Borges and the Eternal Orangutans

This locked room mystery is narrated by a wanna-be author -- indeed, a wanna-be Borges -- who gets to meet Borges and discuss with him who could have committed the crime. The possible solutions to the crime become ever more outre as together Borges and the narrator come up with strange signifiers and symbols and delight in their cleverness (until you wonder, really, whether Borges could possibly be so very odd, despite his very odd stories -- really, wasn't he more mysterious and interesting and intellectual than this?). I read with increasing joy and wonder as the tale wound in on itself, and wove around itself, and ate its own tail. There is no question that I will now return to Borges himself -- and will be reading The Club of show more Angels, apparently the only other book by Verissimo to be translated into English, as well. This is a wonderful book. show less

Borges and the Eternal Orangutans is such a whimsical, charming book. I didn’t have expectations going into the book aside from knowing that it’s received pretty good reviews. Verissimo’s novel is a riff on those analytical detective stories, namely those of Edgar Allen Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, and of course, Jorge Luis Borges. When our protagonist attends an Edgar Allen Poe conference, he gets embroiled in a locked-room type murder mystery and has to work with his idol, the inimitable Borges himself, to get to the bottom of this mystery. I was entertained by the story on its own merits, but I’ll bet you’d find it an even richer reading experience if you recognized the winks and nods to Poe and Borges—the framework of their show more mysteries, their trademark motifs, names of characters, etc. Actually, this book inspired me to go back and read some of the short stories of these authors. show less

A complete & utter delight of a book. A Borges style mystery with some Poe, Lovecraft, infinite monkeys, & surrealism thrown in. Verissimo (meaning 'true' in Portuguese) leads you through a labyrinth of mirrors, philosophy, surrealist reasoning, ancient history, & good old-fashioned noir while spinning this marvelous mystery as you search for the truth of the matter. Excellent.

Luis Fernando Verissimo has concocted a clever and entertaining Borgesian mystery which duly pays homage to one of South America's greatest writers - even, in fact, casting him as a support character in the tale.

A reclusive 50 year old and besotted admirer of Borges, an expatriated Jewish German named Vogelstein, finds himself meeting his idol amidst a murder investigation at a Edgar Alan Poe literary convention (the inventor of detective fiction, no less). The backstory to this meeting is complicated, since Vogelstein once translated a Borges story, changing the ending in the process and leaving (fictionally) the great author none-too-pleased. Furthermore, three stories the younger man had sent to his hero had all been rejected. Many show more years have passed until the current murder investigation serendipitously bring them together. The connection between the admirer and the translator of years before however, Borges has seemingly has all but forgotten or forgiven.

As chief witness to the crime, Vogelstein and his hero ruminate on who the killer may be. By methodically remembering events (unsurprisingly a mirror plays a part) they slowly progress down philological rumination, encompassing 'the origins of language, the work of John Dee and the "Necronomicon" (publicised by H. P. Lovecraft), the Kabbala, the occult, the Gnostic gospels, apochrypha, and the "eternal orangutan." All the while, Borges' friend, a criminologist and strong advocate of scientific method, tries to solve the murder using conventional methods - regularly returning (and despairing) to the illogical postulates the two excited authors create together whilst he is away.

This was a very entertaining read and a more than fitting tribute to the work of Borges. Admirers of Borges' work will get added pleasure from the story but knowledge of his work is by no means necessary in order to appreciate this book. show less

My role is to see, describe and, now, write about what I saw. Someone or something is using me to untangle the tangled plot over whose direction I have as little influence as the pen has over the poets who wield it, or the man over the gods who manipulate him, or the knife over the murderer. A plot whose denouement lies in your hands, Jorge.

Or should I say "in your tail".

When an annual Edgar Allen Poe conference is suddenly transferred to Buenos Aires, Vogelstein is thrilled that is is close enough for him to attend. Looking forward to seeing the talks by some of the Poe experts who are known to hate each other, he is thrilled to be introduced to his literary hero, Jorge Luis Borges, some of whose stories he has translated into show more Portuguese for publication in a magazine.

When one of the Poe experts is murdered and Vogelstein finds the body, he and Borges become involved in the investigation, but is this highly amusing story all that it seems? show less

In this unusual spin on the detective story, the narrator Vogelstein is on his way to a literary conference in Buenos Aires. The conference, sponsored by the mysterious Israfel Society, is dedicated to the works of Edgar Allan Poe, and Vogelstein is delighted to have the chance to attend – especially when he learns that his idol, Jorge Luis Borges, will be there. However, the conference never actually takes place; one of the speakers, an intelligent but widely disliked professor, is found murdered in his hotel room on the first day of the conference. There are several strange aspects to the death, such as the unusual position of the victim’s body and an assortment of playing cards on the table. The murder provides Vogelstein and show more Borges with a unique opportunity to exercise their deductive skills, while also discussing literature, geography, ancient religions, and the occult.

This is a book I was required to read for class, and without that motivation I probably would never have picked it up. I’m so glad I did, though, because it was a very interesting and unique reading experience! I’ve only read one or two Poe stories and have barely come into contact with Borges, so I’m sure I missed a lot of great allusions and clues. Nevertheless, I was able to follow the thread of the story very well – and I even guessed the murderer quite early on, although the “how” and “why” mystified me until the end. The conversations between Vogelstein and Borges are amazingly intriguing, and the ivory-tower intellectualism contrasts nicely with the underlying mundane investigation of a crime. I would definitely recommend this book to people who like their mysteries complex and intellectually demanding. If you love Poe and/or Borges, I’m sure you’ll find even more to enjoy! show less

If you happen to be a fan of either Borges or Poe – or especially if you happen to like both – then do yourself a favour and get Verassimo's little novel. The whole book is a homage to those two writers (JLB in particular) and their different short stories, with plenty of others such as Lewis Carroll, H. P. Lovecraft, and a 17th century occultist writer John Dee thrown in for a good measure, and further peppered with references to yet more characters, books and stories, both known and obscure. If you know all this stuff, it is great fun. Unfortunately this also means that if you don’t, you really need not to apply – I’m afraid that for someone who hasn’t read Borges, Poe or Carroll – or doesn’t like them – show more Verissimo’s lovely pastiche would probably appear very silly and tedious. show less