Ficciones / Fictions (Spanish Edition)

This was a great collection of short stories. Borges's elegance and form never cease to amaze when I read his stories. Many of these stories beg to be read several times as the ideas they present are so complex that the first reading isn't enough to understand them.The first book in this collection, El jardin de senderos que se bifurcan is really fantastic. In "Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius", Borges tells of a conspiracy to convince the world that another world really exists and that we have had contact with them. This conspiracy spans many generations and several centuries, and every time that a new discovery related to the made-up world appears, it comes closer to reality and existence. The story makes me want to question what is really necessary for an unknown (and possibly extinct) world to exist or have existed. Is it enough to have a written proof, or is that proof too easily manufactured? What is the difference between discovery and fabrication? Where is the line drawn? Does history only exist because we write it?Another story in this collection, "La loteria en Babilonia" reminds me of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery", published 7 years after Borges's work. The two stories explore the role of chance in life and make one question what the nature of chance actually is. Are we really the slaves to it that we believe ourselves to be, or are we willingly subjected to its vagaries?In all, a great collection, but I preferred El jardin de senderos que se bifurcan to Artificios. It was the stronger collection, depending less on the journalistic style to tell compelling stories, and taking greater flights of fancy. But, for me, Borges is always worth reading.

Ficciones no se lee, se descifra. Cada cuento abre una puerta hacia otra realidad, o hacia uno mismo. Borges no cuenta historias: las arma como relojes que se observan desde adentro. Nada es casual, todo tiene doble fondo. Terminas el libro… y él sigue leyéndote a ti.

I bought this so I could have something interesting to read in Spanish and it looks great. Came on time and undamaged

Always a treat to read Borges in his native language. Among these selections there’s a good analysis on Judas, motives, sacrifice and expectations. Just masterful.

I teach some of these stories to my senior English class, and periodically a question comes up about the accuracy of our translation or I want to have a good Spanish student read the stories in the original. The postmodern stories in here are essentially the reification of various different philosophies. But instead of writing *about* the philosophy Borges creates a world in a story in which the philosophy is true. They are superb. Although some of my students find the Spanish hard, I think it's very accessible with the aid of a dictionary.

Por años tuve pendiente leer a Borges, lo cual puede no ser verdad, seguramente leí un cuento perdido por ahí, o quizás le confundo con Cortázar.Cómo sea la sección de ficciones casi nos hace retirarnos, los cuentos complejos, entre ciencia y fantocheria son difíciles de seguir, pero en cuanto llegamos al Jardín de los Senderos la cosa tomo forma, las historias tienen sentido más claro, si aún la idea central.De cualquier forma una cosa me quedo clara, Borges no escribe cuentos, reescribe el mundo con cada sentencia.

The book is great but it came in used or broken condition.

Llegó a tiempo y en buenas condiciones