Jorge Luis Borges is a genius. He weaves fantastic mazes in his short stories and throws the readers into them. The readers, in return, get pleasantly lost in his infinity, in his patterns. Borges’ ideas are complex. He blends philosophy and religion effortlessly and creates fascinating and thought-provoking ideas. It’s not easy to understand him, but you know what, you don’t have to. Just imagine. Most of the short stories in this collection are only 6 or 7 pages long. But they express ideas that even 250-page novels fail to do. It is said that he was of the view that there is no need to write page after page to develop an idea, and that it is far better to express it in the shortest pages possible.
What I like best about Borges’ stories is that they force us to think outside the box. The contents of the stories stimulate readers’ brains. Borges is well-versed in diverse religious and philosophical thinking. They appear in his stories. He talks about infinity, the pattern of life (he believed that a man’s life is always a repetition of a former life), the creation of the world, and many more. You won’t understand them all. But that’s fine because his stories offer different interpretations. According to your religious and philosophical views, you can form your own opinion, and Borges wouldn’t mind. The most incredible thing is that, with all the complexity and incomprehension, the world he builds in his short stories is fascinating.
Ficciones is a collection of seventeen short stories divided into two parts. Except for a few, I enjoyed them all. The most striking stories (5 stars) for me were The Garden of the Forking Path, The Death and the Compass, The Form of the Sword, and The Circular Ruins. I also enjoyed (4 stars) The Library of the Babel, The Lottery of Babylon, The Sect of the Phoenix, Theme of the Traitor and Hero, and Three Versions of Judas. Most of these stories I read a couple of times. And each reading made me see them in a new light. This is why I say that you can perceive these stories in various ways.
When I first read Borges (it was The Library of Babel), I took an effort to understand him. But soon I realized that it is a futile task. If I’m to understand the meaning of his stories, I’ll have to first do a scholarly study as he did of various aspects, which is impossible. It was rather better to apply one’s own knowledge to his words. That is exactly what I did with his Ficciones, and that is why I managed to enjoy them without fully comprehending. To all who may shy away from Borges (as I did for a while), my advice is, just plunge into his intricate maze. Don’t be afraid. You won’t be lost.
Rating: 4/5
