Jorge Luis Borges

So in several fleeting moments of packing chaos, i thought it logical to not bring any books with me to buenos aires. i dont know what exactly i was thinking, i guess i assumed i would be too busy exploring the city, meeting new people, and learning that i wouldnt have time to read.

although i still am doing all these things, i still do have time to read, and i've been meaning to buy a book for a while. well i havent yet..but today on the bus today my friend lent me a copy of Ficciones, a collection of short storis by Jorge Luis Borges.

when i accepted this loan, i was just looking for anything to read that would help pass time. what i got was way more than i bargained for. i found love. real, true, love.

Borges is known for his ability to write briefly and consisely. In his prologue he referenced this and said that when he writes he imagines that he is writing a review for an imaginary story. it was interesting to think about this as i read his work today. people also say that the best place to read JLB is in Buenos Aires (he's from here) in his works he references specific locations and interesections. some of which i have been to/heard of.

anyways while i was reading, i found myself reading over certain phrases or sentence 5 or 6 times, his choice of words was so interesting, and the sentences were so graceful. i was so tired from working on my midterm all night, but i didnt want to go to sleep because the stories were so good.

here is one section that i must have like 10 times,

"One of the Schools in Tlon has areached teh point of denying time. it reasons that the present is undefined, that the future has no other reality than as present hope, that the past is no more than present memory (25)".