‘Labyrinths’ Book Review

Jorge Luis Borges

Introduction

Jorge Luis Borges was born on August 24th, 1899 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was a famous short story writer, poet, and essayist among other things. Although his accomplishments are vast, Borges was never awarded the Nobel Prize, despite being nominated four times.

Labyrinths is a compilation of Borges’ work published in 1962 as a way to bridge himself to the English-speaking audience. It was the first of his work to be published in English, and was awarded the International Publishers’ Prize.

The definition of Labyrinth per Oxford Languages: a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one’s way; a maze.

Fictions

Borges flaunts his knowledge on various subjects in these 23 short stories. Labyrinths (with the definition in mind) are definitely a reoccurring theme throughout the stories as the word is used in almost every story. Like a labyrinth, Borges’ stories are complex, intertwining, and it’s easy to get lost within them, whether it be lost in the difficulty of the story, or lost in its compelling nature.

This is definitely the section that got Borges his praise. The other sections are just as strong as this, but his fiction is something else. He writes like no one else I’ve ever read (credit is also due to the translators: James E. Irby and Donald A. Yates) and many are told in an almost distant third-person with Borges sometimes being the main character, as if he is relaying stories from his own life. The stories tend to be extremely odd, uncanny, and usually come with a twist right at the end, sometimes waiting until the last line to deliver the blow.

Time is another theme explored by Borges. Being extremely interested in the idea of time myself, reading him fuels my interest and deepens my understanding as to ways which we can look at time. There is most definitely value in a re-read for me. The stories are packed with references to The Bible, One Thousand and One Nights, as well as referencing De Quincy and several theories of time, altogether making for unique and unforgettable works.

‘To think is to forget differences, generalize, make abstractions.’

-Jorge Luis Borges, from: Funes the Memorious

My favourite stories were: Funes the Memorious, The Secret Miracle, and The God’s Script. I know, however, that many of the stories flew over my head, and I often found myself getting confused.

‘“When the end draws near,” wrote Cartaphilus, “there no longer remain any remembered images; only word remain.” Words, displaces and mutilated words, words of others, were the poor pittance left him by the hours and the centuries.’

-Jorge Luis Borges, from: The Immortal

Essays

My favourite essays were The Argentine Writer and Tradition, A New Refutation of Time, and Avatars of the Tortoise, the latter of the three I almost understood nothing from, as it deals with the infinite and I found it complex, but so compelling that I’m tempted to re-read it infinitely. Given that his fiction is so out there, one may assume him a little crazy (which he may be, I’m not sure), but it’s nice to see that an author of such complex fiction is also able to write non-fiction just as compelling, and just as insightful. It probably didn’t hurt that the essays were about things that I already found interesting as well, he just seems like one of those authors that’s a fit for me.

Borges’ essays in this collection vary on a number of topics from his thoughts on Franz Kafka, time, and Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Borges’ essays, like his fiction, are thought provoking, and written in a way that is difficult yet digestible with time.

Parables

A parable is, as defined by Merriam-Webster: a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or religious principle.

I had to search this up before reading this third and final section of Labyrinths as I had heard the word before, but never knew what it actually was. There is not a whole lot to say here. The parables are short, and I found them to be quite good, though I recognize that I did not understand half of it.

My favourite parables are: Inferno, I, 32; Ragnarök; and, Borges and I. The latter of the three poses the question of whether he (Borges) and Borges the writer are two different people. Borges the writer is his work and how the public views him, he’s the one with the ideas and the one who can write. Borges struggles between the two identities; is he solely the writer or the person he's known all these years? Which one wrote this parable?

Conclusion

I would recommend this collection to essentially everyone. It is not easily understandable, and takes time to read through. I highly suggest you go to your local bookstore and pick up this legendary collection from one of the greatest (and one of my new favourite) authors of all-time.

What are your thoughts on Borges? Leave a comment and let me know.

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