federica123's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
margot04's review against another edition
5.0
oh I LOVE this. the way he describes the Aleph is so lovely, the philosophical ideas planted within it, how he mixes reality and fiction, and how in the end despite all the incredible things he sees, the brain forgets and dulls it and all he can think about is how the world moves on despite the one he loves the most being dead.
ostrava's review against another edition
5.0
Ficciones and Aleph are twin books, or at least I've always considered them so. One more fantastical, bathed in reality, the other, a real portrait of the fantastic. One more iconic, more expansive and grand in scope, the other, more personal and stark in vision.
There's an infinite wisdom and a real challenge of ideas lurking behind every sentence of each tale, and yet, the narration is never interrupted. That's why he was one of the greatest literary minds that ever existed. He had the effortless capacity to paint a mosaic out of all of human intellect, and an unparalleled ability to remind us of the value of words.
Few anthologies are as bright in vision as The Aleph and its predecessor.
There's an infinite wisdom and a real challenge of ideas lurking behind every sentence of each tale, and yet, the narration is never interrupted. That's why he was one of the greatest literary minds that ever existed. He had the effortless capacity to paint a mosaic out of all of human intellect, and an unparalleled ability to remind us of the value of words.
Few anthologies are as bright in vision as The Aleph and its predecessor.
lordenglishssbm's review against another edition
3.0
This is a review of The Alpeh section only, and the edition I read was in the Collected Fictions version of Borges' stories.
I didn't like it as much as Ficciones. Borges' fascination with labyrinths is stronger, and unfortunately it starts to overwhelm the work. Almost every story here is some kind of take on a labyrinth, or involves a labyrinth, but he's not quite as inventive this time as he was before. At times the motif seems to feel more like the point, and the philosophical exploration is twisted in order to fit it. The collection comes alive for Deutsches Requiem, which is by far the most disturbing story here, but while the others are well-written, they just don't stick out to me quite as much as Borges' previous stories.
I didn't like it as much as Ficciones. Borges' fascination with labyrinths is stronger, and unfortunately it starts to overwhelm the work. Almost every story here is some kind of take on a labyrinth, or involves a labyrinth, but he's not quite as inventive this time as he was before. At times the motif seems to feel more like the point, and the philosophical exploration is twisted in order to fit it. The collection comes alive for Deutsches Requiem, which is by far the most disturbing story here, but while the others are well-written, they just don't stick out to me quite as much as Borges' previous stories.
wishbqne's review against another edition
mysterious
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
5.0
nomadpenguin's review against another edition
4.0
Having only read a handful of assorted short stories, I had previously written off Borges as an interesting philosopher but poor storyteller. I was really pleasantly surprised by this collection of stories; alongside presenting philosophical puzzles, each of these contains characters full of humanity and satisfying (if challenging) plotlines.
jayrinehart's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.25
Stories of immense imaginative power. Borges continues his work from Ficciones, exploring different aspects of reality. Those stories are like a gallery, you watch, you meditate, and you may walk away with a new outlook on things.
Slightly less consistent than Ficciones, but still a worthy read.
Slightly less consistent than Ficciones, but still a worthy read.