Dreamtigers [Paperback]

At one point Borges considered this particular collection of miscellany - odd poems, stories, parables, sketches, fragments, and fictional quotations - to be a mirror of his life, and even possibly a work that would outlast his widely admired Ficciones and El Aleph. Dreamtigers is indeed fascinating, but it likely to be more fully appreciated by readers already familiar with Borges. A reader new to Jorge Luis Borges might begin with Ficciones, The Aleph, Labyrinths, or Seven Nights.

The prose was translated by Mildred Boyer and the poetry by Harold Morland. The arrangement is by Borges himself, and reflects an association of ideas, not a chronological grouping. Any reader acquainted with his works undoubtedly recognizes that Borges often returns to favorite themes in various guises, sometime deliberately, other times unintentionally.

This collection seems more personal and biographical than his better known works. The dedication is to an Argentine poet, long dead, that Borges once unreservedly criticized. The essay Dreamtigers is a personal reflection on the limits of creativity. The Draped Mirrors is a haunting recollection about a friend that suffered a uniquely personal (from Borges perspective) mental illness. Borges and I explores the confused identity of Borges the writer and Borges the man. Other essays are less biographical, and reveal his deep fascination with the thoughts and ideas of other writers, especially Homer, Dante, Plato, Coleridge, and Cervantes.

Dreamtigers is evenly divided between prose and poetry. Borges began his literary career as a poet and only gradually moved to prose. Amazingly, his poetry is as remarkable as his prose. Many poems reflect his vast knowledge and interests - the inevitable passage of time, the game of chess, mirrors, Anglo-Saxon grammar, and Ariosto and the Arabs. Others are more biographical, often touching on themes that were also subjects of essays. The poetic translation by Harold Morland is excellent.

this little book broken into two parts- a collection of short pieces some poetry. all very brief- the longest passage occupies a little over two pages.

what i'm really struck by is how personal this collection is. i've seen borges as a towering intellect but rather cold. dreamtigers has forced me to re-evaluate this- there's tenderness, loss and affection in these works.

borges is always dazzling, and the second part is a good introduction to his poetry, of which i understand there is a lot. the introductory and appendix notes are most illuminating.