Collected Fictions
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Collected Fictions Audible Audiobook – Abridged

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 1,010 ratings
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Jorge Luis Borges has been called the greatest Spanish-language writer of our century. A selection of Borges' dazzling fictions are gathered in this audiobook, brilliantly translated by Andrew Hurley. These enigmatic, elaborate, imaginative inventions display Borges' talent for turning fiction on its head by playing with form and genre and toying with language. Together these incomparable works comprise the perfect compendium for all those who have long loved Borges, and a superb introduction to the master's work for those who have yet to discover this singular genius.

Selections include: "Borges and I", "The Garden of Forking Paths", "Man on Pink Corner", "The Library of Babel", "Death and the Compass", "The Lottery in Babylon", "The Maker", "The Zahir", "The Encounter", "The Circular Ruins", "Shakespeare's Memory", "August 25, 1983", "The Immortal", "Parable of Cervantes and the Quixote", "The Story from Rosendo Juarez", "The Aleph", and "Dreamtigers".

Please note: This audio edition includes selections from the paperback edition. The stories included are unabridged.

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  1. Listening Length
    5 hours and 14 minutes
  2. Author
    Jorge Luis Borges, see all
  3. Narrator
    George Guidall
  4. Audible release date
    June 24, 2010
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Penguin Audio
  7. ASIN
    B003TU5OIG
  8. Version
    Abridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 5 hours and 14 minutes
Author Jorge Luis Borges, Andrew Hurley - translator
Narrator George Guidall
Audible.com Release Date June 24, 2010
Publisher Penguin Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Abridged
Language English
ASIN B003TU5OIG
Best Sellers Rank #47,926 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#30 in Caribbean & Latin American Literature
#245 in Fiction Short Stories
#1,031 in Classic Literature

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
1,010 global ratings
The beauty of an old book
5 Stars
The beauty of an old book
Apart from the beautiful writing, this second hand book as an “old” quality to it. I am glad I bought it from the seller.Books are like wine. When well preserved, they get better with age.
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Top reviews from the United States

Eric T. Fricke
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2022
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I am loving this collection so far. I was originally introduced to Borges as a Spanish minor in college, and decided to give this a go. I love how well-read and well-travelled Borges is; you get an education in philosophy, religion, history, and literature while reading the most interesting, mind-bending, quietly humorous stories. Highly recommended!
12 people found this helpful
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Rdg near NYC
5.0 out of 5 stars this penguin classic deluxe edition is a masterpiece
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2023
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I am listening to this in the Spanish language on Audible and following along at the same time with Andrew Hurley's paper back English translation. This paperback is very high quality in terms of its paper and its binding. It deserves a permanent place on bookshelves. I notice that Andrew Hurley's translation includes a short story "The Approach of Al-Mu'tasim" that is omitted from the Audible Spanish version. I think it's a good use of time to read every short story in this book, slowly, and at a rate of about one short story every two or three days. Jorge Luis Borges is very special, but he is not the easiest author to read. I think it's worth the effort. Andrew Hurley has done the world of English readers a great service by translating this book from Spanish. I hope one day someone will care enough to convert this paperback book into Kindle format.
One person found this helpful
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Reader in Upstate NY
5.0 out of 5 stars Do NOT “Avoid the Labyrinth”
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2019
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Those words were written on my Amazon Marketplace receipt from Blue Leaf Books by someone with the initials EDG, along with a thank you for ordering the book on March 23, 2017. In fact, I did avoid the labyrinth for almost two years because I knew it would be quite a challenge. I had first “read” Borges’ “Labyrinths” as a 20-year-old. I’m sure I could not have understood any of it at that time. But the years have passed (I won’t say how many) and, fortunately, I decided this was the year that I would make the effort to read Borges’ Collected Fictions, beginning to end, slowly. Near the end of the book, I found myself going back through the pages and finding stories I wanted to read again right away. As one excellent reviewer (Michael Battaglia) wrote, “finishing a book isn't quite the same thing as understanding what you just read,” and this is one book I feel must be read several times. Each time, you will understand more, but you will have the feeling that yet another reading will give you still more understanding. I found it amusing that one of the last stories, “Blue Tigers,” included the following sentence: “I did not sleep the night of Feb. 10.” I was reading this particular story during the afternoon of Feb. 11. Was Borges playing with my mind? I’ve since ordered a copy of Borges’ selected non-fiction and poetry. One must NOT avoid the labyrinth.
55 people found this helpful
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Jonathan
5.0 out of 5 stars The Argentinian Gentleman of science fiction.
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2021
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What a treat. Even translated to English, the adroit, mesmerizing, inventive hand of Jorge Luis Borges shows through. His work persuades me that he may have prefaced the Magic Realism movement. A fine collection.
3 people found this helpful
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P. Lawrence Merkin
5.0 out of 5 stars Great copy of a great book
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2023
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Arrived promptly and as advertised.
One person found this helpful
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Luciano_L_1983
5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary mixture of topics
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2012
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Message from an English colleague, who received the book as a gift: "I was delighted to receive yesterday a very fine copy of Jorge Luis Borges' Collected Fictions. This `Deluxe edition' on heavy, uncut paper is a lovely thing to hold in one's hands. I have dipped into the collection and read about half a dozen of the short stories and they are, indeed, beautifully written. There is an extraordinary mixture of different topics - I found myself reading one story about Yorkshire (northern England), which expressed a very authentic understanding of that part of the country."
2 people found this helpful
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Charles Loyola
4.0 out of 5 stars weird translation decisions
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2005
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Here are a few examples of weird choices of the translator:

1.

Borges: title is "Funes, el memorioso"

Hurley: "Funes, His Memory"

Other translations have "Funes, The Memorious". Hurley writes that he didn't want to use the "invented", "Lewis Carroll-esque" word "memorious", but it is in fact a word, albeit rare. (see OED: "Having a good memory")

2.

Borges: (Deutsches Requiem) "Símolo de mi vano destino, dormía en el reborde de la ventana un gato enorme y fofo."

Hurley: "On the windowsill slept a massive, obese cat--the symbol of my vain destiny."

Now, "fofo" (flabby) is probably a hint a-la-Strangelove of the nature of zur Linde's wound, which had "serious consequences", but it is lost with Hurley's "obese".

3.

Borges' great lines from "Tema del traidor y del héreo": "De esos laberintos circulares lo salva una curiosa comprobación, una comprobación que luego lo abisma en otros laberintos más inextricables y heterogéneos"

Hurley translates the first "laberintos" to "labyrinths" and the second to "mazes". A Borges sentence with a recurring word is rendered into a sentence without any. Granted, there aren't any synonyms for "laberinto" in Spanish, but it seems somewhat strange to use both English options in one sentence.

4.

Borges: (Ragnaroek) "En los sueños (escribe Coleridge) las imágenes figuran las..."

Hurley omits the parentheses for some reason: "The images in dreams, wrote Coleridge, figure forth..."

Examples of similar translating concepts can be found on almost every other page.

Those of you who demand a translation which is as literal as possible without mutilating style and imagery, might find this one disappointing. Anyhow I would recommend this as a filler since it has all the stories in one volume, while the great Borges-di Giovanni translations (or revision-translations) do not include everything (they didn't get the rights, absurdly enough).
25 people found this helpful
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Mike Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars Mind-bending metaphysical fiction
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2016
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Trippy, trippy, trippy. If you know who Borges is, no explanation is necessary. If you don't know who he is, no explanation will adequately describe him to you. This is quite possibly some of the strangest, most mind-bending metaphysical fiction ever written. It isn't exactly science fiction, or fantasy, or horror, it is much more. The only thing you can even compare it to is some of the stranger episodes of The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits. And it is all the more impressive considering that much of it was written in the 1920s and 30s.
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Top reviews from other countries

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countrymouse
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful fiction by Borges
Reviewed in Canada on December 19, 2023
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This paperback is in decent shape (smaller print than I expected but then my eyes have changed...). Book arrived on time and well packed.
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Francisco d.
3.0 out of 5 stars Mal corte de las páginas
Reviewed in Mexico on April 12, 2022
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El contenido del libro es excelente. Sin embargo, el corte de las páginas de mala calidad.
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Francisco d.
3.0 out of 5 stars Mal corte de las páginas
Reviewed in Mexico on April 12, 2022
El contenido del libro es excelente. Sin embargo, el corte de las páginas de mala calidad.
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dragon1764
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2024
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Excellent product and delivery very pleased
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Prabir Chatterjee
5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant and Fascinating book !
Reviewed in India on March 6, 2023
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There's nothing to dislike ! What's to dislike about J.L.Borges ? A master craftsman at work - and what an edifice he did build ! The book is beautifully crafted, soft creamy paper, classy cover, and superbly bound. Absolutely smashing ! A pleasure to feel, hold and read. If you want to read something unusual, and are willing to put in time and concentration, Borges is your man !
One person found this helpful
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Gregory Wright Barrett
5.0 out of 5 stars PERFEKT
Reviewed in Germany on October 31, 2021
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Perfekt, Danke
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