tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068873.post5866617916896429897..comments2024-03-20T19:40:58.078-05:00Comments on The OF Blog: Borges Month: Introducción a la literatura norteamericana (1967, with Esther Zemborain)Larry Nolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001420558511460998noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068873.post-2407041919089571402010-07-21T10:04:16.775-05:002010-07-21T10:04:16.775-05:00Yeah, Borges isn't exactly one that is into li...Yeah, Borges isn't exactly one that is into literary theories. If anything, he's rather against them, something that I alluded to in passing when I translated a couple of weeks ago that passage about style and those who make a fetish of it in their commentaries. He can be critical and yet not <i>critical</i> (if that makes any sense) in these books. More like someone who appreciates good works and says so (or the opposite) and not someone who pontificates about it, since he doesn't seem to see the point in devising elaborate theories. His more holistic approach to literature I think makes these non-fictions more fun and less of a chore and I purposely don't analyze much in these posts because why do more than what the author himself set out to do?Larry Nolenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16001420558511460998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068873.post-63345241656281063082010-07-21T09:29:36.279-05:002010-07-21T09:29:36.279-05:00I only had to read this post ten or so times over ...I only had to read this post ten or so times over the past few days to put my finger on what bothered me. <br /><br />"There is little in the way of overt literary criticism occurring here, as this truly was an introduction to one nation's national literature for another nation's readership to consider and as such"<br /><br />I must have glossed over that passage every previous reading. I would have a hard time accepting criticism of American literature from one outside the culture. Appreciation, commentary and even criticism are all well and good, but when it comes to criticism I'd give greater credence to a contemporary voice from within the culture. After all, literature--and art in general--is not so homogeneous or universal as sports or science. <br /><br />For me, once I could reconcile what this book was, '[a] concise introduction to American literature,' and more specifically what it isn't, a critical commentary of American literature, then all my issues went away. <br /><br />I think I approached reading this post in bad light as the last few Borges post have been more of a critical commentary of certain writers.Chad Hullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17774092046594256969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068873.post-49573420049872847322010-07-20T23:38:35.259-05:002010-07-20T23:38:35.259-05:00wow... esther zemborain is a great author... nice ...wow... esther zemborain is a great author... nice to hear that her works are still being appreciated today... :)e learning software solutions fanhttp://www.intelladon.comnoreply@blogger.com