J-J, Jacobite dreamer, Silverlining and others...about J.L Borges

[J-J]

Macondo - thanks for the recommendations...I will look out for those writers. Nice to know you find our comments useful ! And don't worry about it being a Scottish forum...those who prefer Rabbie Burns and so on can always post their own threads on that topic if that is what they want to do!

[J-J]

Hi Silverlining

Thanks for the quotations from 'The Aleph'. I have heard of this story, but have yet to read it. I agree with your thought on time and space and incomprehesion...

I looked up the terms 'nunc-stans' and 'hic-stans' since I hadn't heard of them before.

Nunc stans is given as " the everlasting now"(although I think that was apparent from the quote anyway). From what I could gather 'hic-stans' seems to mean a 'central point'.

Actually the idea of a central point for an infinite space does seem impossible to understand...to my mind any point in an infinite space could be defined as the centre...so maybe an infinite space is effectively 'all centre'. Just as time is all 'now'?

I am just about to read "The Other" now...will reply on that soon.

[Silverlining]

Thank you JJ –

It only gets more interesting…

"Eternity is the Standing still of the Present Time" – seems to imply the now. The 'central point' would be us? The incomprehensible seems to be Space and Time and how we relate to it!?

Look forward to read your thoughts on The Other.

~S

[Silverlining]

Macondo – no need to worry about finding The Congress, I will post it as soon as we have had the time to absorb and discuss The Other. What do you make of it [The Other] btw?

You mentioned you do not know much about Borges' life and I thought about leaving you this link, it is a very good site dedicated to his life and work – with a good comprehensive biography and a lot more.

http://www.themodernword.com/borges/...biography.html

~S

[MACONDO]

Thank you Silverlining!!!!!

I am sorry I don't have much to say about this one, to me The Other is a very nice way of looking back, and talking about himself. It is like a "bilan" (sorry don't know the English word for that! it's like making a report on what has changed or not) especially when he tells the "young Borges" about what has happened between 1914 and 1964 in his family and personal life....Basically, his story is just something we all do, namely look back and judge our deeds with the difference that it's Borges, ths it is very well written and intelligently said....I am sorry, as I write this crap I feel sorry for myself to be such a poor literary critic! I don't know how on earth I always get the best marks at school! ....whatever!

J-J: I'm glad you accept to talk about other non-Scots writer. I have only read two books by Gabriel Garcia marquez, thus the only ones I can recommend, they are 100 years of Solitude and Chronicle of a Death Foretold I very much recommend both of them, I LOOOVED them both, he's an amazing story teller with the most creative imagination ever!

As for Sepulveda, I read lots by him, I highly recommend The Old Man Who Read Love Stories, and the other titles are in French sorry!! I'm giving you some approximate translations and you can use them to find the books if you like: The Nephew from America (autobiographical, lovely story, amazing life), The World of the top of the World ("le Monde du bout du monde" is the French title), and two collections of short stories which I loved: Journal of a Sentimental Killer and Other Stories (among which "Yakare" which I loved) and Love Rendez-vous in a Country in War. Sepulveda is a great supporter of environment protection and all that, and he really loves the South American continent and the feeling of brotherhood he has for the ppl of his continent is very attractive. Anyway, I love the three of them they're very interesting writers.



PS: thank you so much for the link, I didn't know he became blind!!!! Very interesting link, I couldn't read it all cuz my time is up (I'm at hte library!) but next time I will....

[Silverlining]

Hi you all – I am starting a new thread named The Book of Sand – I think it deserves a thread of its own [with its own title] as it is a project like discussion and that way Borges and his work will have a better presentation to a broader number of people. I think we can still use this thread for any general Borges questions.

~S

[J-J]

Macondo - thanks for posting your thoughts.There is a lot of personal detail about Borges in the story...it is interesting. I will look out for the Marquez and Sepulveda info - thanks for translating some of the titles.

Silverlining - I see the new thread. I am just making my way over there now with my thoughts on "The Other"...