This is a Readers Guide to ten of Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges' best-known and most widely studied short stories. The Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges is undoubtedly one of the defining voices of our age. Since the Second World War, his work has had an enormous impact on generations of writers, philosophers and literary theorists. This clear and accessibly written guide offers a close reading of ten of Borges' greatest short stories, seeking to bring out the logic that has made his work so influential. The main section of the guide offers an analysis of such key terms in Borges' work as 'labyrinth' and the 'infinite' and analyses Borges' particular narrative strategies. This guide also sets Borges' work within its wider literary, cultural and intellectual contexts and provides an annotated guide to both scholarly and popular responses to his work to assist further reading. "Continuum Reader's Guides" are clear, concise and accessible introductions to key texts in literature and philosophy. Each book explores the themes, context, criticism and influence of key works, providing a practical introduction to close reading, guiding students towards a thorough understanding of the text. They provide an essential, up-to-date resource, ideal for undergraduate students.

Table of Contents

1. Contexts; 2. Reading the Short Stories; The Labyrinthine; The Borgesian; Infinity and One; Fictions; 3. Reception and Influence; 4. Annotated Bibliography; Index.

About the Author

Rex Butler is Senior Lecturer in Art History at the University of Queensland, Australia. His previous publications include Jean Baudrillard: The Defence of the Real (Sage, 1999).

Reviews

'This is the most up-to-date study thus far of Borges's place in contemporary culture. The influence exerted by the Argentine master on literature and criticism stretches far and wide over three continents, and Rex Butler does a fine job of tracing in detail a rich and ongoing legacy.'
- Gene H. Bell-Villada, Williams College, USA, author of Borges and His Fiction: A Guide to His Mind and Art