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bobbo49's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Different from anything else I've read by Borges: an encyclopedic book of imaginary animals from throughout human history, with references to the stories, legends and books from which they were drawn.
danzemacabre's review against another edition
3.0
I don't remember the last time I read a full book in Spanish despite it being my mother tongue.
After all, e books are far more prominent in English than otherwise so it was just easier for me. However, this is the kind of book I had to dig to find in its original version.
It rekindled my love for not only Spanish, but for the Argentinean literature I so long stopped checking.
It's a great book, don't get me wrong, but I ultimately knew most of the creatures in it. What I DID enjoy most were the beasts imagined by other popular writers, including Poe, C. S. Lewis, and many others.
It was a fun read, I definitely recommend it if you want to unplug from daily life for a bit. Just wish it had pretty drawings to go with it.
After all, e books are far more prominent in English than otherwise so it was just easier for me. However, this is the kind of book I had to dig to find in its original version.
It rekindled my love for not only Spanish, but for the Argentinean literature I so long stopped checking.
It's a great book, don't get me wrong, but I ultimately knew most of the creatures in it. What I DID enjoy most were the beasts imagined by other popular writers, including Poe, C. S. Lewis, and many others.
It was a fun read, I definitely recommend it if you want to unplug from daily life for a bit. Just wish it had pretty drawings to go with it.
dibujared's review against another edition
A fun book paying homage to medieval bestiaries. The writing is humorous and informative, with references and quotes pulled from a variety of works throughout the ages. The illustrations are incredible and the perfect accompaniment--I only wish there were more!
trollmila's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
matheamae's review against another edition
5.0
Loved all the illustrations and the history with each creature!
duck_in_stem's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.25
breadandmushrooms's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
korol_rezni's review against another edition
3.0
3.5.
Asıl sebep aslında çeviri ki mutlu etmediğinden daha önce de bahsetmiştim. Açıkçası kitapta anlatılan yaratıklarla ilgili daha çok efsane okumayı bekliyordum ama çok azının hikayesi vardı geri kalanlar ise dış görünüşleriyle ilgili betimlemelerle doluydu. Daha çok hmm bu yaratık ilginçmiş diyip daha çok araştırma yapmaya yöneltecek bir kitap olduğunu söyleyebilirim. İçlerinde efsaneleri ve hikayeleri olanları gerçekten sevdim. Ayrıca tasvirlerin hangi kaynaklardaki bilgiye dayandırılarak yapıldığıyla ilgili sıklıkla kaynak da belirtilmişti ki bu da araştırma yapmak için güzel başlangıç noktaları sağlıyor. Bence şans verilebilir.
Asıl sebep aslında çeviri ki mutlu etmediğinden daha önce de bahsetmiştim. Açıkçası kitapta anlatılan yaratıklarla ilgili daha çok efsane okumayı bekliyordum ama çok azının hikayesi vardı geri kalanlar ise dış görünüşleriyle ilgili betimlemelerle doluydu. Daha çok hmm bu yaratık ilginçmiş diyip daha çok araştırma yapmaya yöneltecek bir kitap olduğunu söyleyebilirim. İçlerinde efsaneleri ve hikayeleri olanları gerçekten sevdim. Ayrıca tasvirlerin hangi kaynaklardaki bilgiye dayandırılarak yapıldığıyla ilgili sıklıkla kaynak da belirtilmişti ki bu da araştırma yapmak için güzel başlangıç noktaları sağlıyor. Bence şans verilebilir.
zaisgraph's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Surprised that I did not gravitate towards this. The fictional cryptid collection, though impressively covers the globe, lacks many heavy hitters that were already popular even before Borges' era. Oh well.
sunn_bleach's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Recommended if you're curious not so much what a unicorn is, but why a unicorn might have been part of diverse cultures throughout time. Yet, I will caveat this recommendation by saying Borges isn't as interested in directly stating what the creatures are as much as exploring the epistemology about what makes imaginary creatures interesting to us. It's classic Borgesian metafiction in that way!
The bestiary describes beasts as much as it describes their philosophical and moral progeny with the economy of phrase that typifies Borges' short fiction. Most entries are just a couple paragraphs long, and any entry longer than 2 pages is a surprise. Some might find it confusing that he has a single paragraph on elves or his dismissal of the chimera, but it's about the "why" more than the "what" for Borges' take on the fantastic.
The bestiary describes beasts as much as it describes their philosophical and moral progeny with the economy of phrase that typifies Borges' short fiction. Most entries are just a couple paragraphs long, and any entry longer than 2 pages is a surprise. Some might find it confusing that he has a single paragraph on elves or his dismissal of the chimera, but it's about the "why" more than the "what" for Borges' take on the fantastic.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Animal death and Blood