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Is Borges the 20th Century’s most important writer?

bbc.com

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Re: Is Borges the 20th Century’s most important writer?

#2
At the very least, he's my favorite. Discovered him when I was about 16 and immediately decided to read everything he ever wrote. Truly an imaginative and amazing man.

Also his poetry is really incredible and offers an interesting look into Argentinian culture, both Gaucho and upper class.

Re: Is Borges the 20th Century’s most important writer?

#3
post #2

At the very least, he's my favorite. Discovered him when I was about 16 and immediately decided to read everything he ever wrote. Truly an imaginative and amazing man. Also his poetry is really incredible and offers an interesting look into Argentinian culture, both Gaucho and upper class.

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Re: Is Borges the 20th Century’s most important writer?

#4
One thing that bothers me about the English literary culture is how indifferent it is to writers in other languages. Borges always was my best example. Another one is the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa.

What other non-english writers do you think should receive more world attention?

Re: Is Borges the 20th Century’s most important writer?

#5

One thing that bothers me about the English literary culture is how indifferent it is to writers in other languages. Borges always was my best example. Another one is the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa. What other non-english writers do you think should receive more world attention?

[deleted]

Re: Is Borges the 20th Century’s most important writer?

#6

One thing that bothers me about the English literary culture is how indifferent it is to writers in other languages. Borges always was my best example. Another one is the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa. What other non-english writers do you think should receive more world attention?

I understand what you are saying, but Borges was always very thankful to American scholars having first discovered him at a time when he felt no one in Argentina cared about him.

As many things in Latin America (and in non-US countries), it wasn't until the US praised him that he became popular back home.

English-speaking scholars actually loved Borges and wanted to get him published soon and help him out.

Re: Is Borges the 20th Century’s most important writer?

#7
He's one of the most importants, I also devoured almost all of his production and it's a pleasure to see him so highly praised in BBC where they could have asked the same about Joyce or Faulkner. Borges is a powerhorse humanist and intelectual, It's an almost ultimate literary aesthetic experience to witness the finesse of his ways of expression in his mother tongue. Young people in the dark must stop doing whatever they do and grab an anthology of his poetry immediately.

Re: Is Borges the 20th Century’s most important writer?

#8

One thing that bothers me about the English literary culture is how indifferent it is to writers in other languages. Borges always was my best example. Another one is the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa. What other non-english writers do you think should receive more world attention?

Brasilian author Paulo Coelho is another great one. His novel "The Alchemist" is a classic.

Re: Is Borges the 20th Century’s most important writer?

#10
By far my favorite author. Most people begin by reading his short stories (which are amazing), but they should also read his non-fiction. I recommend Borges: Selected Non-Fictions. As far as I know he never discusses software or computer science explicitly, but all of his work is saturated with ideas relating to these things.
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