Why is this book so hard to read? I'm starting to realize

>>9606686
that's the pleasure of it, isn't it? they're little puzzleboxes to open up. nothing so hard that you can't figure it out with a bit of effort. just sometimes nice to go through such little mental exercises. plus it's worth it for how neat some of his ideas are.

Many of the crazy-seeming twists of fate or cruelties have some basis in history. So Ficciones = Fictions but a lot of these "Fictions" have a foot in reality.

Sorry, this post probably doesn't address your problem at all.

File: 514Txas3gmL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg (25KB, 219x346px) Image search: [Google]

25KB, 219x346px

Can always try some of his other stuff first too.

>>9606686
if you lift weights to get stronger, it is reasonable to expect that you will be a little bit sore. so it is with literature and the mind.

>>9606715
i didnt really enjoy this one

its written in an overblown style but has the format of short encyclopedia articles... in all honesty the details that borges intended to color the narrative fell flat too. all thats forgivable considering it was an early work.

What do you struggle with? Borges stories mostly have one gimmick that makes you think about some math concept or aspect of reality. They're rarely deeply layered with many different meanings

For example:
Library of Babel = makes you think about if anything you write is truly original since you can merely generate all permutations

>>9606686
His writing style isn't particularly difficult but a few of his themes could be to those unfamiliar with him.

Wew, I read it in spanish (my first language) and now I'm not ashamed for needing to re-read every short story in order to get it. Awesome book though.

>>9606984
The library of Babel is also about the search of perfection and whether that's worth it, because you probably won't find it (and you have to imagine that while everyone's searching for this perfect book, someone might be born near it). It's also about infinity and nearing infinity. It's a parable on the structure of the universe. He delves into the nature of religion as well at some point in the story.

Ficciones or Labrynths?

>>9606686
You have to pay attention at all the details. Ficciones is one of the works that require and price the rereading.

>>9609344
Ficciones

>>9611045
Why?

>>9611070
Uqbar and Pierre Mernard,

>>9611076
Uqbar is in Labyrinths. Not sure about Pierre Menard, but I think it's there too. It's one and a half times thicker iirc.

>>9611076
Thos are both included in Labyrinths.

>>9607027
Bullshit. What translation are you reading? His prose is over-wordy and imprecise. Seriously, I've read a sentence in Ficciones that contained a double negative and negating preposition consecutively; it made me want to gouge my eyes out.

>>9611076
both in labyrnths buddy, uqbar is the first story is included

>>9606686
How does Ficciones compare to The Aleph and Labyrinths?

So far, Labyrinths>The Aleph.

Maybe its the translation anon. I havent finished ficciones yet but i didnt found it particulary hard. I am reading "the invisible cities" from italo calvino an it seems hard as fuck to understand, i guess its the translators mistake for not being able to express with fluidity the authors thoughts in another language

>>9606686
>Why is this book so hard to read?
It . . . isn't at all.