No.1700
I read another Borges short story from the "Ficciones" book (also knows as "Fictions" and "Labyrinths". The next time I post a review regarding this book, it'll be the entirety of this Short Story compilation, rather than individual short stories.
"The Approach to Al'Mutasim" is what I read. It's like a literary commentary? I believe I know a little bit about Borges to expect stuff like this. He's basically reviewing a fictitious book. Interesting, I guess. I did quite enjoy this read, although my reading comprehension was somewhat poor I feel. I don't feel I always understood what I was reading.
So, what did I even read? A review of a fictitious story about a man who murders what seems to be a Hindu, and goes on the run, looking for this saint "Al'Mutasim"? I won't be checking Wikipedia to understand this short story this time. If I don't get it, I don't get it. And yeah, I don't get it.
It was somehow interesting to read though. As the narrator speaks about the literary world that he's in, how writers would often choose the more honourable choice of leaning into historical classics rather than leaning into their contemporaries, I thought insights like that were interesting as I don't know much about the world of literature. Apparently James Joyce's Ulysses makes heavy use of… well, I initially understood the text as saying that it made heavy use of Homer's Odyssey, but I think it just said that it made heavy use of Homer's texts. I don't know what else Homer wrote besides the Odyssey.
I feel like the parts of this short story that I enjoyed the most, were the ones where I was learning about this book he's reviewing. It did seem somewhat interesting. I even learnt how it ends! And I learnt a lot of new words along the way.
languor
metempsychosis
cabalist
pullulation
Like man, I feel it's going to take some time to get used to books.
Well anyway, unlike what I said in my previous review, where I felt that one had to be a huge literature fan already before reading Borges in order to enjoy his work (to be fair, there was a lot of literature reference in this short story too…) I do feel like this short story was enjoyable, despite me not knowing too much about literature. But I don't feel it was particularly great, I think I just enjoyed reading it. Like I said, someday, I'll post a review of the entire compilation.
No.1735
>>1727Lolol, Dostoevsky the original shitposter. I read Karamazov Brothers and consider it the second biggest waste of time after my read of Naruto manga.
