The Lesson of the Master : On Borges and His Work

Borges -- Argentine poet, essayist, and short-story writer, whose tales of fantasy and dream-worlds are classics of the 20th-century world literature - was profoundly influenced by European culture, English literature, and thinkers such as Berkeley. Since his death, Borges has been inducted into the world literary canon through the efforts of a number of influential critics and the Borges estate. Central to this project has been the publication of a group of grand volumes whose greatest achievement has been to make available in English works that had previously remained obscure, even in Spanish. The Lesson of the Master, a memoir and essays, is an indispensable work for Borges readers and his growing legion of students and scholars. Di Giovanni was the only translator to have Borges to hand on a daily basis to contradict or authorize his work. In addition, di Giovanni is not burdened with an over-reverence for his subject but is on the contrary playful, robust and witty. The Lesson of the Master is an essential illumination of one of the great masters of twentieth-century literature.