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Title: The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges, Margarita Guerrero, Norman Thomas di Giovanni (Translator) ISBN: 0-525-47538-9 Publisher: E P Dutton Pub. Date: February, 1979 Format: Paperback List Price(USD): $739.50 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.5 (2 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Zoology of the Imagination - Literary Compilation by Borges
Comment: Ctesias, physician to the Persian emperor Artaxerxes Mnemon, compiled a deficient description of distant India in the fourth century B.C., in which he mentions the crocotta, a blend of a dog and a wolf. The Roman writer Pliny expands on this work by describing a cross between the hyena and antelope.
Kafka tells about an unnamed creature, that is half cat and half lamb, not only in appearance, but also in behavior. C. S. Lewis describes chilling monsters in his fantasy fiction Perelandra. Dante paints a vivid, horrifying picture of Cerberus, a creature with clawed hands that rip the skin of the souls of the damned as they file past him. In The Time Machine H. G. Wells predicts the future split of mankind into the weak, aristocratic Eloi living on the surface, and the carnivorous Morlocks, a race of underground proletarians that feast on the Eloi.
Borges has arranged these fantastical creatures alphabetically, but urges the reader to skip around, looking for subjects of interest. Some are familiar creatures: centaurs, nymphs, harpies, sirens, banshee, phoenix, hippogriffs, minotaur, mandrakes, and unicorns. Others I failed to recognize: A Bao A Qu, lamed wufniks, kujata, nagas, odradek, catoblepas, and others.
Borges is a remarkable linguist, familiar with several modern European languages as well as Latin, Anglo-Saxon, and medieval Italian. This unusual zoological compilation reflects his broad literary interests. The Book of Imaginary Beings was co-authored with Margarita Guerrero.
While I enjoyed perusing The Book of Imaginary Beings, this little collection is not among his best works. However, the reader familiar with Borges will find this little book an interesting addition to a larger collection of his works.
The first edition with 82 topics was published in Mexico in 1957 and titled Handbook of Fantastic Zoology. In 1967 a second edition with 34 additional entries was published in Buenos Aires. My 1969 English-edition is slightly larger with 120 subjects. Newer editions are available.
In 1971-72 Robert Parris composed a chamber work, a suite of seven musical portraits and a final reprise, based on this book and sharing the same title, The Book of Imaginary Beings. The first performance was on May 7, 1972 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. during the American Music Festival under the direction of Richard Bales.
Rating: 4
Summary: The Book of Imaginary Beings
Comment: This book, by noted Argentinian writer, essayist and librarian Jorge Luis Borges, is one of the most complete and imaginitively compiled cyclopedias of mythical beings. Though it focuses mainly on western mythology, this book is a comprehensive look at the beasts that have haunted the dark forests of our minds for millenia.
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Title: Dreamtigers by Jorge Luis Borges, Mildred Boyer, Harold Morland ISBN: 0292715498 Publisher: Univ of Texas Press Pub. Date: 1985 List Price(USD): $8.89 |
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Title: The Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges, Erik Desmazieres, Andrew Hurley, Angela Giral ISBN: 156792123X Publisher: David R Godine Pub. Date: August, 2000 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: Bulfinch's Mythology by THOMAS BULFINCH ISBN: 0375751475 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 11 August, 1998 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Collected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges, Andrew Hurley ISBN: 0140286802 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: September, 1999 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title:The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition) ASIN: B000067DNF Publisher: New Line Home Entertainment Pub. Date: 12 November, 2002 List Price(USD): $39.99 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $27.99 |
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