후기: 9/5 The Aleph and the Other Stories

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We all found the stories unfamiliar. Borges’ writing feels alien to us not only because of gaps in culture (South America), language (originally Spanish), and time (written 60–90 years ago), but also because of its themes—eternity, mirror worlds, labyrinths, and dream versus reality—and the imaginative way they are presented.

The question about the Nobel Prize (Q1)—and who should have won it—sparked several interesting comments. Livi selected Milan Kundera, while Soberas shared her thoughts on why Kundera, Murakami, and Borges were never awarded the prize. I wasn’t aware of Kundera’s choices following his exile to France.

In the vote on our favorite stories across the three groups—excluding “The Aleph” (Q2)—Anne, MJ, Daisey, and I chose "Ibn-Hakam al-Bokhari, Murdered in His Labyrinth" and “The Two Kings and Their Two Labyrinths”. We appreciated its relative straightforwardness alongside the potential for a completely different reinterpretation depending on your perspective. The Arabian king calling the desert a labyrinth completely inverted common sense.

Interestingly, Yuna, Soberas, and Livi voted for "The Approach to Al-Mu'tasim" for the exact opposite reason: its intriguing complexity. Though also open to multiple interpretations, it challenges and confuses the reader by blurring the line between fact and fiction. Soberas and Livi highlighted the following passage:

"Rethinking the problem, he arrives at the mysterious conclusion that 'somewhere on the face of the earth is a man from whom this light has emanated; somewhere on the face of the earth there exists a man who is equal to this light.' The student decides to spend his life in search of him."

The story ends right before the protagonist encounters Al-Mu'tasim, whatever his true nature may be.

We didn't have enough time for “The Aleph”. One common piece of feedback was how refreshing it was to encounter the idea that an omniscient object could exist so nearby in such a humble form. Regarding Q7, MJ and Daisey suggested that the satire extends to the Nobel Prize itself, proposing that the character of Carlos represents Borges’ revenge on the literary community. Personally, I could sympathize with the narrator's struggles—his nostalgia for an unfulfilled relationship, his attempt to maintain self-esteem, and his realization that the world isn't meeting his expectations—along with his willingness to try new things and revive his critical thinking without succumbing entirely to awe.

When I think of Argentina, I used to think of Messi, Evita, Malbec wine, and steakhouses. Now, I think of Borges too.

Thanks to Daisey for sharing the research on Borges, including his classification as a postmodernist writer. We are all somewhat familiar with modernists like Joyce, Woolf, and Kafka, but less so with postmodernists. Here is the list from ChatGPT: Jorge Luis Borges, Vladimir Nabokov, Samuel Beckett, Thomas Pynchon, John Barth, Donald Barthelme, Italo Calvino, Umberto Eco, Salman Rushdie, Don DeLillo, Paul Auster, Margaret Atwood, and Julian Barnes. Some of these names were completely new to me!

Jorge_Luis_Borges_One_Page_Summary.pdf

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