Short Story Club: "The Garden of Forking Paths" by Jorge Luis Borges
"I thought of a maze of mazes, of a sinuous, ever growing maze which would take in both past and future and would somehow involve the stars."
Today we’re back on the main feed to wrap up our semester on Modernist and Postmodern fiction with our final Short Story Club of the year. Jorge Luis Borges’ “The Garden of Forking Paths” is a short work of metafiction that begs us to stretch our concept of time and causality and consider the infinite possibilities and choices that shape history and destiny. If you love our casual and engaging podcast chats, you’ll love today’s discussion as we break down Borges’ story and share our interpretations after reading and rereading the text.
In addition to closely reading the story, we also share background on Jorge Luis Borges’ life and discuss the Argentinian writer’s contribution to the literary canon. (Ever heard of magical realism?) A good example of the movement away from modernist techniques, “The Garden of Forking Paths” displays elements of a postmodern literary era. And, as always, we can’t help but talk about which texts we’ve read that use tropes and elements first developed in Borges’ Ficciones.
Download today’s episode wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to subscribe to Novel Pairings in your app so you never miss an episode.
On Borges & His Fiction
Looking for more on Borges and themes explored in his short fictions? Check out this breakdown created by TedEd!
Other Links
Borges is known for his numerous interviews, and they are delightful and interesting. This one from the Los Angeles Review of Books is no exception.
Want to read like Borges? Check out this article that explores Borges’ reading life and authorial influences from Lapham’s Quarterly.
Is Borges the most influential writer of the 20th century? The BBC considers the question in this article.
Borges was never one for the limelight, though that never diminished the acclaim he received during his lifetime. Check out this profile from the Boston Review that explores the “cult of Borges”.
Labyrinths are a main metaphor in much of Borges's work. This article adapted from Piranesi and the Modern Age and published by MIT Press explores how the prints of imaginary prisons and palaces by artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi influenced the Argentinian writer.
Save the Date!
We’re behind the scenes working on all things Wharton right now as we get ready for an exciting, extended J-Term semester. Here’s our calendar of events for Custom of the Country.
We have lots of great main feed content planned before our penultimate discussion on this classic Gilded Age novel at the end of February. Make sure you’re subscribed to our podcast so you get notifications whenever we drop a new episode.
Final Words
Thank you for another wonderful fall semester and for getting extra nerdy with us for our Modernist and Postmodern exploration. We had such a great time engaging in public scholarship with everyone. We’ll be back soon with our 2023 Reading Superlative episode where we’ll share the highs (and lows) of our reading year.
Until then, we declare after all, there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book.
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