On Argentina

By: Jorge Luis Borges, Suzanne Jill Levine - editor, Alfred Mac Adam - editor, Alfred Mac Adam - introduction, Alfred Mac Adam

Narrated by: Diego Diment

A literary guide to Argentina by its most famous writer

Jorge Luis Borges wrote about Argentina as only someone passionate about his homeland can. On Argentina reveals the many facets of his passion in essays, poems, and stories through which he sought to bring Argentina forward on the world stage, and to do for Buenos Aires what James Joyce did for Dublin.

In colorful pieces on the tango and the gaucho, on the card game truco, and on the criollos (immigrants from Spain) and compadritos (street-corner thugs), we gain insight not only into unique aspects of Argentine culture but also into the intellect and values of one of Latin America’s most influential writers. Featuring material available in English for the first time, this unprecedented collection is an invaluable literary and travel companion for devotees of both Borges and Argentina.

On Argentina

ON ARGENTINA was interesting, but I wouldn't (most definitely!) not start a journey with Jorge with this one. The editors/translators don't say it explicitly (unless I glazed over it), but this is more a collection of essays gathered as they had a common theme, then a book created from the start on the subject of Argentina.

That being the case, I still enjoyed it. Now and again Borges tosses out a line that makes you stop (and if I had been reading a paper copy exclusively, I would have underlined the phrase or sentence). As it is, you sit back and watch as he drags in the Koran, Mark Twain, Kipling, and dozens of other references (seemingly at random, but they all fit), one after the other. Definitely a polymath. I bet you know who fits this mode, and who writes in a similiar fashion! Even better, he is still alive and kicking, if not writing all that much anymore (but you have a chance to pick up Borges and this writer and be guaranteed a solid Mount Toberead for quite a while).