A review by avinsh10
The Aleph and Other Stories 1933-1969 by Jorge Luis Borges, Norman Thomas di Giovanni
4.0
Aleph and Other Stories is my 1st Borges book translated by Norman T. di Giovanni. I've read Labyrinths previously and was expecting a series of stories related to labyrinths. Instead, this book introduced me to other genres Borges explored.
The "Aleph" as suggested in the 1st story says "is a point in space that contains all other points". This book, similarly is a point in space that contains stories from different time & genres Borges exercised. This is both its strongest asset and Achilles' heel. By exploring multiple genres the book can reach out to a wider audience while leaving some audience wanting more.
You can find a story by story basis rating given below:
The Aleph(1945)-Mysticism(5 Stars)
Streetcorner Man(1933)-Crime(3.5 Stars)
The Approach to Al-Mu'tasim(1935)-Mysticism(5 Stars)
The Circular Ruins(1940)-Mysticism(5 Stars)
Death and the Compass(1942)-Labyrinth(4.5 Stars)
The Life of Tadeo Isidoro Cruz(1944)-Crime(3 Stars)
The Two Kings and Their Two Labyrinths(1946)-Labyrinth(5 Stars)
The Dead Man(1946)-Crime(3.5 Stars)
The Other Death(1948)-Crime/Unreliable Narrator(3.5 Stars)
Ibn Hakkan al-Bokhari, Dead in His Labyrinth(1949)-Labyrinth(5 Stars)
The Man on the Threshold(1952)-Crime(4 Stars)
The Challenge(1952)-Crime(4 Stars)
The Captive(1956)-Psychological(4.5 Stars)
Borges and Myself(1956)-Psychological(5 Stars)
The Maker(1958)-Introspective(4 Stars)
The Intruder(1966)-Crime(4 Stars)
The Immortals(1966)-Sci-Fi/Parody(4 Stars)
The Meeting(1969)-Crime(4 Stars)
Pedro Salvadores(1969)-Crime/Psychological(4.5 Stars)
Rosendo's Tale(1969)-Crime(4 Stars)
The commentary at the end of the book is an excellent addition to this book. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish the autobiography but I would recommend this book for people interested in studying the evolution of his writing style.
The "Aleph" as suggested in the 1st story says "is a point in space that contains all other points". This book, similarly is a point in space that contains stories from different time & genres Borges exercised. This is both its strongest asset and Achilles' heel. By exploring multiple genres the book can reach out to a wider audience while leaving some audience wanting more.
You can find a story by story basis rating given below:
The Aleph(1945)-Mysticism(5 Stars)
Streetcorner Man(1933)-Crime(3.5 Stars)
The Approach to Al-Mu'tasim(1935)-Mysticism(5 Stars)
The Circular Ruins(1940)-Mysticism(5 Stars)
Death and the Compass(1942)-Labyrinth(4.5 Stars)
The Life of Tadeo Isidoro Cruz(1944)-Crime(3 Stars)
The Two Kings and Their Two Labyrinths(1946)-Labyrinth(5 Stars)
The Dead Man(1946)-Crime(3.5 Stars)
The Other Death(1948)-Crime/Unreliable Narrator(3.5 Stars)
Ibn Hakkan al-Bokhari, Dead in His Labyrinth(1949)-Labyrinth(5 Stars)
The Man on the Threshold(1952)-Crime(4 Stars)
The Challenge(1952)-Crime(4 Stars)
The Captive(1956)-Psychological(4.5 Stars)
Borges and Myself(1956)-Psychological(5 Stars)
The Maker(1958)-Introspective(4 Stars)
The Intruder(1966)-Crime(4 Stars)
The Immortals(1966)-Sci-Fi/Parody(4 Stars)
The Meeting(1969)-Crime(4 Stars)
Pedro Salvadores(1969)-Crime/Psychological(4.5 Stars)
Rosendo's Tale(1969)-Crime(4 Stars)
The commentary at the end of the book is an excellent addition to this book. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish the autobiography but I would recommend this book for people interested in studying the evolution of his writing style.