Gnosticism in Borges: Secret Knowledge and Contrived Connections
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- Опубликовано: 24 мар 2022
- A discussion of how Borges explores Gnosticism as secret or privileged knowledge.
Borges stories that are mentioned and spoiled:
Garden of Forking Paths
The Aleph
House of Asterion
Death and the Compass
Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius
Other works mentioned:
Coptic Gospel of Thomas, sayings 3-4
Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco
Songs of a Dead Dreamer by Thomas Ligotti, my discussion: • Songs of a Dead Dreame...
Miss Lonelyhearts by Nathanael West
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
Stories of HP Lovecraft (cosmic horror)
The Codex Cantina on Tlön, Uqbar: • Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Ter...
#booktube
#jorgeluisborges
#gnosticism
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Great video
Thank you for this wonderful exploration! You inspired me to make a response video!
Thanks for the kind words, Ami! Now I need to go enjoy your video. Hope you and your family are well.
Best, Jack
This video has totally sold me on Borges. Wow. I always heard his works were cerebral but you really do a good job pointing out how layered some of his stories are.
I think its interesting you say the seeking of Gnosis may be self destructive, reminds me of Captain Ahab.
I often wonder about the discrepancy between gnosticism in the 3rd century and gnosticism in 19/20th century literature. Seems like the latter sort of reinvented gnosticism to some degree, though I don't know about Borges in particular...
Great connection to Ahab! I hope you enjoy Borges’ stories when you have a chance to read them. I’d be curious to know which ones you find most interesting.
We have such a small conception of what 1st-3rd century Christian Gnosticism involved; too many ideas are quotes from polemics. I suspect the more recent strains are highly influenced by Romanticism and existentialist thought.
Hope you’re having a great week!
Best, Jack
Read Borges for the first time last year (Ficciones) and boy, what a fantastic experience. So engaging and fun. Recently got the collected works you’ve got there. Looking forward to dig into that.
Glad to hear you enjoyed your first experience, Fraser! This volume is one that I return to pretty much every year since I acquired it 13 years ago. Did you have any favorite stories? Hope this weekend is going well for you.
Cheers, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 the Garden of Forking Paths, for sure. Mostly because in Ficciones it really, really draws together everything from previous stories for a great revelation. I thought it was absolutely masterful in its arrangement of stories and themes, cascading beautifully.
The one hesitation I have going into the volume you have is the arrangement of stories. I imagine it’s all over the place, since it’s all of his fiction?
@@SpringboardThought that’s a great story! The volume is organized by the different short story volumes that he published, so a dozen will be grouped together that were published in the same volume originally. Within any of those, there are some stories that are stronger and that I return to more frequently, but I have not been disappointed by any single collection.
@@ramblingraconteur1616 oh, so all the Ficciones ones are arranged like they would have been anyway? That’s great, then. I won’t have to retread ground. Does make it more enticing to pick up sooner.
I enjoyed it from the first story even, where he was talking about a secret encyclopedia. A few times I forgot it was fiction! Such as the review of a review of Don Quixote lol
Acquisition leading to destruction rather than liberation is key in The Zahir as well! This was awesome Jack! Thanks for sharing the Borges love 😍😍
Now I need to reread “The Zahir”! Thanks, Noah. Hope you’re well.
Cheers, Jack
Fascinating video! I had actually just reread Death and the Compass when this came up. If I wasn't already reading 5 books at once, I would have gone straight to Foucault's Pendulum after finishing the video.
Foucault’s Pendulum is great, but it’s super dense and somewhat esoteric. I had to read it when I was off on summer break to be able to sustain the many wormholes it sent me to, Aaron. I hope you enjoy it when you have a chance.
Cheers, Jack
Nice wink with the tiger shirt 😅
Haha, thanks! Do you have a favorite story or few stories from Borges? I hope you’re having a nice weekend.
Cheers, Jack
Excellent analyysis! The Library of Babel is certainly an interesting one to think about under this light....
I almost reread “The Library of Babel” but ultimately felt it went in a different direction from the theme these stories presented (even when it was not their main theme). Library was probably my favorite Borges story when I read his early collections. What are the top stories for you? I hope you have a great weekend!
Cheers, Jack
I have enjoyed these stories, and your take put them in a whole new light. Thanks as always for your thoughtful videos.
Thanks, David! Any favorites among Borges’ stories? I hope this weekend has started well for you.
Cheers, Jack
Library of Babel was my first exposure, still a favorite. Never gets old.
Borges is the best, so excited to see you talk about him! I just recently heard of House of Asterion from someone else and seems like its time to keep reading! This was extremely insightful!
Thanks, Brandon! “House of Asterion” is great. It is in the pantheon of microfictions that I have encountered, along with a few fragments from Kafka, the best of Lydia Davis, and perhaps Rikki Ducornet. What are some of your favorites from Borges?
I hope you are well!
Cheers, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 THanks Jack, my absolute favorite is The Library of Babel followed by The Garden of Forking Paths and The Circular Ruins
@@BrandonsBookshelf Library of Babel was my favorite on my first read through of Borges’ early stories. I was definitely impressed by Garden of Forking Paths as well. Now I need to reread The Circular Ruins!
Can't wait to get to Aleph and House of Asterion! I'll have to make those happen soon and acquire this knowledge. Can I learn it from a Jedi? I just watched this really dramatic video on Roko's Basilisk which was a good talk about curiosity and information. Great talk.
Ooh, interesting! “The Aleph” is great, though the parody of Neruda keeps it from being one of my true favorites from Borges. “House of Asterion” my be my single favorite microfiction, though Lydia Davis circles that labyrinth with so many of hers.
"...for in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow." Ecclesiastes 1:18. Very good discussion, a couple of suggestions: at the beginning you were dropping the ends of sentences, your name, etc. so I couldn't hear them. It's easy to do because it's familiar to you, but it's not necessarily familiar to your audience. Once you got going you were fine. The other suggestion is that when you show us a book, hold it still so we can see it. Love what you're doing with this.
Thanks for the feedback. Great connection to Ecclesiastes as well! Hope you’re having a great weekend.
Cheers, Jack
This was fascinating Jack. I think you're onto something- knowledge almost always turns out badly for a character in Borges. Still, even at his darkest, I think there's such a charming sense of play to his stories. They often feel like idle puzzles, rather than profound statements.
The Zahir, one of my favorites, definitely fits into your thoughts here.
Thanks, Jordan, now I need to go reread “The Zahir”! I agree that Borges pulls back from nihilism in most stories, something Ligotti wholeheartedly embraces, though let me know when you next reread “Gospel According to Mark” from Borges.
I hope you are doing well!
Cheers, Jack
Can we talk about the appropriateness of the shirt for a Borges video!
Man I love any Borges content! Absolutely my favorite author. Thanks for this! Are you sure that all of time existed in the aleph? I’m pretty sure borges is quoted as saying, “!What eternity is to time, the aleph is to space.” I dont believe the aleph offered the ability to glimpse into different temporal locations. Just all space, seen from every angle, at THAT moment.. no?
Thanks for the kind words. I love connecting with other Borges readers. What are some of your favorites from his works?
You’re right on “The Aleph”, though I’ll venture that the omnipresent microcosmic window retains its gnostic elements in that reading.
I hope you’re having a great weekend!
Cheers, Jack