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Lesen ist Denken mit fremdem Gehirn: Gespräche mit Osvaldo Ferrari (Kampa Salon)
Es begann in Buenos Aires, in der Bibliothek seines Vaters, über die Borges einmal sagte, wahrscheinlich habe er nie aus ihr herausgefunden. Nach dem Tod des Vaters trat er eine Stelle in einer städtischen Bibliothek an, »neun Jahre soliden Unglücks«, aber er hatte Zeit zum Lesen – und zum Schreiben von (im Doppelsinn) phantastischen Erzählungen wie Die Bibliothek von Babel. Die vierte Bibliothek seines Lebens war die argentinische Nationalbibliothek, der Borges ab 1955 vorstand. Im selben Jahr erblindete »Eine Ironie Gottes, der mir zugleich die Bücher und die Nacht gab.« Die Bücher blieben, und von ihnen erzählte er dem argentinischen Autor Osvaldo Ferrari in dreißig kurzen Gesprächen zwischen 1984 und 1986. So kurz diese Dialoge sind, so reich das Innenleben, das sie offenbaren. Und Borges gewährt nicht nur Einblick in seine geistige Bibliothek, er erzählt von seinem Faible für Dolche und Messer, dass er sich von seiner Blindheit nicht das Reisen verderben lasse und davon, dass er dem Tod ungeduldig entgegensehe. Es entsteht ein Memoir in Fragmenten, reich an farbigen Anekdoten und verblüffenden Details – eine Fundgrube literarischer Perlen.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1990
13 people want to read
About the author
Jorge Luis Borges
1,161 books14.4k followersJorge 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."
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."
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 28, 2025
This book contains short conversations of Borges with Ferrari (a lyricist and journalist) that were taped in between 1984 and 1986, shortly before Borges died. They were broadcasted on Radio and later published in newspapers. Which means they were not meant to be published in book form. And one can see it. They seem to have not been edited.
We read a book, Borges says, with respect. And maybe with too much respect.
It is always a joy to read Borges. And (I said this before) even if he repeats things, and he does this a lot, it always seems light and deep at the same time. Ferrari gives Borges an opportunity to speak about his favourite subjects again. About Chesterton and Shakespeare, Swedenborg, Kipling and Poe. Borges does not need more than a cue. And then his marvelous mind produces all theses incredible pieces of wisdom. For example on the topic of Flaubert he says that when he searches for the “mot juste” it is not a sign of vanity but of of modesty. When he talks about Dante he contrasts him with Swedenborg preferring the view of Swedenborg that we freely choose heaven or hell, instead of having this judge who rewards and punishes.
In nearly every dialog there is something to admire. Right in the first one he says that he talks and writes only about things he likes, because if he dislikes something he is afraid that it would only prove his incompetence and clumsiness. (A lesson, I should certainly learn.)
And yet the dialog that I found most deeply satisfying is the one on Kipling. Because nearly every factual claim Borges makes is wrong. Kipling did not have cancer. His son was not one of the first hundred thousand (to volunteer for World War I). Kipling was not shy as Borges claims (avoiding a discussion with Shaw). A poem Kipling wrote was called A song of seventy horses not of fifty. Kipling did write sonnets contrary to what Borges says. (I know all this from the notes of this edition.) Now all this is trivial, of course. But it also means that the wonderful memory (and he says that he had a bad one himself, a memory consisting only of quotes and verses) was not infallible. But what I liked was that he is not making any cautionary remarks. He says something and if not for the notes I would take it as gospel truth.
The amazing thing is that there are two lessons to be learned. Firstly, do not trust even the most respected people. Secondly, facts are not that important. At least, not in this case, as I hasten to add.
9/10
We read a book, Borges says, with respect. And maybe with too much respect.
It is always a joy to read Borges. And (I said this before) even if he repeats things, and he does this a lot, it always seems light and deep at the same time. Ferrari gives Borges an opportunity to speak about his favourite subjects again. About Chesterton and Shakespeare, Swedenborg, Kipling and Poe. Borges does not need more than a cue. And then his marvelous mind produces all theses incredible pieces of wisdom. For example on the topic of Flaubert he says that when he searches for the “mot juste” it is not a sign of vanity but of of modesty. When he talks about Dante he contrasts him with Swedenborg preferring the view of Swedenborg that we freely choose heaven or hell, instead of having this judge who rewards and punishes.
In nearly every dialog there is something to admire. Right in the first one he says that he talks and writes only about things he likes, because if he dislikes something he is afraid that it would only prove his incompetence and clumsiness. (A lesson, I should certainly learn.)
And yet the dialog that I found most deeply satisfying is the one on Kipling. Because nearly every factual claim Borges makes is wrong. Kipling did not have cancer. His son was not one of the first hundred thousand (to volunteer for World War I). Kipling was not shy as Borges claims (avoiding a discussion with Shaw). A poem Kipling wrote was called A song of seventy horses not of fifty. Kipling did write sonnets contrary to what Borges says. (I know all this from the notes of this edition.) Now all this is trivial, of course. But it also means that the wonderful memory (and he says that he had a bad one himself, a memory consisting only of quotes and verses) was not infallible. But what I liked was that he is not making any cautionary remarks. He says something and if not for the notes I would take it as gospel truth.
The amazing thing is that there are two lessons to be learned. Firstly, do not trust even the most respected people. Secondly, facts are not that important. At least, not in this case, as I hasten to add.
9/10
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