵蹖 賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕卮 诏賲 亘卮賴.
賮賰乇 賰賳賲 亘丕賷丿 亘賵乇禺爻 乇賵 丿賵 亘禺卮 賰乇丿. 賷賰 亘賵乇禺爻貙 亘賵乇禺爻 "诏丕趩賵"賴丕爻鬲: 诏丕賵趩乇丕賳 賴丕賶 丕賲乇賷賰丕賶 賱丕鬲賷賳貙 賵 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕賶 丕賮爻丕賳賴 丕賶 賰賴 賲乇丿賲 乇丕噩毓 亘賴 亘賶 乇丨賲賶 賵 趩丕賯賵賰卮賶 賵 賲乇丿丕賳诏賶 賵 亘賶 亘丕賰賶 丕賵賳 賴丕 爻丕禺鬲賳. 趩蹖夭蹖 卮亘賷賴 亘賴 賱賵胤賶 賴丕賶 禺賵丿賲賵賳.
賴乇 趩賳丿 丕賷賳 亘賵乇禺爻 賴賲 丕夭 毓賳丕氐乇 噩丕丿賵賷賶 鬲賵賶 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕賶 诏丕賵趩乇丕賳 賴丕 丕爻鬲賮丕丿賴 賲賶 賰賳賴 (賲孬賱 丕賷賳 賰賴 乇賵丨 趩丕賯賵賰卮 賴丕賶 亘夭乇诏 丿乇 丿卮賳賴 賴丕卮賵賳 丨賱賵賱 賲賶 賰賳賴 賵 亘毓丿 丕夭 賲乇诏卮賵賳 賴賲趩賳丕賳 丕夭 胤乇賷賯 丿卮賳賴 賴丕 亘賴 禺賵賳乇賷夭賶 丕丿丕賲賴 賲賷丿賳) 丕賲丕 丕賷賳 毓賳丕氐乇 賲丨丿賵丿賳貙 賵 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕 丨賵賱 賲丨賵乇 诏丕賵趩乇丕賳 賴丕 賵 丿賵卅賱 賴丕卮賵賳 賵 丿卮賲賳蹖 賴丕 賵 毓卮賯 賴丕蹖 丕賮爻丕賳賴 丕蹖 卮賵賳 賲賶 趩乇禺賳 賵 丕夭 賮囟丕賶 丕賲乇賷賰丕賶 賱丕鬲賷賳 亘賷乇賵賳 賳賲賷乇賳.
丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕賶 賳氐賮 丕賵賱 賰鬲丕亘貙 丕睾賱亘 鬲賵賶 丕賷賳 賮囟丕 賴爻鬲賳. 賵 亘賴 禺丕胤乇 鬲賰乇丕乇賶 卮丿賳 爻賵跇賴 賴丕卮賵賳 賲賲賰賳賴 丨賵氐賱賴 乇賵 爻乇 亘亘乇賳. 賲賳 賲丿鬲 賴丕 賯亘賱 賰賴 丕賷賳 賰鬲丕亘 乇賵 禺賵賳丿賲貙 亘賴 禺丕胤乇 賴賲賷賳 毓丿賲 噩匕賾丕亘賷鬲 賵 鬲賰乇丕乇賶 卮丿賳 爻賵跇賴 賴丕貙 賰鬲丕亘 乇賵 賳賷賲賴 賰丕乇賴 乇賴丕 賰乇丿賲貙 賵 丨丕賱丕 鬲賵賶 乇賷賵賷賵賴丕 丿賷丿賲 賰賴 亘毓囟賶 丕夭 丿賵爻鬲丕賳 丿賷诏賴 賴賲 賴賲賷賳 胤賵乇 賰鬲丕亘 乇賵 賳氐賮賴 乇賴丕 賰乇丿賳.
亘賵乇禺爻 诏丕賵趩乇丕賳 賴丕 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕卮鬲賳賶 賴爻鬲貙 賵賱賶 丕诏賴 賰丕乇 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賳賵賷爻賶 卮 乇賵 亘賴 賴賲賷賳 賲丨丿賵丿 賲賶 賰乇丿貙 賮賰乇 賰賳賲 賴賷趩 賵賯鬲 丌賵丕夭賴 卮 丕夭 賰卮賵乇賴丕賶 賱丕鬲賷賳 賮乇丕鬲乇 賳賲賶 乇賮鬲.
亘賵乇禺爻 賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕
亘賵乇禺爻 丿賵賲貙 亘賵乇禺爻 "賴夭丕乇鬲賵"賴丕爻鬲: 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕蹖蹖 睾乇蹖亘 丕夭 卮乇賯貙 噩丕丿賵诏乇蹖貙 毓乇賮丕賳貙 賲賳胤賯 丕賱胤蹖乇 毓胤丕乇貙 賴賳丿賵爻鬲丕賳貙 毓丕乇賮丕賳 賯乇賵賳 賵爻胤丕貙 讴蹖賲蹖丕诏乇蹖貙 賵 亘蹖卮鬲乇 丕夭 賴賲賴 賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕. 丿蹖诏賴 讴賲鬲乇 丕孬乇蹖 丕夭 丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖 賱丕鬲蹖賳 鬲賵蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕 賴爻鬲貙 賵 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕 亘蹖卮鬲乇 賵 亘蹖卮鬲乇 乇賳诏 賵 亘賵蹖 丕爻胤賵乇賴 賴丕蹖 亘蹖 夭賲丕賳 賵 亘蹖 賲讴丕賳 賲蹖 诏蹖乇賳. 賵 噩丕賱亘 丕蹖賳 讴賴 丕蹖賳 亘賵乇禺爻 丿賵賲 賴賲夭賲丕賳 亘丕 卮乇賵毓 賳丕亘蹖賳丕蹖蹖 亘賵乇禺爻貙 亘賴 丿賳蹖丕 丕賵賲丿. 丕賳诏丕乇 賴乇 趩蹖 趩卮賲 馗丕賴乇蹖卮 亘賴 乇賵蹖 丕蹖賳噩丕 賵 丕讴賳賵賳 亘爻鬲賴 鬲乇 賲蹖 卮丿貙 趩卮賲 丿乇賵賳蹖卮 亘賴 賱丕賲讴丕賳 賵 賱丕夭賲丕賳 亘丕夭鬲乇 賲蹖 卮丿.
丕蹖賳 讴賴 趩乇丕 亘賵乇禺爻賽 诏丕趩賵賴丕貙 亘賴 亘賵乇禺爻賽 賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕 鬲亘丿蹖賱 賲蹖 卮賴貙 乇蹖卮賴 卮 丿乇 讴賵丿讴蹖 亘賵乇禺爻賴貙 讴賴 丿乇 讴鬲丕亘禺賵賳踿 賯丿蹖賲蹖 賵 亘夭乇诏 倬丿乇卮 爻倬乇蹖 卮丿. 亘賵乇禺爻 丿乇 賲氐丕丨亘踿 丌禺乇 讴鬲丕亘 鬲毓乇蹖賮 賲蹖 讴賳賴 讴賴 趩胤賵乇 爻丕毓鬲 賴丕蹖 賲鬲賲丕丿蹖 丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘禺賵賳賴 賲蹖 賲賵賳丿賴 賵 讴鬲丕亘 賴丕蹖 賯丿蹖賲蹖 乇賵 賲蹖 禺賵賳丿賴貙 丕夭 噩賲賱賴 賴夭丕乇 賵 蹖讴 卮亘 讴賴 鬲禺蹖賱 讴賵丿讴丕賳賴 卮 乇賵 爻丨乇 讴乇丿賴 亘賵丿. 亘賵乇禺爻 賲蹖 诏賴: 丨丕賱丕 讴賴 賮讴乇 賲蹖 讴賳賲 賲賳 賴賳賵夭 乇賵丨賲 鬲賵蹖 賴賲賵賳 讴鬲丕亘禺賵賳賴 亘丕賯蹖 賲賵賳丿賴 賵 賴賲趩賳丕賳 丿爻鬲 丕夭 禺賵賳丿賳 讴鬲丕亘 賴丕蹖 丕賵賳 讴鬲丕亘禺賵賳賴 賳讴卮蹖丿賲.
丕賵賱蹖賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳蹖 讴賴 亘賵乇禺爻 乇賵 丕夭 丿賳蹖丕蹖 诏丕趩賵賴丕 丿乇丌賵乇丿 賵 亘賴 丿賳蹖丕蹖 賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕 賵丕乇丿 讴乇丿貙 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 "鬲賯乇賾亘 亘賴 丿乇诏丕賴 丕賱賲毓鬲氐賲" 亘賵丿. 亘賵乇禺爻 丕蹖賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 乇賵 丿乇 郾酃鄢鄣 賵賯鬲蹖 爻蹖 賵 卮卮 爻丕賱賴 亘賵丿 賳賵卮鬲. 鬲賲丕賲 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丿乇 丨賯蹖賯鬲 "乇蹖賵蹖賵"蹖 蹖讴 乇賲丕賳 賴賳丿蹖賴貙 讴賴 賵噩賵丿 禺丕乇噩蹖 賳丿丕乇賴. 賴乇 趩賳丿 賱丨賳 賲賯丕賱賴-賲丕賳賳丿 丿丕爻鬲丕賳貙 乇賮乇賳爻 賴丕 賵 亘丨孬 賴丕蹖 賲丨賯賯丕賳踿 亘賵乇禺爻 乇丕噩毓 亘賴 趩丕倬 賴丕蹖 賲禺鬲賱賮 乇賲丕賳貙 亘丕毓孬 賲蹖卮賴 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴 賮讴乇 讴賳賴 讴賴 丿乇 丨丕賱 禺賵賳丿賳 蹖賴 賲賯丕賱賴 丕爻鬲 乇丕噩毓 亘賴 蹖賴 乇賲丕賳 賵丕賯毓蹖.
賴賲 丕賳鬲禺丕亘 爻賵跇賴 (噩丕丿賵貙 毓乇賮丕賳 賵 卮乇賯) 賵 賴賲 爻亘讴 (丿丕爻鬲丕賳-賲賯丕賱賴) 亘毓丿賴丕貙 賲禺氐賵氐丕賸 亘毓丿 丕夭 賳丕亘蹖賳丕蹖蹖貙 亘賴 卮讴賱 丕氐賱蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕蹖 亘賵乇禺爻 鬲亘丿蹖賱 卮丿貙 賵 亘賵乇禺爻 乇賵 丕夭 蹖賴 賳賵蹖爻賳丿踿 賲丨賱賾蹖 讴賴 丌乇跇丕賳鬲蹖賳蹖 賴丕 賵 卮丕蹖丿 丨丿丕讴孬乇 賲乇丿賲 丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖 噩賳賵亘蹖 賲蹖 鬲賵賳爻鬲賳 亘丕 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕卮 丕乇鬲亘丕胤 亘乇賯乇丕乇 讴賳賳貙 亘賴 蹖賴 賳賵蹖爻賳丿踿 亘丿賵賳 賲乇夭 鬲亘丿蹖賱 讴乇丿 讴賴 賴乇 讴爻蹖 讴賴 丿睾丿睾踿 丕亘丿蹖鬲 丿丕卮鬲賴 亘丕卮賴貙 賲蹖 鬲賵賳賴 鬲賵蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕蹖 乇丐蹖丕賲丕賳賳丿卮 睾乇賯 亘卮賴貙 蹖丕 亘賴 毓亘丕乇鬲蹖 讴賴 禺賵丿 亘賵乇禺爻 亘蹖卮鬲乇 賲蹖 倬爻賳丿賴: 鬲賵蹖 賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕卮 诏賲 亘卮賴.
August 11, 2016
A university professor had once expounded on the supposed conflict between history and literature, the former bemoaning the irrelevance of the latter when it comes to tracing the contours of reality while the latter countering this accusation by deploying the well-known defense of 'there's no one way of looking at the truth'.
Indeed. Why restrict ourselves to just the one way and the one reality? Why overlook the truth of infinite permutations and combinations of each eventuality and each one of them, in turn, forking off into myriad possibilities ad infinitum? Why seek neat compartmentalization of two disparate disciplines and prevent their intermingling to create new streams of thought? Why believe mathematics and literature to be so fundamentally apart that there can be no blending together of both without the results being distorted beyond intelligibility?
The very fact that the known limits of what's considered intelligible are being breached every moment, has its roots in the reluctance of labyrinthine minds like Borges' to follow linear pathways.
Mysticism, mathematics, arcana, philosophy, and literary criticism. A perfect blurring of the boundaries between fact and fiction leading to the creation of an entirely new entity which challenges the normative narrative form. And a moment of perfect lucidity arising out of a churning of all these elements. Where our imaginations come to a staggering halt, Borges' begins.
I do not wish to squeeze out every last drop of meaning from these complex interpolations of a known truth into discrete bits of hitherto unknown logical conclusions by googling every reference I did not get. Instead I delight in Borges' perfectly synchronized demolition of all and any conventions associated with writing with an authorial preeminence, I gaze enthralled at the vision of clarity being birthed out of pure chaos.
I let my mind latch onto his even if for a little while and let it guide me into realms where only the divinity of thought reigns supreme in its many manifestations.
And, for now, that is enough.
__
P.S.:-It's good to know where DFW acquired his irksome yet awe-inspiring footnoting habit from.
Indeed. Why restrict ourselves to just the one way and the one reality? Why overlook the truth of infinite permutations and combinations of each eventuality and each one of them, in turn, forking off into myriad possibilities ad infinitum? Why seek neat compartmentalization of two disparate disciplines and prevent their intermingling to create new streams of thought? Why believe mathematics and literature to be so fundamentally apart that there can be no blending together of both without the results being distorted beyond intelligibility?
The very fact that the known limits of what's considered intelligible are being breached every moment, has its roots in the reluctance of labyrinthine minds like Borges' to follow linear pathways.
Mysticism, mathematics, arcana, philosophy, and literary criticism. A perfect blurring of the boundaries between fact and fiction leading to the creation of an entirely new entity which challenges the normative narrative form. And a moment of perfect lucidity arising out of a churning of all these elements. Where our imaginations come to a staggering halt, Borges' begins.
I do not wish to squeeze out every last drop of meaning from these complex interpolations of a known truth into discrete bits of hitherto unknown logical conclusions by googling every reference I did not get. Instead I delight in Borges' perfectly synchronized demolition of all and any conventions associated with writing with an authorial preeminence, I gaze enthralled at the vision of clarity being birthed out of pure chaos.
"In a birdless dawn the magician saw the concentric blaze close round the walls. For a moment, he thought of taking refuge in the river, but then he knew that death was coming to crown his old age and absolve him of labors. He walked into the shreds of flame. But they did not bite into his flesh, they caressed him and engulfed him without heat or combustion. With relief, with humiliation, with terror, he understood that he too was a mere appearance, dreamt by another."
I let my mind latch onto his even if for a little while and let it guide me into realms where only the divinity of thought reigns supreme in its many manifestations.
And, for now, that is enough.
__
P.S.:-It's good to know where DFW acquired his irksome yet awe-inspiring footnoting habit from.
March 8, 2015
On his religious views, Borges declared himself as an agnostic, clarifying: "Being an agnostic means all things are possible, even God, even the Holy Trinity. This world is so strange that anything may happen, or may not happen"*
It feels kind of strange to quote this after my initial brush with 鈥淭he God Delusion鈥� by Richard Dawkins where he refutes an agnostic stance vis-脿-vis an atheist one. But I find myself adhering here with Borges. Why to rob an already incomprehensible world of its myriad probabilities?
Perhaps it is not relevant to quote this here with regard to 鈥淟abyrinths鈥� which is a distinct work in itself and can be taken as 鈥渇antastical literature鈥� encompassing the unimagined. However there also appear to be an underline theme running discreetly for most of the stories in this collection.
Attracted by metaphysics, but accepting no system as true, Borges makes out of all of them a game for the mind. He discovers two tendencies in himself: "one to esteem religious and philosophical ideas for their aesthetic value, and even for what is magical or marvelous in their content. That is perhaps the indication of an essential skepticism. The other is to suppose in advance that the quantity of fables or metaphors of which man's imagination is capable is limited, but that this small number of inventions can be everything to everyone."
These lines from the preface to the work by Andr茅 Maurois elaborates Borges鈥� agnostic stand and present to us a glimpse into the author鈥檚 mind which seemingly wants to exhaust all the possibilities available to him by using them in different combinations to come to the point that anything is possible. Working with the concept of time and space, myths and dreams Borges continuously constructs labyrinthine worlds whose contemplation is left to the imagination of the reader.
He seems to be postulating that man (also mind, the world or Universe) exists as an infinite entity whose centre is everywhere (an individual), whose circumference is nowhere (existing in infinite series of time). There are numerous references in the work which propose this.
According to Andr茅 Maurois, Borges sets out to hunt the following metaphor, regarding infinity, through the centuries:
Pascal wrote: "Nature is an infinite sphere whose center is everywhere, whose circumference is nowhere."
And so from an enchanted mind, inspired by the possibility of fiction as reality and vice-versa, is created an array of dreamlike worlds for the readers where readers continuously keep drifting from the boundaries of one to another dazed by the magical images appearing infinitely.
No one is anyone, one single immortal man is all men. Like Cornelius Agrippa, I am god, I am hero, I am philosopher, I am demon and I am world, which is a tedious way of saying that I do not exist.
------------------------------------------------------
* Source: Wikipedia
It feels kind of strange to quote this after my initial brush with 鈥淭he God Delusion鈥� by Richard Dawkins where he refutes an agnostic stance vis-脿-vis an atheist one. But I find myself adhering here with Borges. Why to rob an already incomprehensible world of its myriad probabilities?
Perhaps it is not relevant to quote this here with regard to 鈥淟abyrinths鈥� which is a distinct work in itself and can be taken as 鈥渇antastical literature鈥� encompassing the unimagined. However there also appear to be an underline theme running discreetly for most of the stories in this collection.
Attracted by metaphysics, but accepting no system as true, Borges makes out of all of them a game for the mind. He discovers two tendencies in himself: "one to esteem religious and philosophical ideas for their aesthetic value, and even for what is magical or marvelous in their content. That is perhaps the indication of an essential skepticism. The other is to suppose in advance that the quantity of fables or metaphors of which man's imagination is capable is limited, but that this small number of inventions can be everything to everyone."
These lines from the preface to the work by Andr茅 Maurois elaborates Borges鈥� agnostic stand and present to us a glimpse into the author鈥檚 mind which seemingly wants to exhaust all the possibilities available to him by using them in different combinations to come to the point that anything is possible. Working with the concept of time and space, myths and dreams Borges continuously constructs labyrinthine worlds whose contemplation is left to the imagination of the reader.
He seems to be postulating that man (also mind, the world or Universe) exists as an infinite entity whose centre is everywhere (an individual), whose circumference is nowhere (existing in infinite series of time). There are numerous references in the work which propose this.
According to Andr茅 Maurois, Borges sets out to hunt the following metaphor, regarding infinity, through the centuries:
Pascal wrote: "Nature is an infinite sphere whose center is everywhere, whose circumference is nowhere."
And so from an enchanted mind, inspired by the possibility of fiction as reality and vice-versa, is created an array of dreamlike worlds for the readers where readers continuously keep drifting from the boundaries of one to another dazed by the magical images appearing infinitely.
No one is anyone, one single immortal man is all men. Like Cornelius Agrippa, I am god, I am hero, I am philosopher, I am demon and I am world, which is a tedious way of saying that I do not exist.
------------------------------------------------------
* Source: Wikipedia
April 21, 2018
亘賵乇禺爻 蹖讴 噩丕丿賵诏乇 鬲賲丕賲鈥屫观屫ж� 丕爻鬲. 丕蹖賳 乇丕 賲賳 賳賲蹖鈥屭堐屬�. 賴賲蹖賳 讴賴 讴鬲丕亘 乇丕 卮乇賵毓 讴賳蹖丿貙 丕賵 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屫ㄛ屬嗃屫� 讴賴 亘丕 賱亘丕爻 噩丕丿賵诏乇蹖 賵 趩賵亘鈥屫池屸€屫ж� 倬卮鬲 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏� 丕蹖爻鬲丕丿賴 賵 丿丕乇丿 噩丕丿賵 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀�. 賲賳 賲胤賲卅賳賲 讴賴 亘賵乇禺爻 賴賲 丕夭 胤乇賮丿丕乇丕賳 賵丕賯毓蹖 賴夭丕乇賵蹖讴 卮亘 丕爻鬲. 丕賵 亘毓囟蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏� 乇丕 丕夭 乇賵蹖 丿爻鬲 卮賴乇夭丕丿 賳賵卮鬲賴 賵 賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 丕賵 乇丕 丕夭 賳賵丕丿诏丕賳 卮賴乇夭丕丿 丿丕賳爻鬲. 卮丕蹖丿 亘乇丕蹖 賲賳 賴賲蹖賳 讴丕賮蹖 亘丕卮丿 讴賴 亘賴 讴鬲丕亘蹖 讴賴 賴夭丕乇賵蹖讴 卮亘 噩丿 賵 賳蹖丕蹖 丌賳 丨爻丕亘 賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 倬賳噩 爻鬲丕乇賴 亘丿賴賲 丕賲丕 賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕蹖 亘賵乇禺爻 趩蹖夭蹖 亘蹖卮 丕夭 丕蹖賳 丕爻鬲. 噩賴丕賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й屫� 丕爻丕胤蹖乇蹖貙 賲乇賲賵夭貙 亘丕爻鬲丕賳蹖貙 乇賲夭丌賲蹖夭 賵 丌賲蹖禺鬲賴 亘丕 噩丕丿賵爻鬲. 丕蹖賳鈥屭┵� 讴賱賲賴鈥屰� 噩丕丿賵 乇丕 夭蹖丕丿 鬲讴乇丕乇 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁� 賴賲賴鈥屫ж� 亘賴 禺丕胤乇 丿賳蹖丕蹖蹖 丕爻鬲 讴賴 鬲丕夭賴 丕夭 丌賳 丌賲丿賴鈥屫з� 賵 賴賳賵夭 鬲丕 诏乇丿賵睾亘丕乇 噩丕丿賵蹖蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏� 乇丕 丕夭 禺賵丿賲 亘鬲讴丕賳賲 賵乇丿 夭亘丕賳賲 賴锟斤拷蹖賳 賱睾鬲 丕爻鬲. 亘毓囟蹖 丕夭 卮禺氐蹖鬲鈥屬囏� 丕賳诏丕乇 丕爻賲 丕毓馗賲 賵 蹖丕 乇賲夭 讴丕卅賳丕鬲 賴賲蹖賳 賱丨馗賴 爻乇 夭亘丕賳鈥屫簇з� 亘賵丿賴 丕賲丕 賱丨馗賴鈥屫й� 亘毓丿 丌賳 乇丕 賮乇丕賲賵卮 讴乇丿賴鈥屫з嗀� 亘毓囟蹖鈥屬囏й屫簇з� 賯氐賴鈥屬囏й屰� 丕夭 爻賮乇 丿乇 夭賲丕賳 乇丕 丿丕乇賳丿 賵 胤賵乇蹖 丕夭 丕蹖賳 丕鬲賮丕賯 氐丨亘鬲 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 讴賴 賴乇 丌丿賲 賲毓賲賵賱蹖 丕夭 禺丕胤乇賴鈥屰� 賲爻丕賮乇鬲卮. 賴乇 趩賳丿 讴賴 賮乇丕賲賵卮蹖 賴賲 賲囟賲賵賳蹖 诏乇賴 禺賵乇丿賴 亘賴 丕蹖賳 賴夭丕乇鬲賵賴丕爻鬲貙 賲丕 蹖讴亘丕乇 鬲丕 鬲賴 丿賳蹖丕 乇賮鬲賴鈥屫й屬� 丕賳诏丕乇貙 賴賲賴鈥屰� 趩蹖夭賴丕蹖 賳丕賲讴卮賵賮 乇丕 讴卮賮 讴乇丿賴鈥屫й屬呚� 賴賲賴鈥屰� 毓賱賵賲 乇丕 丿丕賳爻鬲賴鈥屫й屬呚� 乇丕夭 禺賱賯鬲 乇丕 丿乇蹖丕賮鬲賴鈥屫й屬呚� 賲毓賲丕蹖 賴爻鬲蹖 乇丕 賴賲 丨賱 讴乇丿賴鈥屫й屬� 丕賲丕 讴賲蹖 亘毓丿 賴賲賴鈥屭嗃屫� 丕夭 蹖丕丿賲丕賳 乇賮鬲賴 趩賵賳 賲丕 賮乇丕賲賵卮讴丕乇蹖賲 賵 丿賳蹖丕 亘乇 賲丿丕乇 賮乇丕賲賵卮蹖 賲丕 賲蹖鈥屭必�.
February 10, 2017
鈥楾l枚n is surely a labyrinth, but it is a labyrinth devised by men, a labyrinth destined to be deciphered by men.鈥�
Labyrinths is a collection of short stories, essays, and other literary works. It is my first experience with Borges, but it shall not be the last.
Borges writes but he does more than that. He鈥檚 a chimaera, part philosopher, part academic, part historian, and part bibliognost. His vast accumulated knowledge penetrates his work to create meta fiction that feels truly authentic, thus one has constantly remind oneself that Borges pens works of fiction and not treatises. He bends thought, axioms, and orthodoxy in his readers. He asks that you submit to his mind. As a reward he elicits a delicious reverberation from his work and the beauty and wisdom of his stories that might appear vastly spread in theme and scope create a cohesive chef-d'oeuvre. It spotlights the mind, a labyrinth, of those before us, those that have been, might have been, those that have etched their names in the annals of history. They create the maze of thought that Borges, like Ariadne leading Theseus out of the Minotaur鈥檚 labyrinth, leads us through.
After a taste of a small portion of his body of work, I have realized something vastly significant that I have missed. Fiction relies as much on the accumulation of knowledge as it is an art form, that words are not only chosen and arranged, that you don鈥檛 merely tell a story. But you create a world out of all the information you鈥檝e learned, all the systems you鈥檝e mastered, and all the theories you鈥檝e dissected, all the things you鈥檝e read. Maybe a writer is not like a divine creator who creates something out of nothing, but rather a modest chef who crafts something from the ingredients he has available to him. These ingredients we get from our experiences, our studies, our reading. Not only of fiction, but of philosophy, of different disciplines, of the ancients and of the myths. People say that the best chefs are the gastronomists. Might I presume to say the same thing for writers, that the best writers are those most widely read. And Jorge Luis Borges is as well read a writer as any other. He references both trendy works and works which no one reads anymore. He creates haunting phantasms full of familiarity and novelty, unmatched works unique in sentiment. He echoes the Cabbalists, the Greeks, the European philosophers, even Twain, yet his voice is unassumingly original. In the works of others he finds his reflection staring back at him. His pen is both an enigma and a revelation.
鈥楾hus my life is a flight and I lose everything and everything belongs to oblivion, or to him. I do not know which of us has written this page.鈥�
I have walked the winding path inside the mind of Borges, and the walls of his words enchant me. If to be lost in his labyrinth is to be engulfed in silent brilliance, then I pray never to find my way again.
Labyrinths is a collection of short stories, essays, and other literary works. It is my first experience with Borges, but it shall not be the last.
Borges writes but he does more than that. He鈥檚 a chimaera, part philosopher, part academic, part historian, and part bibliognost. His vast accumulated knowledge penetrates his work to create meta fiction that feels truly authentic, thus one has constantly remind oneself that Borges pens works of fiction and not treatises. He bends thought, axioms, and orthodoxy in his readers. He asks that you submit to his mind. As a reward he elicits a delicious reverberation from his work and the beauty and wisdom of his stories that might appear vastly spread in theme and scope create a cohesive chef-d'oeuvre. It spotlights the mind, a labyrinth, of those before us, those that have been, might have been, those that have etched their names in the annals of history. They create the maze of thought that Borges, like Ariadne leading Theseus out of the Minotaur鈥檚 labyrinth, leads us through.
After a taste of a small portion of his body of work, I have realized something vastly significant that I have missed. Fiction relies as much on the accumulation of knowledge as it is an art form, that words are not only chosen and arranged, that you don鈥檛 merely tell a story. But you create a world out of all the information you鈥檝e learned, all the systems you鈥檝e mastered, and all the theories you鈥檝e dissected, all the things you鈥檝e read. Maybe a writer is not like a divine creator who creates something out of nothing, but rather a modest chef who crafts something from the ingredients he has available to him. These ingredients we get from our experiences, our studies, our reading. Not only of fiction, but of philosophy, of different disciplines, of the ancients and of the myths. People say that the best chefs are the gastronomists. Might I presume to say the same thing for writers, that the best writers are those most widely read. And Jorge Luis Borges is as well read a writer as any other. He references both trendy works and works which no one reads anymore. He creates haunting phantasms full of familiarity and novelty, unmatched works unique in sentiment. He echoes the Cabbalists, the Greeks, the European philosophers, even Twain, yet his voice is unassumingly original. In the works of others he finds his reflection staring back at him. His pen is both an enigma and a revelation.
鈥楾hus my life is a flight and I lose everything and everything belongs to oblivion, or to him. I do not know which of us has written this page.鈥�
I have walked the winding path inside the mind of Borges, and the walls of his words enchant me. If to be lost in his labyrinth is to be engulfed in silent brilliance, then I pray never to find my way again.
December 17, 2015
Reading. No, thought. No, reality. Or, fiction? Fiction. But also time, and faith, and metonymy.
How close is the instantaneous you to the you in context with time, space, and the integration over the infinite?
What? What.
The what is the period of time wherein I grew fed up with the knowing and began to contemplate the thinking, unknown and yet rather persistent seeing as it continues to niggle at me. Knowing helps, of course, in the foundations of common thought from which propagates communication, an inherently faulty condition in an endless number of ways which we will not delve into now but would have you keep it in mind. The hypothesis, thesis, maxim and crux of touching upon the streaming moment, the schizophrenic past, the hallucinatory future, and everything in between.
You read a story, and you enjoy it. You read a story, and you hate it. You read a story, and think, well, it wasn't a complete waste of time. Now, that last part, that was interesting. For you've just delineated a breaking up of time as corresponding to certain parts of a piece of work, and a differential behavior over time just begs for a formula for explicatory purposes. Wouldn't you say?
Or not. You're not here for math, or maths, or numbers and their rote maneuverings. You're here for ethos, pathos, and logos, on a determined length of instants inside a mind completely reliant on rather inexplicit senses, sailing upon a calibrated fortification of personal/historical/sociocultural context spreading its tendrils into a reality that, for whatever reason, exists. You enter this minute form of visual and linguistic maneuvers with the hope (There are some unfortunates who enter with assurance and/or expectations. Poor souls.) that your time will not be 'wasted'. The variable enters the formula and comes out a solution.
Context? Context. Jorge Luis Borges, for a fortuitous and perhaps godly (Till another word comes along that is as ripe with contextual glory and more suitable for my atheist tendencies, this will have to suffice.) reason, favored a honing of literature over development of mathematica. For an even better reason, he danced along the boundary between the two, and was not troubled in the slightest when the tenuous strands dividing the two sagged and snapped beneath his fearless weight, as there were always other webs upon which to stand and stretch and view from line to point, from word to number, from thought to full bloom with the aid of paper and pen. Always another labyrinth to enter and decorate with riotous abandon and the benefit of his own supreme erudition, with the foresight of penning down the experience so as to not have a single tale of Theseus and the Minotaur, but many. Countless. You tread the labyrinth, as do I, and the measure of our game is how badly each of us wants to get out, and what assumptions we make concerning the proper way of escaping.
How close is the instantaneous you to the you in context with time, space, and the integration over the infinite?
What? What.
The what is the period of time wherein I grew fed up with the knowing and began to contemplate the thinking, unknown and yet rather persistent seeing as it continues to niggle at me. Knowing helps, of course, in the foundations of common thought from which propagates communication, an inherently faulty condition in an endless number of ways which we will not delve into now but would have you keep it in mind. The hypothesis, thesis, maxim and crux of touching upon the streaming moment, the schizophrenic past, the hallucinatory future, and everything in between.
You read a story, and you enjoy it. You read a story, and you hate it. You read a story, and think, well, it wasn't a complete waste of time. Now, that last part, that was interesting. For you've just delineated a breaking up of time as corresponding to certain parts of a piece of work, and a differential behavior over time just begs for a formula for explicatory purposes. Wouldn't you say?
Or not. You're not here for math, or maths, or numbers and their rote maneuverings. You're here for ethos, pathos, and logos, on a determined length of instants inside a mind completely reliant on rather inexplicit senses, sailing upon a calibrated fortification of personal/historical/sociocultural context spreading its tendrils into a reality that, for whatever reason, exists. You enter this minute form of visual and linguistic maneuvers with the hope (There are some unfortunates who enter with assurance and/or expectations. Poor souls.) that your time will not be 'wasted'. The variable enters the formula and comes out a solution.
Context? Context. Jorge Luis Borges, for a fortuitous and perhaps godly (Till another word comes along that is as ripe with contextual glory and more suitable for my atheist tendencies, this will have to suffice.) reason, favored a honing of literature over development of mathematica. For an even better reason, he danced along the boundary between the two, and was not troubled in the slightest when the tenuous strands dividing the two sagged and snapped beneath his fearless weight, as there were always other webs upon which to stand and stretch and view from line to point, from word to number, from thought to full bloom with the aid of paper and pen. Always another labyrinth to enter and decorate with riotous abandon and the benefit of his own supreme erudition, with the foresight of penning down the experience so as to not have a single tale of Theseus and the Minotaur, but many. Countless. You tread the labyrinth, as do I, and the measure of our game is how badly each of us wants to get out, and what assumptions we make concerning the proper way of escaping.
It may be that universal history is the history of the different intonations given a handful of metaphors.Here is the mystery/conspiracy/faith of the world and its sidelong lapses of recognition between fellow souls of humanity, saved now and again by the flow of common themes whose limited number is not a matter to fear, but to enjoy. Here is immortality in the flight of thought and the falling of form, for what is the assurance of death if not an instigation of the limited soul towards a mark in the infinite? Here is a question of theology going hand in hand with the philosophy, and how the two often differ only in the matter of a single variable, accorded by either side with the relative values of everything and nothing. Here is the West, and the East, and Man, and all those time-stamped frames of thought riddling Borges' brain, who as such stands accused but can be excused only by the fact that at least he had the gumption to realize that there were other worlds and frames of (Postmodernism, the particle of you as a function of the wave of you as an answer and a question for, what? Reality, perhaps.) thought that he would never live to see. Or, he would never live to see, in that moment of personal reflection. Just as I will never live to see the reception of this review. Future I will, obviously. But not I.
Words, displaced and mutilated words, words of others, were the poor pittance left him by the hours and the centuries.Tell me, Borges, why do I read?
And why wander in these labyrinths? Once more, for aesthetic reasons; because this present infinity, these "vertiginous symmetries," have their tragic beauty. The form is more important than the content.Tell me, Borges, why do I write?
-Andr茅 Maurois, 'Preface'
There is no pleasure more complex than that of thought and we surrendered ourselves to it.There we go.
December 12, 2016
Doctor Who visits Argentina
The TARDIS appears in a wheat Farm. Doctor Who and his hot assistant come out of it. "But what are doing in Argentina?"
Doctor replies"I lost my Sonic screwdriver was lost in labyrinths of time." and becomes quit as if the explanation is enough.
Impatient she tries again, "So, how do you know it is to be found in Argentina of 70s?"
"I don't where my screwdriver is. I can't find a thing in labyrinths of time, it is labyrinths of time for goodness sake. Only one person is genius enough to be able to find his way through them."
"Who?"
"What do you mean by 'Who'? I said labrynths!"
The TARDIS appears in a wheat Farm. Doctor Who and his hot assistant come out of it. "But what are doing in Argentina?"
Doctor replies"I lost my Sonic screwdriver was lost in labyrinths of time." and becomes quit as if the explanation is enough.
Impatient she tries again, "So, how do you know it is to be found in Argentina of 70s?"
"I don't where my screwdriver is. I can't find a thing in labyrinths of time, it is labyrinths of time for goodness sake. Only one person is genius enough to be able to find his way through them."
"Who?"
"What do you mean by 'Who'? I said labrynths!"
November 21, 2016
鈥庁堌池з嗁� 诏乇丕賳賯丿乇貙 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 296 氐賮丨賴 丿丕乇丿 賵 賲噩賲賵毓賴 丕蹖 丕夭 賳賵卮鬲賴 賴丕貙 乇賵丕蹖鬲賴丕貙 賲氐丕丨亘賴 賴丕 賵 丕卮毓丕乇賽 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄 丕爻鬲... 亘蹖卮鬲乇 亘賴 鬲賯丿蹖乇 賵 爻鬲丕蹖卮 丕夭 賯賴乇賲丕賳 賴丕蹖賽 噩賳诏蹖 賵 丕賳賯賱丕亘蹖 丿乇 丌乇跇丕賳鬲蹖賳 賵 夭賳丿诏蹖賽 賵 丕賮讴丕乇賽 丌賳賴丕 倬乇丿丕禺鬲賴 丕爻鬲
鈥庁� 丕亘鬲丿丕蹖賽 讴鬲丕亘貙 賲鬲乇噩賲 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄 乇丕 亘丕 芦丨丕賮馗禄 賲賯丕蹖爻賴 讴乇丿賴 丕爻鬲貙 讴賴 丕夭 丿蹖丿诏丕賴賽 賲賳貙 丕氐賱丕賸 賯丕亘賱賽 賲賯丕蹖爻賴 賳蹖爻鬲賳丿... 丿乇 夭蹖乇 鬲毓丿丕丿蹖 丕夭 賳賵卮鬲賴 賴丕蹖賽 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 乇丕 亘乇丕蹖賽 卮賲丕 亘夭乇诏賵丕乇丕賳 亘賴 丕賳鬲禺丕亘貙 賲蹖賳賵蹖爻賲
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鈥庂囏藏ж必堐屬� 倬購乇倬蹖趩 賵 禺賲蹖 丕夭 诏丕賲 賴丕
鈥広┵� 丕夭 乇賵夭賴丕蹖賽 賲賳 亘丕賮鬲賴 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲
鈥庁ж� 乇賵夭賽 鬲賵賱丿賲 鬲丕 讴賳賵賳貙 賲乇丕 亘賴 丕蹖賳 爻丕毓鬲賽 鬲亘丕賴蹖 亘爻鬲賴 丕爻鬲
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鈥庂矩池必ㄚ嗁� 丕蹖 亘賵丿賲 讴賴 趩蹖夭蹖 丕夭 賲乇诏 賳賲蹖丿丕賳爻鬲貙 賲乇诏 賳丕倬匕蹖乇 亘賵丿賲
鈥庂� 亘毓丿賴丕 乇賵夭賴丕蹖賽 乇賵夭貙 丕鬲丕賯 賴丕蹖賽 亘蹖 丌賮鬲丕亘 乇丕 亘賴 丿賳亘丕賱賽 丕賵 讴丕賵蹖丿賲
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鈥庁簇й屫� 丿乇 賲乇诏貙 丌賳 賴賳诏丕賲 讴賴 禺丕讴
鈥庁и� 丕爻鬲貙 賲丕 亘乇丕蹖賽 賴賲蹖卮賴
鈥庁й屬� 乇蹖卮踿 賲乇賲賵夭 亘丕卮蹖賲
鈥広┵� 亘賴卮鬲 蹖丕 丿賵夭禺賽 亘丿賳 賴丕蹖賲丕賳
鈥庁⒇必з� 蹖丕 賵丨卮鬲 亘丕乇
鈥庁з堌з嗁� 丕夭 丌賳 禺賵丕賴丿 乇賵蹖蹖丿
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鈥庁� 亘蹖賳賽 賳賵丕乇賴丕蹖賽 卮诏賮鬲賽 禺蹖夭乇丕賳
鈥庁必з� 乇丕賴 賴丕蹖賽 亘丿賳賽 亘亘乇 乇丕 賲蹖賳诏乇賲 賵 讴丕賱亘丿賽 丕爻鬲禺賵丕賳蹖 乇丕
鈥庁� 夭蹖乇賽 倬賵卮卮賽 倬乇卮讴賵賴賽 倬賵爻鬲賽 賱乇夭丕賳 丨爻 賲蹖讴賳賲
鈥庁з傐屫з嗁堌� 賴丕蹖賽 倬乇賲賵噩 賵 夭亘丕賱賴 賴丕蹖賽 爻蹖丕乇賴 賴丕
鈥庁ㄛ屬囐堌� 賲丕 乇丕 丕夭 蹖讴丿蹖诏乇 噩丿丕 賳诏丕賴 賲蹖丿丕乇賳丿
鈥庁ж� 丕蹖賳噩丕 丿乇 禺丕賳賴 丕蹖 丿賵乇 丿爻鬲貙 芦丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖賽 噩賳賵亘蹖禄 賲賳 鬲賵 乇丕 丿乇 乇賵蹖丕 賲蹖亘蹖賳賲
鈥庁� 乇丕 丿賳亘丕賱 賲蹖讴賳賲貙 丕蹖 亘亘乇賽 讴乇丕賳賴 賴丕蹖賽 诏賳诏
鈥庁и┵嗁堎� 讴賴 卮丕賲诏丕賴貙 乇賵丨賲 乇丕 倬購乇 賲蹖讴賳丿貙 丿乇 賲蹖 蹖丕亘賲
鈥広┵� 亘亘乇賽 卮毓乇賽 賲賳
鈥庁з嗁堌臂� 丕爻鬲 丿乇 爻丕蹖賴 賴丕貙 亘亘乇蹖 丕夭 爻賻賲亘購賱 賴丕爻鬲
鈥庂� 鬲讴賴 倬丕乇賴 賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 亘賴 鬲毓賮賳 丕夭 讴鬲丕亘 賴丕 噩賲毓 丌賲丿賴
鈥庁必簇� 丕蹖 丕夭 丕爻鬲毓丕乇賴 賴丕蹖賽 賲丕賴乇丕賳賴貙 讴賴 毓丕乇蹖 丕夭 夭賳丿诏蹖 丕賳丿
鈥庂� 賳賴 亘亘乇賽 賲賯丿乇貙 噩賵丕賴乇賽 賲賴賱讴
鈥広┵� 夭蹖乇賽 禺賵乇卮蹖丿 蹖丕 爻鬲丕乇诏丕賳 蹖丕 賲丕賴賽 丕賮爻賵賳诏乇
鈥庁� 亘賳诏丕賱 蹖丕 爻賵賲丕鬲乇丕 賲蹖 禺乇丕賲丿
鈥庂� 賲兀賲賵乇蹖鬲賽 乇賵夭丕賳賴 丕卮 乇丕 丕夭 毓卮賯貙 讴丕賴賱蹖 賵 賲乇诏 亘賴 丕賳噩丕賲 賲蹖乇爻丕賳丿
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鈥庂囐堌促嗂� 诏賱卮蹖乇蹖 丿乇 倬丕蹖丕賳賽 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 賳賵卮鬲賴: 乇丕爻鬲蹖 賳讴賳丿 讴賴 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄貙 賲丨氐賵賱賽 乇賵蹖丕蹖賽 倬丿乇賽 讴賵乇 禺賵丿 亘丕卮丿責 賵 卮丕蹖丿 賴賲 亘卮賵丿 亘賴 卮蹖賵踿 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄 诏賮鬲: 丌賳讴賴 丿乇 賲賵乇丿賽 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄 賲蹖賳賵蹖爻丿貙 亘蹖卮鬲乇 丿乇 賲賵乇丿賽 禺賵丿卮貙 丌孬丕乇賽 禺賵丿卮 賲蹖賳賵蹖爻丿... 亘賴 乇丕爻鬲蹖 讴賴 爻讴踿 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄 趩賳丕賳 賮鬲賳賴 賲蹖讴賳丿 讴賴 诏丕賴 賲蹖鬲乇爻賲 賳讴賳丿 讴賵乇 卮賵蹖賲!貙 蹖丕 賲賳 賲蹖鬲乇爻賲
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鈥庁з呟屫堌ж辟� 倬爻賳丿蹖丿賴 亘丕卮蹖丿
鈥�<倬蹖乇賵夭 亘丕卮蹖丿 賵 丕蹖乇丕賳蹖>
鈥庁� 丕亘鬲丿丕蹖賽 讴鬲丕亘貙 賲鬲乇噩賲 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄 乇丕 亘丕 芦丨丕賮馗禄 賲賯丕蹖爻賴 讴乇丿賴 丕爻鬲貙 讴賴 丕夭 丿蹖丿诏丕賴賽 賲賳貙 丕氐賱丕賸 賯丕亘賱賽 賲賯丕蹖爻賴 賳蹖爻鬲賳丿... 丿乇 夭蹖乇 鬲毓丿丕丿蹖 丕夭 賳賵卮鬲賴 賴丕蹖賽 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 乇丕 亘乇丕蹖賽 卮賲丕 亘夭乇诏賵丕乇丕賳 亘賴 丕賳鬲禺丕亘貙 賲蹖賳賵蹖爻賲
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鈥庂囏藏ж必堐屬� 倬購乇倬蹖趩 賵 禺賲蹖 丕夭 诏丕賲 賴丕
鈥広┵� 丕夭 乇賵夭賴丕蹖賽 賲賳 亘丕賮鬲賴 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲
鈥庁ж� 乇賵夭賽 鬲賵賱丿賲 鬲丕 讴賳賵賳貙 賲乇丕 亘賴 丕蹖賳 爻丕毓鬲賽 鬲亘丕賴蹖 亘爻鬲賴 丕爻鬲
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鈥庂矩池必ㄚ嗁� 丕蹖 亘賵丿賲 讴賴 趩蹖夭蹖 丕夭 賲乇诏 賳賲蹖丿丕賳爻鬲貙 賲乇诏 賳丕倬匕蹖乇 亘賵丿賲
鈥庂� 亘毓丿賴丕 乇賵夭賴丕蹖賽 乇賵夭貙 丕鬲丕賯 賴丕蹖賽 亘蹖 丌賮鬲丕亘 乇丕 亘賴 丿賳亘丕賱賽 丕賵 讴丕賵蹖丿賲
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鈥庁簇й屫� 丿乇 賲乇诏貙 丌賳 賴賳诏丕賲 讴賴 禺丕讴
鈥庁и� 丕爻鬲貙 賲丕 亘乇丕蹖賽 賴賲蹖卮賴
鈥庁й屬� 乇蹖卮踿 賲乇賲賵夭 亘丕卮蹖賲
鈥広┵� 亘賴卮鬲 蹖丕 丿賵夭禺賽 亘丿賳 賴丕蹖賲丕賳
鈥庁⒇必з� 蹖丕 賵丨卮鬲 亘丕乇
鈥庁з堌з嗁� 丕夭 丌賳 禺賵丕賴丿 乇賵蹖蹖丿
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鈥庁� 亘蹖賳賽 賳賵丕乇賴丕蹖賽 卮诏賮鬲賽 禺蹖夭乇丕賳
鈥庁必з� 乇丕賴 賴丕蹖賽 亘丿賳賽 亘亘乇 乇丕 賲蹖賳诏乇賲 賵 讴丕賱亘丿賽 丕爻鬲禺賵丕賳蹖 乇丕
鈥庁� 夭蹖乇賽 倬賵卮卮賽 倬乇卮讴賵賴賽 倬賵爻鬲賽 賱乇夭丕賳 丨爻 賲蹖讴賳賲
鈥庁з傐屫з嗁堌� 賴丕蹖賽 倬乇賲賵噩 賵 夭亘丕賱賴 賴丕蹖賽 爻蹖丕乇賴 賴丕
鈥庁ㄛ屬囐堌� 賲丕 乇丕 丕夭 蹖讴丿蹖诏乇 噩丿丕 賳诏丕賴 賲蹖丿丕乇賳丿
鈥庁ж� 丕蹖賳噩丕 丿乇 禺丕賳賴 丕蹖 丿賵乇 丿爻鬲貙 芦丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖賽 噩賳賵亘蹖禄 賲賳 鬲賵 乇丕 丿乇 乇賵蹖丕 賲蹖亘蹖賳賲
鈥庁� 乇丕 丿賳亘丕賱 賲蹖讴賳賲貙 丕蹖 亘亘乇賽 讴乇丕賳賴 賴丕蹖賽 诏賳诏
鈥庁и┵嗁堎� 讴賴 卮丕賲诏丕賴貙 乇賵丨賲 乇丕 倬購乇 賲蹖讴賳丿貙 丿乇 賲蹖 蹖丕亘賲
鈥広┵� 亘亘乇賽 卮毓乇賽 賲賳
鈥庁з嗁堌臂� 丕爻鬲 丿乇 爻丕蹖賴 賴丕貙 亘亘乇蹖 丕夭 爻賻賲亘購賱 賴丕爻鬲
鈥庂� 鬲讴賴 倬丕乇賴 賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 亘賴 鬲毓賮賳 丕夭 讴鬲丕亘 賴丕 噩賲毓 丌賲丿賴
鈥庁必簇� 丕蹖 丕夭 丕爻鬲毓丕乇賴 賴丕蹖賽 賲丕賴乇丕賳賴貙 讴賴 毓丕乇蹖 丕夭 夭賳丿诏蹖 丕賳丿
鈥庂� 賳賴 亘亘乇賽 賲賯丿乇貙 噩賵丕賴乇賽 賲賴賱讴
鈥広┵� 夭蹖乇賽 禺賵乇卮蹖丿 蹖丕 爻鬲丕乇诏丕賳 蹖丕 賲丕賴賽 丕賮爻賵賳诏乇
鈥庁� 亘賳诏丕賱 蹖丕 爻賵賲丕鬲乇丕 賲蹖 禺乇丕賲丿
鈥庂� 賲兀賲賵乇蹖鬲賽 乇賵夭丕賳賴 丕卮 乇丕 丕夭 毓卮賯貙 讴丕賴賱蹖 賵 賲乇诏 亘賴 丕賳噩丕賲 賲蹖乇爻丕賳丿
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鈥庂囐堌促嗂� 诏賱卮蹖乇蹖 丿乇 倬丕蹖丕賳賽 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 賳賵卮鬲賴: 乇丕爻鬲蹖 賳讴賳丿 讴賴 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄貙 賲丨氐賵賱賽 乇賵蹖丕蹖賽 倬丿乇賽 讴賵乇 禺賵丿 亘丕卮丿責 賵 卮丕蹖丿 賴賲 亘卮賵丿 亘賴 卮蹖賵踿 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄 诏賮鬲: 丌賳讴賴 丿乇 賲賵乇丿賽 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄 賲蹖賳賵蹖爻丿貙 亘蹖卮鬲乇 丿乇 賲賵乇丿賽 禺賵丿卮貙 丌孬丕乇賽 禺賵丿卮 賲蹖賳賵蹖爻丿... 亘賴 乇丕爻鬲蹖 讴賴 爻讴踿 芦亘賵乇禺爻禄 趩賳丕賳 賮鬲賳賴 賲蹖讴賳丿 讴賴 诏丕賴 賲蹖鬲乇爻賲 賳讴賳丿 讴賵乇 卮賵蹖賲!貙 蹖丕 賲賳 賲蹖鬲乇爻賲
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鈥庁з呟屫堌ж辟� 倬爻賳丿蹖丿賴 亘丕卮蹖丿
鈥�<倬蹖乇賵夭 亘丕卮蹖丿 賵 丕蹖乇丕賳蹖>
September 12, 2019
丕賵賱 丕夭 賴賲賴 亘诏賲 讴賴 丿乇亘丕乇賴 賲賵囟賵毓丕鬲 賵 賲丕賴蹖鬲 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й� 亘賵乇禺爻 丕胤賱丕毓丕鬲 讴丕賲賱蹖 賳丿丕卮鬲賲 賵 賮賯胤 賲蹖鈥屫堎嗀池� 讴賴 亘丕蹖丿 亘禺賵賳賲卮! 趩賳丿鬲丕 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丕賵賱 丕蹖賳 賲噩賲賵毓賴 乇賵 讴賴 禺賵賳丿賲 賮讴乇 讴乇丿賲 丿賱蹖賱 賲賲賳賵毓 卮丿賳卮 丕蹖賳賴 讴賴 賴賲賴鈥屰� 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏ж� 丿乇亘丕乇賴鈥屰� 賱丕鬲鈥屬囏� 賵 趩丕賯賵讴卮蹖 賵 丌丿賲讴卮蹖賴! 丕賲丕... 鬲賳賵毓蹖 讴賴 丿賳亘丕賱卮 亘賵丿賲 倬蹖丿丕 卮丿 賵 卮蹖賮鬲賴鈥屰� 讴鬲丕亘 卮丿賲. 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏� 禺蹖賱蹖 賲鬲賮丕賵鬲賳 賵 亘賴 賳馗乇賲 賴賲蹖賳 蹖讴 丕賲鬲蹖丕夭 賲孬亘鬲 趩卮賲诏蹖乇賴.
丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й� 賵蹖乇丕賳賴鈥屬囏й� 賲丿賵乇貙 夭禺賲 卮賲卮蹖乇貙 丕亘賳 丨賯丕賳 亘禺丕乇蹖 賵 賲乇诏 丕賵 丿乇 賴夭丕乇鬲賵蹖 禺賵丿貙 賲乇诏 丿蹖诏乇 貙 丕賳噩蹖賱 亘賴 乇賵丕蹖鬲 賲乇賯爻 乇賵 亘蹖卮鬲乇 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕卮鬲賲 馃挴馃槉
丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й� 賵蹖乇丕賳賴鈥屬囏й� 賲丿賵乇貙 夭禺賲 卮賲卮蹖乇貙 丕亘賳 丨賯丕賳 亘禺丕乇蹖 賵 賲乇诏 丕賵 丿乇 賴夭丕乇鬲賵蹖 禺賵丿貙 賲乇诏 丿蹖诏乇 貙 丕賳噩蹖賱 亘賴 乇賵丕蹖鬲 賲乇賯爻 乇賵 亘蹖卮鬲乇 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕卮鬲賲 馃挴馃槉
March 8, 2015
Jorge Luis Borges, one of the most imaginative writers I have come across, could have been a mathematician, a physicist, a philosopher or a theologian. I can see his influence on Umberto Eco in the manipulation of text and the blending between fiction and reality. To read Borges鈥檚 Labyrinth is immerse myself in a magical world where the concept of infinity manifests in space and time, where the boundary between dream and reality fades, where the past and the future converge into an instant, where levels of texts superimpose on one another, where fiction imitates nonfiction and life is a drama on stage. To read Borges is to become children again, listening to stories of magic and wonder, of unfathomable worlds.
In 鈥淭l枚n, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius,鈥� Borges creates a fictional world, where Berkeleyan idealism dominates its inhabitant鈥檚 thinking. 鈥淭he world for them is not a concourse of objects in space; it is a heterogeneous series of independent acts.鈥� Through the narrator Borges, we encounter a language without nouns, but with 鈥減ersonal verbs, modified by monosyllabic suffixes (or prefixes) with an adverbial value.鈥� The author Borges has created an alternative world, where the language and the worldviews differ from our world and from it we learn of our biases and blind spots. And we can begin to imagine new worlds, new possibilities. We can create our own languages, as Tolkien has in his fiction, and as software engineers has BASIC, FORTRAN, PASCAL, and so forth. We see similar blending of fact and fiction in Umberto Eco鈥檚 The Prague Cemetery.
In 鈥淭he Garden of Forking Paths,鈥� we encounter an infinitely long book where at every juncture of the story, all possibilities are written and the branches grow exponentially. 鈥淚n all fictional works, each time a man is confronted with several alternatives, he chooses one and eliminates the others; in the fiction of Ts鈥檜i Pen, he chooses鈥攕imultaneously鈥攁ll of them. He creates, in this way, diverse futures, diverse times which themselves also proliferate and fork.鈥� When I was younger, I have read stories where the reader can choose one of several actions鈥攖he decision tree鈥攁nd turn to the appropriate page for that choice. The story continues from there until there is another choice. And the story would have several endings. After reading this story, I realize where the idea came from. Perhaps, Borges read about the many world interpretation of Heisenberg鈥檚 Uncertainty Principle, which states that before an observation, a system could be in various states鈥攑osition, momentum, time, energy鈥攁ccording to a probability distribution and only when someone has observed the system鈥攑hotons bouncing off the object鈥攚ould it collapsed into a single state. In science fiction, such as Star Trek, we read about parallel universes but this may be the first story with such a concept.
In 鈥淭he Library of Babel,鈥� Borges again plays around with the concept of infinity, but this time also with combinatorial and I can imagine Borges as a mathematician or computer scientist. A labyrinth of infinite number of rooms stores books that include all combinations of a 22-letter alphabet plus spaces and the comma and period. Since we know the number of characters in each book, we can calculate the number of possible books (not infinite). Of course, most of them are meaningless. Is this universe of repeated rooms each with five shelves and thirty-five books a mirror of our world? Interestingly, in Eco鈥檚 The Name of the Rose, the blind monk who oversees the library is named Jorge of Burgos.
I have heard of the argument that Judas betrayed Jesus to force the latter to reveal his divinity and complete God鈥檚 work, but in 鈥淭hree Versions of Judas,鈥� the controversial theologian reinterprets the Biblical text and declares Judas the savior and God鈥檚 incarnation. 鈥淭o save us, He could have chosen any of the destinies which make up the complex web of history; He could have been Alexander or Pythagoras or Rurik or Jesus; He chose the vilest destiny of all: He was Judas.鈥� Borges鈥檚 fascination with text, whether historical documents or his own creation, dominates much of his stories and Eco certainly inherits that fascination.
In 鈥淭he Circular Ruins鈥� where a man is only another鈥檚 dream figment and 鈥淭he Theme of the Traitor and the Hero鈥� where a man鈥檚 execution for betrayal is part of a drama, Borges again mixes fact with fiction to create worlds as ephemeral as mist.
I recommend Labyrinth to anyone who wants to dream of magical worlds, who wants to reflect on reality and fiction, who wants to analyze the boundary between text and the interpreter, and who wants to contemplate on the nature of infinity.
In 鈥淭l枚n, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius,鈥� Borges creates a fictional world, where Berkeleyan idealism dominates its inhabitant鈥檚 thinking. 鈥淭he world for them is not a concourse of objects in space; it is a heterogeneous series of independent acts.鈥� Through the narrator Borges, we encounter a language without nouns, but with 鈥減ersonal verbs, modified by monosyllabic suffixes (or prefixes) with an adverbial value.鈥� The author Borges has created an alternative world, where the language and the worldviews differ from our world and from it we learn of our biases and blind spots. And we can begin to imagine new worlds, new possibilities. We can create our own languages, as Tolkien has in his fiction, and as software engineers has BASIC, FORTRAN, PASCAL, and so forth. We see similar blending of fact and fiction in Umberto Eco鈥檚 The Prague Cemetery.
In 鈥淭he Garden of Forking Paths,鈥� we encounter an infinitely long book where at every juncture of the story, all possibilities are written and the branches grow exponentially. 鈥淚n all fictional works, each time a man is confronted with several alternatives, he chooses one and eliminates the others; in the fiction of Ts鈥檜i Pen, he chooses鈥攕imultaneously鈥攁ll of them. He creates, in this way, diverse futures, diverse times which themselves also proliferate and fork.鈥� When I was younger, I have read stories where the reader can choose one of several actions鈥攖he decision tree鈥攁nd turn to the appropriate page for that choice. The story continues from there until there is another choice. And the story would have several endings. After reading this story, I realize where the idea came from. Perhaps, Borges read about the many world interpretation of Heisenberg鈥檚 Uncertainty Principle, which states that before an observation, a system could be in various states鈥攑osition, momentum, time, energy鈥攁ccording to a probability distribution and only when someone has observed the system鈥攑hotons bouncing off the object鈥攚ould it collapsed into a single state. In science fiction, such as Star Trek, we read about parallel universes but this may be the first story with such a concept.
In 鈥淭he Library of Babel,鈥� Borges again plays around with the concept of infinity, but this time also with combinatorial and I can imagine Borges as a mathematician or computer scientist. A labyrinth of infinite number of rooms stores books that include all combinations of a 22-letter alphabet plus spaces and the comma and period. Since we know the number of characters in each book, we can calculate the number of possible books (not infinite). Of course, most of them are meaningless. Is this universe of repeated rooms each with five shelves and thirty-five books a mirror of our world? Interestingly, in Eco鈥檚 The Name of the Rose, the blind monk who oversees the library is named Jorge of Burgos.
I have heard of the argument that Judas betrayed Jesus to force the latter to reveal his divinity and complete God鈥檚 work, but in 鈥淭hree Versions of Judas,鈥� the controversial theologian reinterprets the Biblical text and declares Judas the savior and God鈥檚 incarnation. 鈥淭o save us, He could have chosen any of the destinies which make up the complex web of history; He could have been Alexander or Pythagoras or Rurik or Jesus; He chose the vilest destiny of all: He was Judas.鈥� Borges鈥檚 fascination with text, whether historical documents or his own creation, dominates much of his stories and Eco certainly inherits that fascination.
In 鈥淭he Circular Ruins鈥� where a man is only another鈥檚 dream figment and 鈥淭he Theme of the Traitor and the Hero鈥� where a man鈥檚 execution for betrayal is part of a drama, Borges again mixes fact with fiction to create worlds as ephemeral as mist.
I recommend Labyrinth to anyone who wants to dream of magical worlds, who wants to reflect on reality and fiction, who wants to analyze the boundary between text and the interpreter, and who wants to contemplate on the nature of infinity.
October 29, 2021
111th book of 2021.
Borges has the great gift and frustration of being wonderfully readable and hard to understand at the same time: a sort of bonus paradox/labyrinth/conundrum. It鈥檚 been a short time since I first read Ficciones so I read them again as they are here within Labyrinths and found myself enjoying them more and finding them 鈥渄eeper鈥� (by which I mean more profound). 鈥淭he Secret Miracle鈥�, for example, is a beautiful, beautiful, story: it is hopeful and saddening, cathartic. Part of a sentence runs, 鈥楾hen he reflected that reality does not usually coincide with our anticipation of it鈥�, and how true is that? For things are always less scary, more terrifying, more hurtful, less dangerous, than we anticipate. The usual suspects still hold up too鈥� 鈥淭he Garden of Forking Paths鈥�, 鈥淭he Library of Babel鈥�, etc. Labyrinths also contains some essays which move through Dante, Cervantes, Shakespeare. It鈥檚 reading Borges鈥� essays that we realise that they are not too dissimilar from his stories and that they can be equally frightening and labyrinthine (and I discovered on this reading, Dickian?) than his fiction. The end of the essay 鈥淧artial Magic in the Quixote鈥� reads,
Perhaps the greatest essay ending I鈥檝e read. And his essay on Kafka (鈥淜afka and his Precursors鈥�) captures the history of literature too with the line, 鈥楾he fact is that every writer creates his own precursors. His work modifies our conception of the past, as it will modify the future.鈥� Kafka is blessed to have this essay and David Foster Wallace鈥檚 essay, 鈥淪ome Remarks on Kafka鈥檚 Funniness from Which Probably Not Enough Has Been Removed鈥�. I may add more to this as I work my way back out of Borges鈥� labyrinths.
Borges has the great gift and frustration of being wonderfully readable and hard to understand at the same time: a sort of bonus paradox/labyrinth/conundrum. It鈥檚 been a short time since I first read Ficciones so I read them again as they are here within Labyrinths and found myself enjoying them more and finding them 鈥渄eeper鈥� (by which I mean more profound). 鈥淭he Secret Miracle鈥�, for example, is a beautiful, beautiful, story: it is hopeful and saddening, cathartic. Part of a sentence runs, 鈥楾hen he reflected that reality does not usually coincide with our anticipation of it鈥�, and how true is that? For things are always less scary, more terrifying, more hurtful, less dangerous, than we anticipate. The usual suspects still hold up too鈥� 鈥淭he Garden of Forking Paths鈥�, 鈥淭he Library of Babel鈥�, etc. Labyrinths also contains some essays which move through Dante, Cervantes, Shakespeare. It鈥檚 reading Borges鈥� essays that we realise that they are not too dissimilar from his stories and that they can be equally frightening and labyrinthine (and I discovered on this reading, Dickian?) than his fiction. The end of the essay 鈥淧artial Magic in the Quixote鈥� reads,
Why does it disturb us that the map be included in the map of the thousand and one nights in the book of the 鈥楾housand and One Nights鈥�? Why does it disturb us that Don Quixote can be a reader of the 鈥楺uixote鈥� and Hamlet a spectator of 鈥楬amlet鈥�? I believe I have found the reason : these inversions suggest that if the characters of a fictional work can be readers of spectators, we, its readers or spectators, can be fictitious. In 1833, Carlyle observed that the history of the universe is an infinite sacred book that all men write and read and try to understand, and in which they are also written.
Perhaps the greatest essay ending I鈥檝e read. And his essay on Kafka (鈥淜afka and his Precursors鈥�) captures the history of literature too with the line, 鈥楾he fact is that every writer creates his own precursors. His work modifies our conception of the past, as it will modify the future.鈥� Kafka is blessed to have this essay and David Foster Wallace鈥檚 essay, 鈥淪ome Remarks on Kafka鈥檚 Funniness from Which Probably Not Enough Has Been Removed鈥�. I may add more to this as I work my way back out of Borges鈥� labyrinths.
March 19, 2024
For a few years in my early 20s I was obsessed with this book. Some of these stories I have read probably 10 times. The opening story ('Tlon, Uqbar, Orbius Tertius') is one of the most challenging, rewarding mind-f**ks in all literature. Borges's style is limited 鈥� this becomes clearer in his later work 鈥� but for me this collection is superbly chosen. Rarely has so much innovation been crammed into so short a space, but innovation of the controlled kind. No displays of histrionics for this Argentine; his stories are well-wrought and concise. Every story or essay seems to focus on a paradox and explode it.
Is it only me or does anyone else see a bit of Borges in Philip K. Dick? And why are the Borg (Star Trek: The Next Generation) called the Borg? I mean, the librarian in The Name of the Rose was called Jorge for a reason. What I'm saying is these days Borges's influence seems to be everywhere. Or is it just that he condensed so many of the key themes in literature down to such a fundamental state that now it seems as if he owns them?
A pre-post-modernist without whom I doubt Eco or Italo Calvino could have turned out as they did, Borges is everything that's good about those two younger Italians condensed down into something you can swallow. In the mind-bending short story stakes only Edgar Allan Poe comes close. Life-changing.
Is it only me or does anyone else see a bit of Borges in Philip K. Dick? And why are the Borg (Star Trek: The Next Generation) called the Borg? I mean, the librarian in The Name of the Rose was called Jorge for a reason. What I'm saying is these days Borges's influence seems to be everywhere. Or is it just that he condensed so many of the key themes in literature down to such a fundamental state that now it seems as if he owns them?
A pre-post-modernist without whom I doubt Eco or Italo Calvino could have turned out as they did, Borges is everything that's good about those two younger Italians condensed down into something you can swallow. In the mind-bending short story stakes only Edgar Allan Poe comes close. Life-changing.
January 20, 2021
丌賳讴賴 亘鬲賵丕賳丿 诏賱蹖 乇丕 丿乇讴 讴賳丿 賯丕丿乇 丕爻鬲 賴賲賴 噩賴丕賳 乇丕 丿乇讴 讴賳丿.
"毓丕賱蹖 亘賵丿"
"毓丕賱蹖 亘賵丿"
July 19, 2023
"It is doubtful that the world has a meaning; It is even more doubtful that it has a double or triple meaning, the unbeliever will observe."
Jorge Luis Borges has composed only small essays and short fictional works.
Somebody told me that he is very intelligent and writes in a mathematical style. What? Maths in Fiction! No not maths. Only mathematical style! He was an Argentine by birth and through this book, I was reading him for the first time in detail. His Emma Zunz was the only story I had read so far. I was not let down. Not only mathematical, I found his fiction universal and too much symbolic also. Those features are very clear and visible. This book contains some twenty-three short works of fiction and almost ten essays. Essays are also short and precise. There are some short parables in the end.
I began with the Essays first and read the essay titled "The wall and the books" , where he presented his thoughts on the Chinese emperor who erected the Wall of China and ordered to burn all the books that were published before him, to erase the history. He wanted history to start from his reign. Borges has expressed his thoughts on such an emperor and his tendency of burning history. There are some other interesting essays too, "Kafka and his precursors" and " The Mirror of enigmas". I found them enlightening.
In the short stories, there is such precision that I can only call it masterly!
"Why to take five hundred pages," he asks " to develop an idea whose oral demonstration fits into a few minutes." This statement confirms his attitude and approach. There are mysteries and detective tales. His metaphysical fiction took me time to get hold of. Borges once claimed that the basic devices of all the fantastic literature are only four in number: the work within the work, the contamination of reality by the dream, the voyage in time, and the double!
Aren't these parameters interesting?
Out of the stories, the first story that I read was " the Garden of the forking path". I will call it an interesting philosophical rumination, It's a riddle and parable and its theme is time. Labyrinth of time!"The Lottery in Babylon " was another one that I read, here in an ancient town people play the lottery- lottery. They pay in copper coins and hope to win silver coins in return and it is beautifully written. The narrator comes from a dizzy land where the lottery is the basis of reality. "I have known what the Greeks do not know. Certitude." The Babylonians threw themselves into the game and those who did not acquire chances were considered pusillanimous, and cowardly. Lottery becomes life there, Somebody wrote that this story was an allegory of totalitarianism. Maybe it was but for me, it was a story of chance and the author played amazingly well with the vehemence of human nature and emotions.
There are other stories and essays that I liked in this book, I am going to revisit Borges again for sure, While reading these stories, especially the above two that I mentioned, the one contemporary author who instantly appeared in my imagination was Orhan Pamuk, because similar traits and philosophical ruminations with the mathematical precision, I had experienced in his books too. There is one thing that I would like to say in the end though I liked his work in this book for its symbolism, many people may dislike it for the same reason, because If you don't like such prose, You may find it dull and dreary.
For me, the book was a winner.
January 19, 2022
"A Problem"....
What would happen, wonders Borges, if due to his belief in these fantasies, Don Quixote attacks and kills a real person? Borges asks a fundamental question about the human condition: what happens when the yarns spun by our narrating self cause grievous harm to ourselves or those around us? There are three main possibilities, says Borges.
One option is that nothing much happens. Don Quixote will not be bothered at all by killing a real man. His delusions are so overpowering that he will not be able to recognise the difference between committing actual murder and dueling with the imaginary windmill giants.
Another option is that once he takes a person鈥檚 life, Don Quixote will be so horrified that he will be shaken out of his delusions. This is akin to a young recruit who goes to war believing that it is good to die for one鈥檚 country, only to end up completely disillusioned by the realities of warfare.
But there is a third option, much more complex and profound. As long as he fought imaginary giants, Don Quixote was just play-acting. However once he actually kills someone, he will cling to his fantasies for all he is worth, because only they give meaning to his tragic misdeed. Paradoxically, the more sacrifices we make for an imaginary story, the more tenaciously we hold on to it, because we desperately want to give meaning to these sacrifices and to the suffering we have caused.
What would happen, wonders Borges, if due to his belief in these fantasies, Don Quixote attacks and kills a real person? Borges asks a fundamental question about the human condition: what happens when the yarns spun by our narrating self cause grievous harm to ourselves or those around us? There are three main possibilities, says Borges.
One option is that nothing much happens. Don Quixote will not be bothered at all by killing a real man. His delusions are so overpowering that he will not be able to recognise the difference between committing actual murder and dueling with the imaginary windmill giants.
Another option is that once he takes a person鈥檚 life, Don Quixote will be so horrified that he will be shaken out of his delusions. This is akin to a young recruit who goes to war believing that it is good to die for one鈥檚 country, only to end up completely disillusioned by the realities of warfare.
But there is a third option, much more complex and profound. As long as he fought imaginary giants, Don Quixote was just play-acting. However once he actually kills someone, he will cling to his fantasies for all he is worth, because only they give meaning to his tragic misdeed. Paradoxically, the more sacrifices we make for an imaginary story, the more tenaciously we hold on to it, because we desperately want to give meaning to these sacrifices and to the suffering we have caused.
January 17, 2021
鈥� 丕賲蹖丿 賵 鬲乇爻 乇丕 卮賳丕禺鬲賲.
氐賵乇鬲鈥屬囏й� 鬲賵丕賲丕賳 丌蹖賳丿賴鈥屰� 賳丕賲毓賱賵賲 乇丕 .
亘蹖禺賵丕亘蹖 乇丕 卮賳丕禺鬲賲.禺賵丕亘 乇丕貙 乇丐蹖丕賴丕 乇丕貙
噩賴賱 乇丕貙噩爻賲 乇丕貙
賴夭丕乇鈥屫堚€屬囏й� 賲丿賵乇 毓賯賱 乇丕貙
丿賵爻鬲蹖 丕賳爻丕賳鈥屬囏� 乇丕貙
毓亘賵丿蹖鬲 讴賵乇爻诏丕賳 乇丕.
賲乇丕 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕卮鬲賳丿 貙卮賳丕禺鬲賳丿貙爻鬲賵丿賳丿貙
賵 丕夭 氐賱蹖亘 丌賵蹖禺鬲賳丿.
鈥�
氐賵乇鬲鈥屬囏й� 鬲賵丕賲丕賳 丌蹖賳丿賴鈥屰� 賳丕賲毓賱賵賲 乇丕 .
亘蹖禺賵丕亘蹖 乇丕 卮賳丕禺鬲賲.禺賵丕亘 乇丕貙 乇丐蹖丕賴丕 乇丕貙
噩賴賱 乇丕貙噩爻賲 乇丕貙
賴夭丕乇鈥屫堚€屬囏й� 賲丿賵乇 毓賯賱 乇丕貙
丿賵爻鬲蹖 丕賳爻丕賳鈥屬囏� 乇丕貙
毓亘賵丿蹖鬲 讴賵乇爻诏丕賳 乇丕.
賲乇丕 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕卮鬲賳丿 貙卮賳丕禺鬲賳丿貙爻鬲賵丿賳丿貙
賵 丕夭 氐賱蹖亘 丌賵蹖禺鬲賳丿.
鈥�
December 25, 2018
LABIRIN BERNAMA BORGES
"Thinkin鈥� is a lonely business."鈥昅artin Heidegger
BORGES, seumur hidupnya, memiliki nasib baik untuk selalu berdekatan dengan buku dan literatur. Semenjak kecil ia sering menghabiskan waktu di perpustakaan ayahnya. Di sana lah, di antara ribuan buku berbahasa Inggris, fragmen paling penting buat Borges kecil鈥攜ang kelak mempengaruhi jalan hidupnya. Siapa sangka, di masa tuanya Borges diangkat menjadi direktur perpustakaan nasional.
Barangkali bertolak dari pengalaman itu ia membuat cerita pendek di mana tokohnya gemar menelusuri literatur, sejarah, dan kultur dari dunia luas. Dalam buku Labyrinths, Borges mengarang plot yang membuat tokohnya menyusuri halaman-halaman ensiklopedia untuk mengetahui apa itu Uqbar dan Tl枚n (dalam Tl枚n, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius) dan, tanpa keraguan akan jadi membosankan, menampilkan 19 nomor literatur karya Menard pada satu cerita pendek (Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote).
Juga pada beberapa cerpen yang lain, Borges tampak sebagai pembaca tekun yang mencoba memahami labirin-labirin literatur perpustakaan. Gejala yang sering kita temui: Borges melakukan banyak penyebutan referensi. Gema dari ruang pikirannya seakan tak mau berhenti.
Saya ingat satu kalimat dari Orhan Pamuk yang mungkin relevan untuk melihat Borges: "The starting point of true literature is the man who shuts himself up in his room with his books."
鈼忊棌鈼�
Andr茅 Maurois menyakini sumber-sumber bacaan Borges "tak terhitung dan tak terduga". Borges membaca apa yang orang jarang tertarik, seperti Kabalis atau filosofi zaman pertengahan (saya pernah mendengar orang berkata, hanya Umberto Eco yang mungkin menyamai antusiasme tersebut). Ia mengagumi keganjilan hubungan antara tidur dan mimpi, dan untuk itu mengutip cerita Qur'an 1400 tahun yang lalu tentang pemuda Kahfi (The Secret Miracle).
Dari sumber-sumber nyata itu Borges mencampurkannya dalam detail dan sitasi yang membuat kita kadang berpikir fiksi Borges adalah potongan realitas. Tapi dunia cerita Borges tetaplah cuma imajiner. Dan dalam labirin imajiner itulah (bukan dunia yang penuh langkah-langkah kaki dan percakapan ramai), kita diajaknya ikut serta. Kita seperti tokoh dalam The Circular Ruins: seorang lelaki yang berusaha menciptakan manusia dalam mimpi, dan akhirnya menyadari, setelah tidak terbakar oleh api, bahwa ia sendiri ciptaan imajiner dari orang lain yang bermimpi鈥昦pa yang kelihatan nyata rupanya hanya bagian dari ilusi.
Borges meringkus labirin-labirin imajiner itu dalam bentuk cerita pendek yang seperti esai: hampir seluruhnya narasi dan sarat misteri. Satu lagi: tidak banyak dialog antartokoh di dalamnya. Dengan itu Borges menciptakan dunia rekaan yang menurutnya masuk akal dan berusaha menawarkan makna, misalnya tentang eksistensi manusia, dalam bentuk yang mungkin tidak bisa diungkapkan melalui jalan lain.
Dalam salah satu interviu dengan Denis Dutton, Borges mengaku menggunakan filosofi untuk cerita pendek sebagaimana Dante menggunakan teologi untuk puisi. Borges menyebut karangan-karangan itu "fiksi filosofi" ketimbang "fiksi sains". Bagi Borges, memasuki lorong-lorong ide, melontarkan kontradiksi, dan menguraikan drama kemungkinan-ketakmungkinan dalam cerita pendek adalah caranya untuk skeptis. Maka kita sering menemukan paradoks, serangkai ketakjelasan, ketika mencoba memahami cerita-ceritanya: tiap kali kita harus menerkanya seperti teka-teki dan membacanya berulang kali.
鈼忊棌鈼�
Salah satu ketegangan intelektual yang sempat menjadi perhatian Borges adalah, meski ia lahir di Buenos Aires, kita tak melihat yang khas Argentina dalam cerita-ceritanya. Di The Garden of Forking Paths ia membuat karakter Yu Tsun dan Ts'ui P锚n鈥昻ama Tiongkok, sekaligus dengan mudahnya mengutip Seribu Satu Malam, Newton, dan Schopenhauer. Di Funes the Memorious ia membicarakan seorang Uruguay, menyamakannya dengan Zarathustra, dan menyebut baberapa kota dan negara dalam satu cerita: Monteviedo, San Franscisco, London, New York, Mesir. Di The Lottery in Babylon ia narator yang mengaku sebagai orang Babilonia鈥晄ebuah negeri dari dunia yang lama. Di The Shape of the Sword ia menulis mengenai orang Irlandia yang terlibat perang sipil dan melarikan diri ke Brazil. Saya mengira semua itu ada hubungannya dengan hidupnya yang sejak kecil berpindah-pindah dan terbiasa dikelilingi bahasa-bahasa yang mewakili peradaban besar dunia.
Tentu ada yang lebih mendasar dari itu. Dalam esai The Argentine Writer and Tradition, Borges mengajukan proposal bahwa penulis-penulis Argentina, termasuk dirinya, kurang-lebih mengacu pada tradisi kultur Barat. Maka jika kita tak menemukan topografi atau botani Argentina dalam sebuah karangan, bagi Borges, hal itu tak seharusnya mengurangi nilai karangan tersebut. Pada cerita Theme of the Traitor and the Hero, misalnya, Borges lebih memilih berbicara tentang kemungkinan sebuah plot di mana seorang Irlandia bernama Ryan ingin mencari tahu kebenaran mengenai Fergus Killpatrick, satu tokoh yang dianggap hero. Di sana kita menemukan latar Irlandia dan kutipan nama-nama terkenal dalam tradisi Barat: Chesterton, Leibniz, Hugo, Hegel, Shakespeare.
Meski punya dasar yang universal, saya menduga (bukan bermaksud memutuskan) fiksi filosofi Borges mudah untuk tak populer. Gaya bercerita Borges yang intelektual masih terlalu luks untuk, misalnya, kelas menengah ke bawah. Hanya orang-orang yang mencintai ilmu dan sastra yang saya kira akan konsisten membaca karangan Borges.
Sebab cerita-ceritanya memang punya kecenderungan labirin yang ruwet: di tengah-tengahnya kita mungkin tersesat, dan tidak tahu bagaimana caranya untuk selamat. Sementara Borges tak ingin menjadi pengarang yang memberi terang. Ia telah menyatakan undur diri dari cerita鈥昫alam satu interviu ia mengatakan: "[W]e have no message at all. When I write, I write because a thing has to be done. I don't think a writer should meddle too much with his own work. He should let the work write itself."
鈼忊棌鈼�
Tentu saja dugaan saya tak harus dipercaya.
Perspektif yang lebih optimis mengatakan bahwa cerita-ceritanya, seperti dikatakan James E. Irby, semacam sintesa antara penemuan dan pencerahan. Oleh karena itu Borges memukau. Borges, misalnya, memaparkan tafsiran sinologis Stephen Albert dalam usahanya untuk mengerti kalimat "I leave to the various futures (not to all) my garden of forking paths" dan mengklaim menemukan maksudnya. Atau bagaimana Borges mendalami pertentangan antara apa yang asli dan imitasi ketika seseorang punya ikhtiar menuliskan kembali kisah Quixote dari Cervantes. Pada kali lain, ia seorang detektif, Erik L枚nnrot, yang berusaha menemukan titik cerah atas kasus pembunuhan yang berkaitan dengan kalimat misterius seperti ayat kitab suci.
Saya sedikit banyak setuju dengan Irby: saya seorang pembaca yang mengamati titik-titik terang dari segala kerumitan yang ditemukan Borges, dan dengan rasa penasaran, seperti sang narator dalam Funes the Memorious, saya akan mengatakan: "I don't know how many stars he could see in the sky". Saya ingat S酶ren Kierkegaard yang mengatakan, kita 鈥渟eharusnya tidak berpikir buruk tentang paradoks, karena paradoks adalah gairah pikiran. Seorang pemikir tanpa paradoks bak seorang pecinta tanpa gairah: seorang medioker鈥�.
Tapi ketimbang cerita-cerita pendek Borges, saya seorang pembaca yang lebih kena pesona oleh parabel-parabelnya. Mungkin karena parabelnya ringkas dan saya tak ingin terlihat selalu bodoh di hadapan kerumitan cerita Borges鈥晄aya diam-diam menandai hal itu sebagai sebuah kelegaan.
"Thinkin鈥� is a lonely business."鈥昅artin Heidegger
BORGES, seumur hidupnya, memiliki nasib baik untuk selalu berdekatan dengan buku dan literatur. Semenjak kecil ia sering menghabiskan waktu di perpustakaan ayahnya. Di sana lah, di antara ribuan buku berbahasa Inggris, fragmen paling penting buat Borges kecil鈥攜ang kelak mempengaruhi jalan hidupnya. Siapa sangka, di masa tuanya Borges diangkat menjadi direktur perpustakaan nasional.
Barangkali bertolak dari pengalaman itu ia membuat cerita pendek di mana tokohnya gemar menelusuri literatur, sejarah, dan kultur dari dunia luas. Dalam buku Labyrinths, Borges mengarang plot yang membuat tokohnya menyusuri halaman-halaman ensiklopedia untuk mengetahui apa itu Uqbar dan Tl枚n (dalam Tl枚n, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius) dan, tanpa keraguan akan jadi membosankan, menampilkan 19 nomor literatur karya Menard pada satu cerita pendek (Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote).
Juga pada beberapa cerpen yang lain, Borges tampak sebagai pembaca tekun yang mencoba memahami labirin-labirin literatur perpustakaan. Gejala yang sering kita temui: Borges melakukan banyak penyebutan referensi. Gema dari ruang pikirannya seakan tak mau berhenti.
Saya ingat satu kalimat dari Orhan Pamuk yang mungkin relevan untuk melihat Borges: "The starting point of true literature is the man who shuts himself up in his room with his books."
鈼忊棌鈼�
Andr茅 Maurois menyakini sumber-sumber bacaan Borges "tak terhitung dan tak terduga". Borges membaca apa yang orang jarang tertarik, seperti Kabalis atau filosofi zaman pertengahan (saya pernah mendengar orang berkata, hanya Umberto Eco yang mungkin menyamai antusiasme tersebut). Ia mengagumi keganjilan hubungan antara tidur dan mimpi, dan untuk itu mengutip cerita Qur'an 1400 tahun yang lalu tentang pemuda Kahfi (The Secret Miracle).
Dari sumber-sumber nyata itu Borges mencampurkannya dalam detail dan sitasi yang membuat kita kadang berpikir fiksi Borges adalah potongan realitas. Tapi dunia cerita Borges tetaplah cuma imajiner. Dan dalam labirin imajiner itulah (bukan dunia yang penuh langkah-langkah kaki dan percakapan ramai), kita diajaknya ikut serta. Kita seperti tokoh dalam The Circular Ruins: seorang lelaki yang berusaha menciptakan manusia dalam mimpi, dan akhirnya menyadari, setelah tidak terbakar oleh api, bahwa ia sendiri ciptaan imajiner dari orang lain yang bermimpi鈥昦pa yang kelihatan nyata rupanya hanya bagian dari ilusi.
Borges meringkus labirin-labirin imajiner itu dalam bentuk cerita pendek yang seperti esai: hampir seluruhnya narasi dan sarat misteri. Satu lagi: tidak banyak dialog antartokoh di dalamnya. Dengan itu Borges menciptakan dunia rekaan yang menurutnya masuk akal dan berusaha menawarkan makna, misalnya tentang eksistensi manusia, dalam bentuk yang mungkin tidak bisa diungkapkan melalui jalan lain.
Dalam salah satu interviu dengan Denis Dutton, Borges mengaku menggunakan filosofi untuk cerita pendek sebagaimana Dante menggunakan teologi untuk puisi. Borges menyebut karangan-karangan itu "fiksi filosofi" ketimbang "fiksi sains". Bagi Borges, memasuki lorong-lorong ide, melontarkan kontradiksi, dan menguraikan drama kemungkinan-ketakmungkinan dalam cerita pendek adalah caranya untuk skeptis. Maka kita sering menemukan paradoks, serangkai ketakjelasan, ketika mencoba memahami cerita-ceritanya: tiap kali kita harus menerkanya seperti teka-teki dan membacanya berulang kali.
鈼忊棌鈼�
Salah satu ketegangan intelektual yang sempat menjadi perhatian Borges adalah, meski ia lahir di Buenos Aires, kita tak melihat yang khas Argentina dalam cerita-ceritanya. Di The Garden of Forking Paths ia membuat karakter Yu Tsun dan Ts'ui P锚n鈥昻ama Tiongkok, sekaligus dengan mudahnya mengutip Seribu Satu Malam, Newton, dan Schopenhauer. Di Funes the Memorious ia membicarakan seorang Uruguay, menyamakannya dengan Zarathustra, dan menyebut baberapa kota dan negara dalam satu cerita: Monteviedo, San Franscisco, London, New York, Mesir. Di The Lottery in Babylon ia narator yang mengaku sebagai orang Babilonia鈥晄ebuah negeri dari dunia yang lama. Di The Shape of the Sword ia menulis mengenai orang Irlandia yang terlibat perang sipil dan melarikan diri ke Brazil. Saya mengira semua itu ada hubungannya dengan hidupnya yang sejak kecil berpindah-pindah dan terbiasa dikelilingi bahasa-bahasa yang mewakili peradaban besar dunia.
Tentu ada yang lebih mendasar dari itu. Dalam esai The Argentine Writer and Tradition, Borges mengajukan proposal bahwa penulis-penulis Argentina, termasuk dirinya, kurang-lebih mengacu pada tradisi kultur Barat. Maka jika kita tak menemukan topografi atau botani Argentina dalam sebuah karangan, bagi Borges, hal itu tak seharusnya mengurangi nilai karangan tersebut. Pada cerita Theme of the Traitor and the Hero, misalnya, Borges lebih memilih berbicara tentang kemungkinan sebuah plot di mana seorang Irlandia bernama Ryan ingin mencari tahu kebenaran mengenai Fergus Killpatrick, satu tokoh yang dianggap hero. Di sana kita menemukan latar Irlandia dan kutipan nama-nama terkenal dalam tradisi Barat: Chesterton, Leibniz, Hugo, Hegel, Shakespeare.
Meski punya dasar yang universal, saya menduga (bukan bermaksud memutuskan) fiksi filosofi Borges mudah untuk tak populer. Gaya bercerita Borges yang intelektual masih terlalu luks untuk, misalnya, kelas menengah ke bawah. Hanya orang-orang yang mencintai ilmu dan sastra yang saya kira akan konsisten membaca karangan Borges.
Sebab cerita-ceritanya memang punya kecenderungan labirin yang ruwet: di tengah-tengahnya kita mungkin tersesat, dan tidak tahu bagaimana caranya untuk selamat. Sementara Borges tak ingin menjadi pengarang yang memberi terang. Ia telah menyatakan undur diri dari cerita鈥昫alam satu interviu ia mengatakan: "[W]e have no message at all. When I write, I write because a thing has to be done. I don't think a writer should meddle too much with his own work. He should let the work write itself."
鈼忊棌鈼�
Tentu saja dugaan saya tak harus dipercaya.
Perspektif yang lebih optimis mengatakan bahwa cerita-ceritanya, seperti dikatakan James E. Irby, semacam sintesa antara penemuan dan pencerahan. Oleh karena itu Borges memukau. Borges, misalnya, memaparkan tafsiran sinologis Stephen Albert dalam usahanya untuk mengerti kalimat "I leave to the various futures (not to all) my garden of forking paths" dan mengklaim menemukan maksudnya. Atau bagaimana Borges mendalami pertentangan antara apa yang asli dan imitasi ketika seseorang punya ikhtiar menuliskan kembali kisah Quixote dari Cervantes. Pada kali lain, ia seorang detektif, Erik L枚nnrot, yang berusaha menemukan titik cerah atas kasus pembunuhan yang berkaitan dengan kalimat misterius seperti ayat kitab suci.
Saya sedikit banyak setuju dengan Irby: saya seorang pembaca yang mengamati titik-titik terang dari segala kerumitan yang ditemukan Borges, dan dengan rasa penasaran, seperti sang narator dalam Funes the Memorious, saya akan mengatakan: "I don't know how many stars he could see in the sky". Saya ingat S酶ren Kierkegaard yang mengatakan, kita 鈥渟eharusnya tidak berpikir buruk tentang paradoks, karena paradoks adalah gairah pikiran. Seorang pemikir tanpa paradoks bak seorang pecinta tanpa gairah: seorang medioker鈥�.
Tapi ketimbang cerita-cerita pendek Borges, saya seorang pembaca yang lebih kena pesona oleh parabel-parabelnya. Mungkin karena parabelnya ringkas dan saya tak ingin terlihat selalu bodoh di hadapan kerumitan cerita Borges鈥晄aya diam-diam menandai hal itu sebagai sebuah kelegaan.
October 2, 2007
Borges typically gets lumped into the South American "magical realism" genre along with the likes of Gabriel Garcia Marquez (whom I've still yet to read; shame on me). But his style is very peculiar. The book is supposed to be a collection of short stories, or as Borges himself called them, ficciones. But few of them are what one would typically consider stories at all. They tend to be short fictional essays, book reviews, obituaries, articles, etc. (There's also a detective story and a couple of first hand narratives.) Borges reviews books that have never been written, eulogizes people who have never lived, and writes articles refuting scholars that don't exist. And why? The best I could tell was that he wanted to explore what the world would be like if modern philosophy were actually true. He toys with Bishop Berkeley's idea that the physical world need not necessarily exist. So long as the sense perceptions it supposedly creates affect our consciousness it's material existence is superfluous. He also plays with Hume's denial of the existence of personal identity. Need it necessarily be the case that this string of sense perceptions which I call myself has any actual unity? Need it necessarily constitute a "person" at all? What if it is nothing more than a random string of impressions? Also, Borges enjoys meddling with the sequence of time itself. If two events happened in exactly the same way, why could they not simply be the same event? Is it necessary to posit the idea of temporal sequence at all? Could not all moments be entirely unrelated to each other? If these thoughts sound bizarre, that's because they are. But the "philosophers" are out there thinking them and Borges fictional rendering of their implications is as interesting a presentation of these ideas as one is likely to run across.
Another major theme of Borges thinking, and perhaps the most representative expression of his view of reality, centers on the notion of Labyrinths. For him, the mystery of reality can be best summarized by as a grand labyrinth. It is a puzzle which gives the appearance of reason/order to those trapped within its confines but which in truth is nothing more than an elaborate game. What does one accomplish upon reaching the center of a labyrinth? Is there indeed any purpose at all to the journey? And yet how can a man help but attempt it? Yet ultimately there is no meaning behind the movement; only the appearance of meaning; truly a torturous state for humans to find themselves in. But then again, that's where the modern quest has left us all at present. Final verdict: interesting but not amazing. Intensely cerebral fiction and so probably not to the taste of everyone; but short enough to make some dabbling in the work worthwhile.
Another major theme of Borges thinking, and perhaps the most representative expression of his view of reality, centers on the notion of Labyrinths. For him, the mystery of reality can be best summarized by as a grand labyrinth. It is a puzzle which gives the appearance of reason/order to those trapped within its confines but which in truth is nothing more than an elaborate game. What does one accomplish upon reaching the center of a labyrinth? Is there indeed any purpose at all to the journey? And yet how can a man help but attempt it? Yet ultimately there is no meaning behind the movement; only the appearance of meaning; truly a torturous state for humans to find themselves in. But then again, that's where the modern quest has left us all at present. Final verdict: interesting but not amazing. Intensely cerebral fiction and so probably not to the taste of everyone; but short enough to make some dabbling in the work worthwhile.
September 10, 2024
God. I've been aware of many of these stories, read several before, and floated around the center of the Borges space since I've started reading serious fiction. Damn. Nearly a perfect book. The interconnectedness of these stories, essays and fragments ties these loose pieces into a whole that is greater than the parts (and the parts are pretty goddamned spectacular). There are books you read that tell the reader: go ahead and read another work by this writer and there are other books, like this one, that tell the reader: life isn't complete without reading all of the books by Borges, on all of the Borges shelves, in all of the Borges-inspired octagonal rooms.
October 24, 2021
It's eighty-one years since the earliest of these stories was published in Spanish, fifty-eight since they appeared in English. Academic critics have spent years or decades studying them. What could I, an ordinary reader, possibly have to say about this collection that won't have been said before? The answer is 'zilch', of course. Consequently, these notes are merely an aide memoire to my reading and offer no original insight.
In my preferred reading, it all begins with Kafka and Borges. Calvino, Perec, Sebald - they all tip their caps to these two masters. For me, the early Borges stories constitute an ur-text, tales to be consulted again and again. Borges was fascinated with immortality and in the composition of these short tales, he discovered the closest thing to it.
My bookshelves have long possessed two volumes of Borges's works, Ficciones and Labyrinths. Borges had been largely ignored by the English-speaking world (now there's a surprise, isn't it?). In 1962, two overlapping collections arrived, an event that must surely have amused the author. Both collections were translated by collectives, the former dominated by Anthony Kerrigan, the latter to a lesser extent by James Irby (it's telling that neither man rates his own page in the English language Wikipedia). I have to say, I find Kerrigan's translations the more elegant, notwithstanding the appearance of a third collection translated by Andrew Hurley (also on my shelves). Perhaps, one day, there will be an infinite number of translations. Ficciones comprises The Garden of Forking Paths (1941) and Artifices (1944). Labyrinths takes selections from Ficciones and from El Aleph (1949), adding to them a number of early essays and 'parables' from the collection El Hacedore (1960). In so doing, the Irby and Yates collection omits The South, unforgivably, in my opinion.
Labyrinths, libraries, the infinite, eternity, death, dreams, unreality, repetition, heresiarchs, demiurges, big cats, secret societies, crime fiction, the bible, the Koran, Quixote, Shakespeare, Berkeley, Hume, Schopenhauer... These are some of the materials out of which Borges spins his yarns of the fantastic and the metaphysical. A condemned man asks God for one more year to write his masterwork, with unforeseen consequences (it's clearly one of those demiurges who took the call). A man sleeps among ancient sacred ruins to dream alive a son. Again, the results are unpredictable. An academic rewrites three chapters of The Quixote by living out the process of its construction. It is identical word-for-word to the original but is better than Cervantes' version. An apparently simple boy learns that his memory is infinite. A librarian (Borges's day job) works in an infinite building in which all books are possible but most constitute random gibberish (Borges surely foresaw the internet-assisted rise of self-publishing).
There are stories here that would earn the collection five stars by themselves, even if the remainder were garbage, which they're not, of course. Tl枚n, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius, The Lottery in Babylon, Funes the Memorius, Death and the Compass... ah, what works! Imagine having written just one of those. I do feel that there's an ever-so-slight dropping off of the consistency in El Aleph (the title tale of which is omitted, for some reason). The Immortal, The Zahir and The Waiting are all classic Borges, though.
Borges never wrote a 1000-page work, not for him the Great Argentine Novel - all the better for us and our literary indolence. Besides which, Tl枚n, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius achieves more than most books fifty times its length. I like to think of Borges as being that little bit too laid back to bother with the writing of novels, having too much fun hanging out with Adolfo Bioy Casares, Victoria and Silvina Ocampo.
It's worth noting what a remarkable effort has been made to describe the book on its 欧宝娱乐 page. One of the editors is James Yerby and it merely contains a list of the contents, lacking correct capitalisation and with some howlers: Ti枚n, uqbar, Orbis Tertius, Emmas Zunz, The Zhir! I'm not worthy to be a 欧宝娱乐 librarian, apparently, so I don't think I can correct it.
Many people use the internet for relentless self-promotion, so why should I be any different? Here's my tribute: . You could even increase its woeful 'like' count!
In my preferred reading, it all begins with Kafka and Borges. Calvino, Perec, Sebald - they all tip their caps to these two masters. For me, the early Borges stories constitute an ur-text, tales to be consulted again and again. Borges was fascinated with immortality and in the composition of these short tales, he discovered the closest thing to it.
My bookshelves have long possessed two volumes of Borges's works, Ficciones and Labyrinths. Borges had been largely ignored by the English-speaking world (now there's a surprise, isn't it?). In 1962, two overlapping collections arrived, an event that must surely have amused the author. Both collections were translated by collectives, the former dominated by Anthony Kerrigan, the latter to a lesser extent by James Irby (it's telling that neither man rates his own page in the English language Wikipedia). I have to say, I find Kerrigan's translations the more elegant, notwithstanding the appearance of a third collection translated by Andrew Hurley (also on my shelves). Perhaps, one day, there will be an infinite number of translations. Ficciones comprises The Garden of Forking Paths (1941) and Artifices (1944). Labyrinths takes selections from Ficciones and from El Aleph (1949), adding to them a number of early essays and 'parables' from the collection El Hacedore (1960). In so doing, the Irby and Yates collection omits The South, unforgivably, in my opinion.
Labyrinths, libraries, the infinite, eternity, death, dreams, unreality, repetition, heresiarchs, demiurges, big cats, secret societies, crime fiction, the bible, the Koran, Quixote, Shakespeare, Berkeley, Hume, Schopenhauer... These are some of the materials out of which Borges spins his yarns of the fantastic and the metaphysical. A condemned man asks God for one more year to write his masterwork, with unforeseen consequences (it's clearly one of those demiurges who took the call). A man sleeps among ancient sacred ruins to dream alive a son. Again, the results are unpredictable. An academic rewrites three chapters of The Quixote by living out the process of its construction. It is identical word-for-word to the original but is better than Cervantes' version. An apparently simple boy learns that his memory is infinite. A librarian (Borges's day job) works in an infinite building in which all books are possible but most constitute random gibberish (Borges surely foresaw the internet-assisted rise of self-publishing).
There are stories here that would earn the collection five stars by themselves, even if the remainder were garbage, which they're not, of course. Tl枚n, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius, The Lottery in Babylon, Funes the Memorius, Death and the Compass... ah, what works! Imagine having written just one of those. I do feel that there's an ever-so-slight dropping off of the consistency in El Aleph (the title tale of which is omitted, for some reason). The Immortal, The Zahir and The Waiting are all classic Borges, though.
Borges never wrote a 1000-page work, not for him the Great Argentine Novel - all the better for us and our literary indolence. Besides which, Tl枚n, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius achieves more than most books fifty times its length. I like to think of Borges as being that little bit too laid back to bother with the writing of novels, having too much fun hanging out with Adolfo Bioy Casares, Victoria and Silvina Ocampo.
It's worth noting what a remarkable effort has been made to describe the book on its 欧宝娱乐 page. One of the editors is James Yerby and it merely contains a list of the contents, lacking correct capitalisation and with some howlers: Ti枚n, uqbar, Orbis Tertius, Emmas Zunz, The Zhir! I'm not worthy to be a 欧宝娱乐 librarian, apparently, so I don't think I can correct it.
Many people use the internet for relentless self-promotion, so why should I be any different? Here's my tribute: . You could even increase its woeful 'like' count!
April 27, 2020
Eine gute Auswahl aus dem Werk von Borges. In der Ausgabe von Fischer Klassik wird auf eine Sortierung der einzelnen Texte nach Genre verzichtet. Die Anordnung der Gedichte, Erz盲hlungen und Essays wurde mehr nach thematischen 脺bereinstimmungen vorgenommen. Ganz im Geiste von Borges ergibt das den sch枚nen Nebeneffekt, dass die Grenze zwischen Fiktion und Wirklichkeit 枚fters verschwimmt. Erz盲hlungen lesen sich wie Essays und Essays lesen sich wie Erz盲hlungen. Stilistisch kamen mir Borges Texte eher spr枚de und karg vor. Sie erschlie脽en sich einem vornehmlich auf analytischer, denn auf emotionaler Ebene. Eine ungew枚hnliche Symbiose aus Metaphysik und Phantastik, durchaus anspruchsvoll, aber auch mit hoher Anziehungskraft. Regt zum Nachdenken und Wiederlesen an.
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September 1, 2014賱賱鬲丨賲賷賱
丕賱賲乇丕賷丕 賵丕賱賲鬲丕賴丕鬲
禺賵乇禺賷 賱賵賷爻 亘賵乇禺賷爻
丕賱賲乇丕賷丕 賵丕賱賲鬲丕賴丕鬲
禺賵乇禺賷 賱賵賷爻 亘賵乇禺賷爻
April 10, 2019
丕賱亘賵乇禺爻 賲丕賱亘賵乇禺爻 賵 賲丕 丕丿乇丕讴 賲丕賱亘賵乇禺爻
亘賴 卮蹖賵賴 丿讴鬲乇 丿乇賵賳 诏乇丕 :D
亘賴 卮蹖賵賴 丿讴鬲乇 丿乇賵賳 诏乇丕 :D
October 1, 2015
This is the first Borges book I ever read. Since then, of course, he's died and all of his short stories have been collected in English. Mike Miley, the person who spends more money on books than anyone I've ever known (and is very generous in sharing them), purchased that complete collection, bringing it up to the cottage in Michigan during his last visit. When I saw it amidst Michael's travel bags (a small one for clothes, a big one for books and papers) I immediately asked if I could have at it. Permission granted, I probably got through the whole thing--and it's long--in a couple of evenings and nights by the wood-burning stove. Thus, all of the Labyrinths stories have been read at least twice now.
What I particularly like about Borges is his creative erudition. Not only is he good at mimicking the style, say, of a early sixteenth century Spanish bureaucrat, but he cleverly mingles the real with the fantastical in his often copious references, notes and asides. It makes one wonder who is to be credited for the technique which is also employed by the American authors James Branch Cabell and H.P. Lovecraft.
P.S. Borges visited Loyola University shortly before his death in the eighties, speaking in its chapel--perhaps the only event I ever attended there.
What I particularly like about Borges is his creative erudition. Not only is he good at mimicking the style, say, of a early sixteenth century Spanish bureaucrat, but he cleverly mingles the real with the fantastical in his often copious references, notes and asides. It makes one wonder who is to be credited for the technique which is also employed by the American authors James Branch Cabell and H.P. Lovecraft.
P.S. Borges visited Loyola University shortly before his death in the eighties, speaking in its chapel--perhaps the only event I ever attended there.
August 19, 2012
Mind-blowingly awesome. I only wish that for the first book that I read of Borges that it was either all short stories or all essays; I had difficulty making the transition from the last story to the first essay because the lyrical cadence of his writing style made his beautifully written essays seem almost fictive. The parables at the very end of the compilation were the cherries on top. Borges' love of all things Quixote makes me want to hunker down with that book and read, re-read, and re-re-read it until it has the mantric effect that it apparently had on him. Dostoevsky made me want to learn Russian to read him in his native language - Borges has the same effect on me w.r.t. Spanish. I'm reminded yet again how embarrassing it is to be an American monoglot.
July 13, 2019
賮讴乇 賳賲蹖讴賳賲 賴賳賵夭 丕賵賳賯丿乇蹖 讴鬲丕亘 禺賵賳丿賴 亘丕卮賲 讴 亘鬲賵賳賲 賳馗乇蹖 丿乇 賲賵乇丿 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 亘丿賲 鬲賳賴丕 趩蹖夭蹖 讴 賲蹖鬲賵賳賲 亘诏賲 丕蹖賳賴 讴 賵丕賯毓丕 讴鬲丕亘 毓噩蹖亘蹖 亘賵丿!
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