We’re wrapping up the 2023 season with a final Short Story Club, this time exploring a prime example of Postmodern fiction with Jorge Luis Borges’ “The Garden of Forking Paths.” Borges is often considered one of the most important literary figures of the 20th century and credited as an early writer of magical realism, lo real maravilloso.
In today’s discussion, we take a close work at Borges’ popular story and share our interpretations on this text that begs us to stretch our concept of time and causality and consider the infinite possibilities and choices that shape history and destiny. We also share background on Jorge Luis Borges’ life as well as discuss the Argentinian writer’s contribution to the literary canon. And as always, we can’t help but talk about what texts we’ve read that use tropes and elements developed in Borges Ficciones.
If you love our extra nerdy discussion on the podcast today, we have even more content to enjoy over in our Novel Pairings Patreon community. Our Patreon is a great space to take part in public scholarship and talk about books with a smart, eclectic group of readers. Subscriptions start at just $5 a month, and yearly discounts are available. To learn more about our Patreon, visit patreon.com/novelpairings.
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72. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and contemporary novels with plenty of drama
Storybound with Laurie Frankel
71. Superlatives for the best books of 2021 so far
70. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton and glittering contemporary books full of social commentary
69. A short story to read in one sitting this summer: The Prairie Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
68. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson and contemplative books for moody summer reading
67. Sweeping family sagas for classic and contemporary reading tastes
66. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende Part Two
65. Classic novels to read with your book club and tips for getting more out of book club discussions
64. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende Part One
63. Brand new summer books and backlist pairings to topple your TBR
62. Quarterly Favorites: page-turning reads and reflections on Spring 2021
61. The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery, plus books about complicated families, romance, and boundaries
60. Backlist coming of age novels for book clubs and beach reads
59. In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, coming of age stories, and sweeping historical fiction
58. Grounded and inventive speculative fiction recommendations for your TBR
57. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut and science fiction stories for literary fiction lovers
56. Speech Sounds by Octavia Butler, a short story club discussion
55. Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin and modern pairings with evocative writing
54. Pride and Prejudice retellings, sequels, and pastiche
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