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duck_in_stem's review
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
hannah_rachel's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
boxcar's review against another edition
informative
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
3.75
Borges! I have seen this book referenced by Rushdie and Murakami, the latter naming it as a reference for Satanic Verses. Fun collection of mystical creatures, known and unknown to me. Good context to them as well, and fun imagination done by borges.
naomidanae'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? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
I like the idea of this book a lot—a sort of encyclopedia of mythical or imagined creatures. Borges is incredibly knowledgeable and his breadth of understanding of these creatures is quite impressive. The entries often feel like they’re missing some information. Now, I don’t believe it should be made so long as to double the length of the book, but there are some entries that are just one paragraph, for example and only include a short physical description. The translation felt well done, and I appreciated the translator’s note at the end.
Some quotes:
“Hell is an animal with other animals inside it.”
“The time of men is not the time of god.”
“When the Twilight of the Gods shall come, the serpent shall devour the earth and the wolf shall devour the sun.”
Some quotes:
“Hell is an animal with other animals inside it.”
“The time of men is not the time of god.”
“When the Twilight of the Gods shall come, the serpent shall devour the earth and the wolf shall devour the sun.”