Borges Labyrinths

[Rores28]

I was wondering if this story collection was intended by Borges to be a single book in the way that 'Brief Interview with Hideous Men' or 'Dubliners' was meant to be a single unified collection or if these were all disparate writings that were later consolidated so that they could be sold as a single text?

I recently finished the first story 'Uqbar, (etc...words I can't remember)' and it was pretty amazing, but I want to know if I should read the book serially or if I can jump around without 'losing' anything.

[stlukesguild]

Labyrinths is an English-language collection made of selections drawn from Borges' "fictions" (especially those from the book entitled Ficciones) as well as essays and I believe a poem or two. Borges employs common themes and images (the labyrinth, the library, the desert, etc...) but these aren't organized into any sort of linear element. I have... and have read... pretty much everything written by Borges in English translation. The author himself was involved in certain anthologies (which is what Labyrinths is), the one that he was most involved of and reportedly proud of is the thin book entitled (in English) Dream Tigers.

[Heteronym]

I most admit I don't understand what you mean with Dubliners being a single unified collection. You can read the book in whatever order you wish; you can study the stories individually, as I have done with "The Dead." Borges' short-stories are no different: read them the way you want; but since you have the book, why not read them in order of presentation? They're all excellent, you won't want to miss any.

[JCamilo]

I think he means as unified theme, Joyce decided to write about mundane things on the same city, etc. Not that the stories are necessarily unified in the sense frame story model.

You do not need to read borges using chronology as a guide, or anything. It woudln't help you. According to him, those stories are written and late put together, as he did with the majority of his works. He even added some in futher editions.

[Pierre Menard]

I agree with what the others have said.
Read in any order you want when it comes to Borges. He has running themes throughout most of his stories and really, in the end, the wonder and magic of Borges' stories will come through.

This thread has now given me the Borges' bug again.

[hanzklein]

I most admit I don't understand what you mean with Dubliners being a single unified collection. You can read the book in whatever order you wish; you can study the stories individually, as I have done with "The Dead." Borges' short-stories are no different: read them the way you want; but since you have the book, why not read them in order of presentation? They're all excellent, you won't want to miss any.

The stories in Dubliners were made together and specifically meant to be part of a collection and continually reference the other stories and characters; and there is also a progression (youth (the sisters) to death (The Dead)). The stories have deeper meanings if analyzed together.

I think what he's asking is if the Borges collection was made with that in mind, together, or if they were just random stories he wrote when he felt like that got put into a collection

[Des Essientes]

I went on vacation last week and I brought my copy of Labyrinths and it made me realize that there is nothing better written than the stories this book contains. Seriously how can anyone even compare a collection of short stories like Dubliners, as well written as they are, to an absolutely cosmic work of perfection like Labyrinths? You can reread the stories in Labyrinths over and over again and never be bored. Not since Poe has anyone been as brilliant a composer of tales as Borges.

[hanzklein]

I went on vacation last week and I brought my copy of Labyrinths and it made me realize that there is nothing better written than the stories this book contains. Seriously how can anyone even compare a collection of short stories like Dubliners, as well written as they are, to an absolutely cosmic work of perfection like Labyrinths? You can reread the stories in Labyrinths over and over again and never be bored. Not since Poe has anyone been as brilliant a composer of tales as Borges.

Your reading tastes are still in development grasshopper if you believe this, and I haven't read a word of Labyrinths.

[stlukesguild]

Your reading tastes are still in development grasshopper if you believe this, and I haven't read a word of Labyrinths.

That in itself speaks volumes.