Comments on: Barth & Borges

By: Juan Murillo

Juan Murillo — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:36:54 +0000

Jajaja! Manolo, que bueno, Funes would have the headache to end all headaches (this kind of loop reminded me of Goedel, Escher and Bach from Hofstadter).

True enough Ronald, Barthelme and Cortázar share the same irreverent humor and love of mind games. Barthelme and Cortázar would be like two irreverent teenagers fooling around with their grandfather´s (Borges´) incredibly intricate and elegant machines.

By: Ronald

Ronald — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:31:32 +0000

Juan, one more thing. You do have an excellent point, but Donald Bartheleme is closer to Cortazar (I think). Thanks again.
@Manolo and @Lorena: Thank you!

By: Lorena Flores-Moscoso

Lorena Flores-Moscoso — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:39:51 +0000

Paradox is present in almost all Borges works. It is part of his intellectual game; he provokes in his naïve or self confident reader the uncertainty of the possible. A continue what if? Or it could happen.

He likes to use recent past tense. So when he is telling us something ranging from yesterday to centuries ago we feel it as if it happens today. This little detail gives us as readers the idea of finitude and infinitude at the same time.
For him everything is a source of an infinite series of causes at the same time is a source of an infinite series of effects.

Quoting Borges (1898-1986):

The fact is that all writers create their precursors. Their work modifies our conception of the past, just as it is bound to modify the future

To be immortal is commonplace; except for man, all creatures are immortal, for they are ignorant of death; what is divine, terrible, and incomprehensible, is to know that one is immortal.

Interesantísimo artículo. Next stop: Lost in the Funhouse.

By: Manolo

Manolo — Wed, 07 May 2008 02:23:35 +0000

I have always wondered what would happen if Funes stares into the Aleph… that would be exhaustive.

By: Ronald

Ronald — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:04:26 +0000

Of course, Juan. This article is mío. I´m glad you enjoyed it!

By: Juan Murillo

Juan Murillo — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:50:48 +0000

¿Es tuyo este artículo?

El año pasado compré Lost in the Funhouse, cuyo primer cuento es una sola oración escrita sobre un espacio bordeado por una linea punteada. Según las instrucciones, debe recortarse, doblar una de las puntas y pegar ambas puntas de modo que forme una cinta de Moebius. El resultado final tiene que ser un cuento infinito.

Debo confesar que este tipo de juego me recordó más a Cortazar que a Borges, que hubiese considerado semejante mecanismo ‘una fruslería’.

Ya el título mismo de Barth (Lost in the Funhouse) llama la atención a la diferencia de sensibilidades estéticas entre la estadounidense y su proclividad al ‘gimmick’ y la borgiana (porque esa en verdad no es argentina, ni latinoamericana) y su inclinación por la ’serendipity’ filosófica.