Borges, Jorge Luis (Vol. 1) - Borges, Jorge Luis 1899–

Borges, Jorge Luis 1899–

Argentine writer of fiction and poetry, Borges developed a nearly indescribable short story form which combines fiction and the essay. (See also Contemporary Authors, Vols. 21-22.)

[Jorge Luis] Borges has reached a high literary level through strange and lucid narratives. He constructs poetic and hallucinatory fantasies—of ancient India, of the cruel México of the Conquest, of his own Buenos Aires—which revive the fantastic literature of the Spanish language in order to express the human condition: Man is lost in a chaotic universe and anguished by the passage of time. Borges' wonderment at the mystery of life has been emphasized, but more fundamental yet is his astonishment at the theories of those who attempt to interpret a world and a destiny which are unmistakably impenetrable. The idea of God, of the Trinity, of Heaven and Hell, of Platonic archetypes, of pantheism, and so many other religious or...

[The entire page is 1545 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass