The Cambridge Companion to Jorge Luis Borges

by Edwin Williamson (Editor)

Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986) was one of the great writers of the twentieth century and the most influential author in the Spanish language of modern times. He had a seminal influence on Latin American literature and a lasting impact on literary fiction in many other languages. However, Borges has been accessible in English only through a number of anthologies drawn mainly from his work of the 1940s and 1950s. The primary aim of this Companion is to provide a more comprehensive account of Borges's oeuvre and the evolution of his writing. It offers critical assessments by leading scholars of the poetry of his youth and the later poetry and fiction, as well as of the 'canonical' volumes of the middle years. Other chapters focus on key themes and interests, and on his influence in literary theory and translation studies.

Genres: Essays, Short Stories, Books About Books, Nonfiction, Literature, Literary Criticism

266 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2013

Reviews

[Oliver Ho · Rating 4 out of 5]

An occasionally dry and academic series of essays, but they are nonetheless interesting because they're all about Borges' writing, and they're written by people a lot smarter than I am. Every essay contains potentially useful ideas and information that I'm certain I will return to read again.

[Kamakana · Rating 3 out of 5]

051116: nowhere as interesting as borges's own reviews of imaginary books. if you like his work this is good, if you do not know it... this will not help much. series of essays, some good, some less...

[Dan DalMonte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a clearly written companion piece to the difficult fiction of Jorge Luis Borges. There is wonderful chapter at the end that shows how his life, particularly his difficulties with women, impacted his fiction and poetry. I also appreciated the analysis of philosophical and religious themes in the work of Borges. For instance, there is intelligent discussion of the relationship of notions of idealism (that all reality is mental), nominalism (that there are no universals, only particular things), and realism (that universals, or general concepts, actually exist). The influence of Judaism and Christianity and Gnosticism is also given attention in this book. Borges, for instance, explores curious beliefs such as the idea that God became Judas to redeem mankind.