Cinco maestros: Cuentos modernos de Hispanoamérica

by Jorge Luis Borges (editor), Julio Contazar, Julio Rulfo

The five outstanding authors in this anthology have created remarkably distinctive worlds of their own, worlds that are well reflected in the stories included here. The stories representing each author might be said to function like a mobile: considered separately, they are unique and interesting pieces of art, while together they form a recognizable pattern and give an impression of the author's imaginative world. The anthology as a whole then becomes a collection of such literary mobiles, a vivid exhibition that testifies to the high level of brilliance achieved by contemporary Spanish-American fiction. CINCO MAESTROS is designed for use in the third semester of study and beyond. The stories in this anthology are made more readily accessible to students by the addition of notes and vocabulary.

Genres: Spanish Literature, Fiction

328 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1969

About the author

Jorge 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. Fictions) and El Aleph (transl. The 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 Collège de Genève. 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 García Márquez'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."

Reviews

[Zoraida Rivera Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short stories that let's us know these five great storytellers from Latin America: Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortazar, Juan Rulfo, José Donoso and Gabriel García Marquez. The stories are in Spanish. Notes at the bottom of the text explain words that may prove difficult. An excellent introduction of each author and their literary works helps the reader have a wider perspective of
the contributions and particularities.

[Julia Gilmour · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re studying Spanish to some degree, read these stories. Especially those by Julio Cortázar 😍

[Ericka Clou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in Spanish, but my review is in English because it's easier for me.

Jorge Luis Borges stories :
Borges y Yo/ Borges and Me- (4 stars) I've read this one in both Spanish and English. I don't prefer a version. It's a simple short story about Borges's identity as a person versus as a writer that I enjoyed.

Deutsches Requiem-

El Milagro Secreto/The Secret Miracle (5 stars)- I read this in Spanish and English. It is my favorite Borges story and it has stayed with me since I first read it in maybe 1998. I love its conception of reality, time, God, purpose, and the ephemerality of our work on Earth.

La Muerte y La Brujula/ Death and a Compass (3 stars)- Read in Spanish and in English. Erik Lönnrot tries to solve murders which seem to follow a kabbalistic pattern. This one appears to be a favorite as it appears in all three of my Borges anthologies, but it's not one of my favorites. It's tricky and clever but I don't get much more from it.
"... la realidad no tiene la menor obligacion de ser interesante."
"... reality does not have the slightest obligation to be interesting."

El Sur-

La Intrusa-


Review in progress...

[Catherine Meza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I taught from this book in an introductory college lit class when all the real professors were away in Seville and I had to fill in, despite my background in linguistics, not literature. After 25 years, I went back to re-read it and find every story compelling. Paseo by Jose Donoso, the story of a repressed Chilean woman liberated by a stray dog, the classic Garcia Marquez before he got all baroque, the inimitable Julio Cortazer are all there. Highly recommend for intermediate/advanced students of Spanish and anyone else who wants to be transported to other times, other places.

[Lupita Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro es "a must have" . La coleccion que contiene de los autores mas reconocidos de latino american es maravilloso! Tambien la introduccion a las vidas de los autores da una buena idea sobre sus estilos y inspiracions. Este es un libro que me introducio a Julio Cortazar uno de mis favoritos autors latino americanos.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. This one introduced me to Julio Cortazar, one of my favorite authors. He's like
a fun Borges...I'm sorry but I just don't get Borges.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was hard for me to read, partly because of my limited vocabulary. Some of the stories I recall from Spanish literature classes years ago.