Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Mere Mortals Book Reviews


Borges On Writing (Jorge Luis Borges) - Book Review

April 12, 2022

The subtleties of translation of prose are enigmatic, so I'm glad it's not my job.

'Borges On Writing' by Jorge Luis Borges is an edited transcript of a 1971 seminar in which Borges chats with colleagues and students about all things writing. It includes a deconstruction of his own work, his personal writing process and thoughts on translating from Spanish to English.

I summarised the book as follows. "This scratched an itch for me. I was intrigued by the decisions of translators and this gave me some insights into the differences between literal versus free translation. It also gives a glimpse into the 'unpredictable' mind of an artist."

I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!

Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:44) - Synopsis
(4:32) - Interpretation: The role of the translator
(10:18) - Writers: How to be a good one?
(15:31) - Observations/Takeaways
(17:34) - Summary

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