The Story of the Night
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Summary
Editor's review
As a representative work from the later stage of Borges's career, the prose here is ever more refined and restrained, while the imagery is deeper and more distant. He no longer merely constructs intricate narrative traps but guides readers to confront the riddles of existence itself. In 'The Book of Sand,' an infinite book becomes a metaphor for the limits of cognition; in 'The Other,' a dialogue with his younger self is an elegant deconstruction of the illusion of linear time. These stories are like prisms, refracting Borges's lifelong thinking on literature, philosophy, and mysticism.
This Shanghai Translation Publishing House edition offers accurate translation and detailed notes, especially in sorting out the many literary allusions and philosophical backgrounds, greatly lowering the barrier to reading. For readers encountering Borges for the first time, this is an ideal entry point into his literary universe; for veteran readers, it is a precious text for rediscovering the master's intellectual shifts in his later years. In this age of fragmented reading, these short yet highly dense stories provide precisely the concentrated time and space needed for deep thought.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in Latin American literature and magical realism
- Readers who love short stories, especially refined, philosophically rich texts
- Literature lovers who want to understand Borges's thought system and narrative art
- Thinkers eager to explore philosophical questions such as time, memory, and infinity
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting traditional linear narrative and clear plot development
- Readers seeking light entertainment or stories for emotional catharsis
Reading tips
- It is recommended to start with shorter pieces such as 'The Book of Sand' and 'Ulrike' to get used to the unique narrative rhythm and density
- Taking notes while reading can help sort out the imagery, allusions, and philosophical metaphors in the text, aiding understanding of the multilayered meanings
- Do not force yourself to fully understand everything in one go; many pieces are worth savoring repeatedly, and each rereading may bring new discoveries
About the publisher
Shanghai Translation Publishing House is a Chinese publisher oriented mainly toward translation and publishing. Its publications cover foreign literature, world classics and classic works, as well as social culture, folk literature and classical poetry. The database contains 2,618 titles, including Never Let Me Go, Les Misérables (2 volumes), Don Quixote (illustrated collector's edition), The Complete Comedies of Molière (4 volumes), The Complete Novels of Kafka (3 volumes), The Collected Works of Dostoevsky (9-volume set), Reason and Persons, and Oedipus Rex (Translation Classics). Its author resources include foreign writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Victor Hugo, Cervantes and Molière, as well as translators such as Zheng Kelu, Sun Jiameng, Li Jianwu and Zhang Kun. The publisher has brands such as "Translation Classics Selections" and "Translation Documentary," and emphasizes translated works in foreign literature and the humanities and social sciences, while also publishing bilingual dictionaries and foreign-language educational books. Public information is limited; the above is based on the book information in the database.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 题词
- 亚历山大城，公元六四一年
- 阿尔罕布拉
- 《一千零一夜》的比喻
- 某人
- 音乐盒
- 虎
- 狮
- 恩底弥翁在拉特莫斯山
- 评注一则
- 我连尘埃都不是
- 冰岛
- 贡纳尔·托尔吉尔松 （1816—1879）
- 一本书
- 游戏
- 陌生人的米隆加
- 命中注定
- 布宜诺斯艾利斯，一八九九年
- 马
- 铜版画
- 可能发生的事情
- 恋人
- 戈·奥·毕尔格
- 等待
- 镜子
- 致法兰西
- 曼努埃尔·佩罗
- 我就是我
- 星期六
- 原因
- 亚当是你的灰烬
- 夜晚的故事
- 后记
FAQ
Is this book suitable as a first introduction to Borges?
Are the stories in the book connected to one another?
There are many translations of Borges's works; what are the features of this edition?
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About the author
Jorge Luis Borges was an Argentine poet, fiction writer, essayist and translator. Born in Buenos Aires in 1899 and died in Geneva in 1986, he served as director of the National Library and held a post at the University of Buenos Aires. His short stories, notably those collected in The Garden of Forking Paths, The Aleph and The Book of Sand, often explore labyrinths, infinity, dreams and metaphysical themes, with intricate structures and a strong speculative bent. He was also a master of essays and criticism, writing in a concise, intellectually charged style. His works are widely classified as foreign literature and modern classics, and 53 titles are available in this collection.
Wang Yongnian is a translator known to Chinese readers chiefly for his renderings of Borges's works. Public information about him is limited, and his dates of birth and death and educational background are not clearly documented. The collection includes twenty-three works associated with him, centered mainly on the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, such as Ficciones: The Garden of Forking Paths and Artifices, The Complete Works of Borges, Series One (16 volumes), The Garden of Forking Paths, The Aleph, A Universal History of Iniquity, The Book of Sand, Borges Interviews, and Shakespeare's Memory. These translations span short stories, essays, interviews, and lectures, and fall under the categories of foreign literature and classic works. His translations strive to preserve the labyrinthine narrative structures and philosophical density of Borges's texts, with concise yet fluent language that gives Chinese readers comparatively full access to the writer's imaginative world and speculative style.
