Death and the Compass

by Jorge Luis Borges

A detective, Erik Lönnrot, attempts to solve a mysterious series of murders which seem to follow a kabbalistic pattern.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Mystery, Classics, Spanish Literature, Magical Realism, Literature

12 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1942

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

[Valeriu Gherghel · Rating 4 out of 5]

#bibliotecaafectiva

Prima traducere din opera lui Borges în limba română. E și prima carte de Borges citită de mine în studenție. Cuprinde povestiri din 4 volume (traducătorul nu urmează strict cronologia tipăririi volumelor): Grădina potecilor ce se bifurcă (1941), Artificii (1944), El Aleph (1949), Istoria universală a infamiei (1935). Între traducerile din acest volum (realizate de Darie Novăceanu) și traducerile mai noi deosebirile sînt simțitoare.

De pildă, titlul povestirii „El tintorero enmascarado Hákim de Merv” sună în acest volum „Vopsitorul mascat Hakim din Merv”. În traducerea Cristinei Hăulică, titlul devine „Profetul mincinos Hakim din Merv”. Observ și uriașe deosebiri în corpul povestiri. Sintagma „nepotrivirile din Istoria califatelor” (Darie Novăceanu, p.380) nu e totuna cu „excerpte din Istoria califilor” (Cristina Hăulică, Polirom, 2015, p.205). În textul spaniol e „las excertas de la Historia de los jalifas”.

Nu știu ce-au avut în față traducătorii succesivi. Uneori, par a urmări povestiri complet diferite. Abia acum înțeleg întru totul silința lui Miguel de Unamuno de a învăța limbile autorilor străini care-i trezeau interesul. A învățat daneză pentru a-l citi pe Kierkegaard în original.

[Argos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sekiz öykü var kitapta, ne yazık ki en yorucu, en sofistike, en düşündürücü öykü, varlığı tartışılan Homeros destanlarının karışık örgüsünden faydalanılarak yazılan “Ölümsüz” adlı öykü ilk sıraya konulmuş. Bu nedenle ilk kez Borges okuyanların gözünü korkutan ve onu bir daha okumamayı düşündüren bir durum ortaya çıkmış. Halbuki sonraki öyküler çok keyifli ve sürükleyici

Kordoba’daki İbni Rüşt’ten, büyükannesinin kızılderili İngiliz kız ile karşılaşmasından, Aztek’leri kırıp geçiren İspanyol’lardan, Shakespeare’den, bir intikam öyküsünden, dedektiflikle birlikte cinayetler serisinden bahseden öyküler gibi. Yazarın alameti farikası haline gelen Babil Kitaplığı öyküsü de ilk öykü gibi karışık, göndermelerle dolu yorucu bir öykü. Borges’in bu kitabını okuyacaksanız ilk öyküyü sona bırakarak okumanızı öneririm.

[Vahid · Rating 4 out of 5]

دنیای بورخس، دنیای آینه‌هاست، دنیای هزارتو های پیچ در پیچ.
او به مدد مطالعه‌های طولانی و ثبت دقیق محتوای کتاب‌ها در ذهنش، و استفاده از این جزئیات، ساختمان با شکوهی از کلمات می‌سازد و در داستان‌ها ما را با خود به دنیاهای عجیب و افسانه‌وار می‌برد.
به نسبت هزارتوهای بورخس، کتاب حاضر، گیرایی و تنوع کمتری داشت اما معجزه پنهان، بخت آزمایی بابل و مرگ و پرگار فوق‌العاده بودند.
  در پایان، گزارشی از زندگی، توصیفی اجمالی از سرگذشت بورخس به ما می‌دهد و به درک و فهم آثار او کمک می‌کند.
گستردگی و تنوع موضوعاتِ داستان‌های بورخس و رنگ‌هایی که از تاریخ و افسانه‌های کهن بر کتاب‌ها می‌پاشد، بُعدی جهان‌شمول به او و آثارش می‌دهد که نهایتا ًجذابیت کارهایش را پایان ناپذیر خواهد کرد.

[B. Han Varli · Rating 3 out of 5]

''çiftlikte, kan çukurunun başındaki bir adam, hayvan kesiyormuş. kızılderili kız, bir düşteymişçesine, at sırtında geçmiş yoldan. kendini hemen yere atmış, sıcak kanı doyasıya içmiş. artık başka türlü davranamadığı için mi, bir yüzleşme, bir gösterge adına mı böyle yaptığını bilmiyorum''

bugün borges ile tanıştım. biraz sıkıcı bir arkadaş olduğu izlenimindeyim şu an...

ölüm ve pusula islam coğrafyasında geçen bir öyküyü de barındırmasına rağmen, herhangi bir aidiyet hissetmedim kitabın sayfalarında.

''galiba borges'te yokum, onun okuru değilim'' düşüncesiyle bitti...

kötü bir başlangıç yaptım galiba ama karakteristik bir kaleme sahip bir yazar olduğunu düşünüyorum. belki ''daha doğru'' bir kitap ile tekrar tanışırız kendisiyle

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is what overthinking a plot looks like. I wonder if Jose Martinez or Joe Smith were the authors of this unhinged story, would they have received so many stars? I do not think so. Borges is a fantastic writer, he knows how to experiment with words and plots, making surreal and beautiful poems and essays. In mysteries however other rules apply, you need to make sense of the plot, it is almost like writing a mathematical equation with beautiful wordings and great characters.

I would have love to have the Spanish version of this short story but it was not available to me. The English translation was spotless so that gave me piece of mind. Again, I am a fan of this author’s writings but is a love and hate relationship, his rigid and racist views toward the Indigenous cultures of Argentina are a shame. He tended to be more conservative than his Latin American contemporaries but that is a discussion for another day.

[Joselito Honestly and Brilliantly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this on a plane on my way home from a vacation.

Esoteric references (either true or invented) abound this murder mystery the ending of which was as surprisingly as why I wasn’t surprised.

It was probably because I’ve read some Borges before and I am already more or less acquainted with his style.

[Michelle P · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is pointless to seek reason, meaning, and pattern in a reality that, in fact “has not the slightest obligation to be interesting.”

[Raluca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective fiction with a twist.

[kat ☾ ⭒꙳ · Rating 4 out of 5]

He lido por mi clase de español y me gusta mucho, hay elementos en todo el cuento de modo que puedes leerlo novamente y es una experiencia diferente de la primera.

[Paul LaFontaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detective investigating the death of a rabbi follows a series of clues that point him to the four part Hebrew name of God. Two more deaths follow, leading the detective to anticipate the fourth crime. When he arrives at the scene, the target of the final murder is a surprise.

This story has good, clear characters. The idea of the four-part name of God pointing the way to the time and place of the fourth murder is obscure and fascinating. Borges crisp writing does not disappoint, and the end comes together very tightly. A great story.

Highly recommend.

[Kirollos Esa · Rating 5 out of 5]

لماذا لم يكتب بورخيس الرواية؟

لأن تلك القصة القصيرة بها من الحبكة ما يعادل مئات الروايات
قاتل متسلسل
دافع خفىّ للجرائم يكمن فى الكتب والمخطوطات
محققان يدوران حول القاتل
وفى النهاية؛ التواء ساخر ولذيذ

[Livia Elliot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another incredible short story from Borges, presented as a murder mystery but actually deconstructing the genre and its tropes into a discussion on reality, unreality, fiction and perception like no other. It teases the readers to believe they're reading a regular mystery, following a thoughtful detective (Lonnrot) and a bored one (Treviranus)… but in reality, it is so much more.

It is difficult to talk about this short-story without spoiling its key themes, but there are some things worth considering.

Borges has some stories that (one could argue, perhaps erroneously) that they have "no perceivable plot" (like The Library of Babel, or Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius). On the contrary, Death and the Compass is more "readable", more straightforward—seemingly so, not in reality—and with a clear plot line that is hinted at in the first few paragraphs. However, this story is very well within Borges' parameters of unreliable narrators presented as afable and reliable, only to deceive the reader to believe what they're reading, thus creating that mirror between fiction and reality which happens both within the story and outside it, and well within what Borges planned.

What I mean by this is that this story is a discussion on how we individually create a fiction and then act according to it, interpreting the world according to those fictional beliefs, and without realising that reality may be far different. This is presented and discussed through Lonnrot—who, to me, embodies unreality and fiction—and Trevinarus—who appears as the voice of reason and reality. Of course, we are purposefully thrown into the tropes of a murder mystery, and we (as readers) try to solve the mystery Lonnrot is pursuing until the big conclusion, which is both factual for the plot, but also an incredible revelation with regards to the story's main theme.

Likewise, other of Borges' favourite themes pop up in this story--including labyrinths, myths, social beliefs and perceptions, and mirrors between what happens on the page, and what happens for the reader as they read. This leads this story to become an experience in itself.

I personally believe that Borges walked some fine lines in this story, aiming to discuss some topics that a modern reader may have trouble spotting. Since this is very spoilery, I'll put up my opinions on a spoiler tag; however, do note that this is my personal interpretation.

Most of the mystery circles around Jewish mythology and beliefs; the first person killed is a rabbi who, unfortunately, has some books that seem "esoteric" (quotes intended) to the non-Jewish detective Lonnrot. He then goes to pursue a serial murderer who seems to follow these religious clues... only to realise it was all fake at the end. Why is this important? Well, in a literal, plain read, it may seem derogatory and disregarding of Jewish beliefs, fetishising them to the point of creating a serial murderer who was chasing the true name of god. Now, throw in that this short story was written in 1944 (during WW2), and that the story's key theme is how we create fictions at fit reality to it... my interpretation is that Borges was just complaining (in a very Borgesian way) about how Nazism created a fiction around Jews, and thus proceeded to invent an entire ideology around it. I interpreted this as Borges trying to highlight how easy it is to ascribe truth to specific cultural groups and then interpreting everything under that very biased view. Anyways, I could be completely wrong; this is just an interpretation.

Finally, what I have to say is don't come to read this story believing it to be a fun, straightforward murder mystery. Borges had opinions and ideas, and most of all, a way to use words to twist reality and involve the reader in the story like no other. Likewise, don't believe his narrators; they are all highly unreliable.

[Marcos Zamith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nesse conto de Borges, ocorrem alguns crimes que o comissário Treviranus e o detetive Lönnrot investigam.

No primeiro crime, Marcelo Yarmolinsky é a vítima no dia três de dezembro. No diálogo entre Lönnrot e Treviranus a respeito do primeiro crime, a ideia de realidade recebe um destaque na fala de Lönnrot, que responde: "O senhor responderá que a realidade não tem a menor obrigação de ser interessante [...]", ou seja, para Treviranus a realidade pode ser desinteressante, não está obrigada a ser interessante. "Eu lhe responderei que a realidade pode prescindir dessa obrigação, mas não as hipóteses", ou seja, para Lönnrot a realidade pode não ter necessidade dessa obrigação (de ser interessante), mas as hipóteses devem ser interessantes. Desse modo, Lönnrot aponta para algo interessante relativo ao crime, "eu preferiria uma explicação puramente rabínica". Seu interlocutor se define como um pobre cristão sem tempo a perder com superstições judias.

No segundo crime, Daniel Azevedo é a vítima no dia três de janeiro na capital. O terceiro crime acontece em três de fevereiro de noite. Em cada uma das cenas, há uma frase sobre uma letra do Nome (de Deus) ter sido articulada. Lönnrot estuda os casos, encontra simetria no tempo (3 de dezembro, 3 de janeiro e 3 de fevereiro), simetria no espaço, pronuncia a palavra "Tetragrama". Descobre que os criminosos planejam um quarto crime.

Erik Lönnrot encontra Red Scharlach, que quer se vingar dele porque Lönnrot prendeu e levou à prisão o irmão de Scharlach. "Um irlandês tratou de me converter [a Scharlach] à fé de Jesus; me repetia a frase dos goyim: Todos os caminhos levam a Roma." Nessa fala, ao mesmo tempo em que se afirma a unidade da Igreja Católica, se utiliza um termo hebraico para significar os não judeus. Nessa última cena, Scharlach explica a Lönnrot as pistas que ele deixou para que o detetive o encontrasse finalmente. Lönnrot, que foi bem-sucedido por descobrir o plano de Scharlach, tornou-se a vítima de Scharlach: "Retrocedeu uns passos. Depois, muito cuidadosamente, atirou [em Lönnrot]". Desse modo, o leitor depara com um desfecho muito diferente daqueles nas histórias de detetive tradicionais.

É de se notar que nessa história há tanto um conteúdo de cultura religiosa judaica (Tetragrama, seita dos Hasidim etc) quanto de filosofia grega (locais dos crimes segundo uma lógica semelhante ao paradoxo de Zenão), ambos sendo elementos estruturadores da história.

[Tayla 🦋 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complicated blabber, but no more ‘superhuman detective’ wooooo sometimes the answer is the most simple one. Pattern-seeking is not the be all end all!!

Also not sure if it’s just how I read it, but love the authors commentary on religion - why do humans seek ultimate meaning in faith… will we ever know? Probs not

[Bahman Bahman · Rating 3 out of 5]

از میان مسائل بسیاری که ذهن تیز و جسور لونورت را به آزمون گرفت هیچ کدام چنین غریب ، می توان گفت چنین گستاخانه غریب نبود که سلسله سرگیجه آوری از اعمال خونین که در ویلای تریست اوروی میان روایح بی حد و مرز درختان اوکالیپتوس به نقطه اوج خود رسید.

[Andy Insuasti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy seguramente M. Night Shyamalan leyó estos relatos, y en su mente se fueron tejiendo las tramas con esos plot twist de sus películas.

[Krowa Czempionka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ojalá hubiera leído Borges antes de leer Eco.

[Cande Gruppo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borges viejo complicado la de ponerles nombres normales a los personajes no te la sabías?

[مسعود · Rating 5 out of 5]

تنها تقدیرگراییه که میشه گردنش گرفت، یا دست‌کم من گردنش می‌گیرم

[Niko Jordman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective E. Lönnrot faces a most puzzling conundrum going back to the ancient Greeks and beyond.

[Patricia Capozzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este libro tiene un total de 9 cuentos, de los cuales sólo me gustaron 4. Respecto a los 5 restantes: o me aburrieron o no los entendí. No hay caso, no puedo con Borges. Algunas frases me resultan tan claras y reveladoras de mis pensamientos y sentires que yo no podría explicarlo mejor, pero eso: algunas frases en medio de una trama que no entiendo. Y después está lo de los nombres que utiliza para sus personajes que me resultan impronunciables y son tantos que me pierdo. Cada párrafo tengo que leerlo varias veces para poder descifrarlo! Además me cuesta ubicarme en tiempo y espacio, ya que siempre habla de cosas que supuestamente deberíamos conocer, es como si empezáramos a escuchar un cuento a mitad del relato. No puedo con él.

[Farnaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

واقعا این داستانها به صورت ستایش آمیزی هوش نویسنده رو نشون میدن
داستان معجزه پنهان مفهوم جدیدی از زمان رو بیان می کنه
در کسری از ثانیه می شه یک داستان تموم بشه
بخت آزمایی بابل نگاهی جالب به شانس در زندگی است
اینکه یک شرکت قمار زندگی رو شبیه سازی می کنه
مضمون خائن و قهرمان من فکر می کنم تصویری جالب از تاریخ می ده
اینکه چطور میشه ثبت و ته نشین حافظه تاریخی از افراد و اتفاقات مدیریت کرد

[Kest Schwartzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up an anthology of mystery stories, largely because it listed Borges as an included author, and I couldn't think of Borges writing a mystery. I was wrong. Borges totally wrote a mystery. I'm not sure if this is a tribute to, or a parody of, Poirot and his ilk, but either way it is brilliant.

[Halan Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have now read a fair few short stories by Jorge Luis Borges. This is outstanding! So clever. Such smart writing. If I were you I'd access it now. Read its 8 pages and prepare to be entirely amazed by his incredible fantastic writing. Go. Do it. You will love it. 4

[Samaneh · Rating 4 out of 5]

داستان معجزه‌ی پنهان عالی بود

[Szidonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this, very clever.

[Gaia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the short stories are so poetic and magical, breathtaking.
And yes, all of them are about death, but that felt like a minor point.

[Aviendha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borges’a hazır olmadığımı anladım. Araştırıp daha emin bir adım atmak belki daha doğru olurdu. Hakkını veremedim sanırım.

[Walter Schutjens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too obviously crafted without effect.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes you can be too smart for your own good