Labyrinths by Jose Luis Borges

I really liked this book, but I'm pretty sure I only really understood the message in about 25% of the stories. The book is a collection of short stories, essays, and parables by Jose Luis Borges, an Argentinian writer, incorporating his theories of time, space, personal experience, etc. into fictional (and sometimes non-fictional) writings.

I don't generally like short story collections. I think in general, short stories tend to lack the character and story development that I generally prefer to have in my books, but I was so distracted by trying to figure out what theory Borges was trying to put forth in the individual stories that I tended to not miss the character development. I won't go into much detail about any of the stories, but I really liked the mystical way that the author incorporated physics and metaphysics into his stories. Even though this book isn't my typical idea of Latin American fiction, he definitely still managed to capture my attention and keep it, despite my continuous struggles with the subject matter. It's not a book about people or places or things; rather, it's a discussion, through fiction, of the various ways that we experience these people, things, and places. I had no clue who about 98% of the philosophers, scientists, etc. were that he named in the book, and I probably would have gotten a lot more out of the book had I known more about most of them. I will probably come back and re-read this one in the future...after I brush up on my philosophy and physics (which may be never, but a girl can hope for infinite free time, right?).

My rating: 8.5/10

Up next: John Dos Passos' U.S.A. Trilogy. I just picked up all three from my local library and have 2 weeks to read before I need to renew/return. We'll see how it goes.