The Shape of the Sword (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Jorge Luis Borges
- First Published: 1944
- Type of Plot: Mystery and detective
- Time of Work: The early 1940's
- Setting: Tacuarembó, Argentina, and Connaught, Ireland
- Principal Characters: Borges, The Englishman of La Colorada
- Genres: Short fiction, Mystery and detective literature
- Subjects: Revolutionaries, Revolutions, 1940’s, England or English people, Argentina or Argentineans, South America or South Americans, Ireland or Irish people, Cowards or cowardliness
- Locales: Connaught, Ireland, Tacuarembó, Argentina
The Story
The frame narrator, Borges, describes a lonely, mysterious Englishman who lives at La Colorada. His appearance is notable for the vicious scar that crosses his face in an arc—from his temple on one side to his cheek on the other. Borges has heard many rumors about the Englishman of La Colorada, but no one knows exactly where he came from or how he came by his scar.
One stormy night, the narrator finds himself unexpectedly stranded at La Colorada. After spending several hours drinking with the Englishman, he asks him about the scar. The Englishman changes...
[The entire page is 1399 words long]
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