29 pages • 58 minutes read
Jorge Luis BorgesA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
The unnamed narrator of the story is presumably Argentinian, as he lives in Argentina on Calle Belgrano, or Belgrano Street, and previously worked for the National Library. The fact that he recently retired indicates that he is older, though he does not reveal his age. His eyesight is imperfect, and he notes that he is nearsighted. The narrator is a solitary man, as shown by the comments in which he notes his own misanthropy and “few friends.” His collection of rare Bibles in multiple languages, his commentary on their relative quality, and library career indicate that he is both intelligent and well-read.
From his interactions with the salesman, it becomes apparent that the narrator is friendly; he talks comfortably with the salesman well into the night, though his few friendships indicate that such interactions are rare. His contradictory nature is also evident in his hesitancy to burn the book, for fear that its infinite smoke will “suffocate the planet” (483), followed by his decision to leave it in the library, where someone else might find it and suffer as he has.
By Jorge Luis Borges
Borges and I
Borges and I
Jorge Luis Borges
Ficciones
Ficciones
Jorge Luis Borges
In Praise of Darkness
In Praise of Darkness
Jorge Luis Borges
Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote
Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote
Jorge Luis Borges
The Aleph
The Aleph
Jorge Luis Borges
The Aleph and Other Stories
The Aleph and Other Stories
Jorge Luis Borges
The Circular Ruins
The Circular Ruins
Jorge Luis Borges
The Garden of Forking Paths
The Garden of Forking Paths
Jorge Luis Borges
The Library of Babel
The Library of Babel
Jorge Luis Borges