The Complete Collection of Jorge Luis Borges' Fictional Works

Rdg near NYC: I am listening to this in the Spanish language on Audible and following along at the same time with Andrew Hurley's paper back English translation. This paperback is very high quality in terms of its paper and its binding. It deserves a permanent place on bookshelves. I notice that Andrew Hurley's translation includes a short story "The Approach of Al-Mu'tasim" that is omitted from the Audible Spanish version. I think it's a good use of time to read every short story in this book, slowly, and at a rate of about one short story every two or three days. Jorge Luis Borges is very special, but he is not the easiest author to read. I think it's worth the effort. Andrew Hurley has done the world of English readers a great service by translating this book from Spanish. I hope one day someone will care enough to convert this paperback book into Kindle format.

United States on Oct 10, 2023

Jack Coles: I'm afraid to say I lack the relationship to the author that others may have, and I feel that so much of how I enjoy books is based on my understand of the author and what they are trying to do. With Borges, although I recognise him as a giant of literature, especially given he hails from Argentina, I am not able, at the moment, to cross into fully appreciating what he has done or what he is doing.

This being said, I enjoyed all of the worked in Fictions, and all of the short stories therein contained very brilliant writing, which I cannot deny made it hard no to desire to read more about Borges, and his further works. The humour and parody in 'Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote', and the detective fiction was the most engaging parts of the book for me, but throughout it contained many stories and ideas I had seen referenced but never read their source, like the Library of Babel. Now I have.

The frequent references to time, paradox and others things rarely written in good fiction were brilliant, and as someone who knows and thinks there is a lot of awful mainstream fiction, this book was about as good as one could find, outside of my personal bias.

United Kingdom on Aug 28, 2023

P. Lawrence Merkin: Arrived promptly and as advertised.

United States on May 16, 2023

Prabir Chatterjee: There's nothing to dislike ! What's to dislike about J.L.Borges ? A master craftsman at work - and what an edifice he did build ! The book is beautifully crafted, soft creamy paper, classy cover, and superbly bound. Absolutely smashing ! A pleasure to feel, hold and read. If you want to read something unusual, and are willing to put in time and concentration, Borges is your man !

India on Mar 06, 2023

Ogopogie: Great gift

Canada on Jan 15, 2023

Jayshree Rajesh: love this collection!

Canada on Nov 21, 2022

Eric T. Fricke: I am loving this collection so far. I was originally introduced to Borges as a Spanish minor in college, and decided to give this a go. I love how well-read and well-travelled Borges is; you get an education in philosophy, religion, history, and literature while reading the most interesting, mind-bending, quietly humorous stories. Highly recommended!

United States on Jul 14, 2022

PlaceholderPlaceholder: Roberto Bolaño summed it the best when he said if he could read just one book for the rest of his life it is this.

As far as the deluxe edition is concerned, the best paperback, as good as Everyman Library is in hardbacks, french flap cover, deckle edged quality thick pages. Read it through once and no creases or damage to the spine etc

Bought it for Rs 770 worth even if you get it at the MRP of Rs 1299.
(What weird rotation of the photos though :p)

India on Feb 02, 2022

Reader in Upstate NY: Those words were written on my Amazon Marketplace receipt from Blue Leaf Books by someone with the initials EDG, along with a thank you for ordering the book on March 23, 2017. In fact, I did avoid the labyrinth for almost two years because I knew it would be quite a challenge. I had first “read” Borges’ “Labyrinths” as a 20-year-old. I’m sure I could not have understood any of it at that time. But the years have passed (I won’t say how many) and, fortunately, I decided this was the year that I would make the effort to read Borges’ Collected Fictions, beginning to end, slowly. Near the end of the book, I found myself going back through the pages and finding stories I wanted to read again right away. As one excellent reviewer (Michael Battaglia) wrote, “finishing a book isn't quite the same thing as understanding what you just read,” and this is one book I feel must be read several times. Each time, you will understand more, but you will have the feeling that yet another reading will give you still more understanding. I found it amusing that one of the last stories, “Blue Tigers,” included the following sentence: “I did not sleep the night of Feb. 10.” I...

United States on Feb 12, 2019

Charles Loyola: Here are a few examples of weird choices of the translator:

1.

Borges: title is "Funes, el memorioso"

Hurley: "Funes, His Memory"

Other translations have "Funes, The Memorious". Hurley writes that he didn't want to use the "invented", "Lewis Carroll-esque" word "memorious", but it is in fact a word, albeit rare. (see OED: "Having a good memory")

2.

Borges: (Deutsches Requiem) "Símolo de mi vano destino, dormía en el reborde de la ventana un gato enorme y fofo."

Hurley: "On the windowsill slept a massive, obese cat--the symbol of my vain destiny."

Now, "fofo" (flabby) is probably a hint a-la-Strangelove of the nature of zur Linde's wound, which had "serious consequences", but it is lost with Hurley's "obese".

3.

Borges' great lines from "Tema del traidor y del héreo": "De esos laberintos circulares lo salva una curiosa comprobación, una comprobación que luego lo abisma en otros laberintos más inextricables y heterogéneos"

Hurley translates the first "laberintos" to "labyrinths" and the second to "mazes". A Borges sentence with a recurring word is rendered into a sentence without any. Granted, there...

United States on Oct 26, 2005