Borges – Tom Castro ,the implausible impostor
21 Oct 2011 11 Comments
in library of Babel Tags: 2011, jorge luis borges, latin american fiction
Tom castro – published 30 sept 1933
translated by Norman Thomas di Giovanni
Collection A universal history of infamy
Well after a couple of months I finally get round to my Borges project ,the stories I choice will be ad hoc todays is Tom castro this is one of Borges earliest stories from the thirties .It is about Tom castro or Arthur Orton a con man from the 1800′s ,he and his manservant a black man called ben Bogle tried to pass them selves of as the long dead Sir Roger Tichborne ,The story actually is an authentic telling of the actual story .Castro a large built australian man tried to pass him self of as the slim English heir to the ninth largest fortune in england as his Tichbourne mother believes he is still alive even thou she was told he died .This case made the headlines and had a lengthy court case ,which Castro was found guilty .Borges is at his sparest with his writing here no fleshing out just the bare facts and a little window dressing but enough to get the facts of the story in ten pages .This story was also made into a film called The Tichbourne Claimant in the 1980′s
Have you read this story or seen the film ?
Entering the library of babel
06 Sep 2011 26 Comments
in library of Babel Tags: 2011, argentina, jorge luis borges
As I said yesterday the focus is back on translation firmly so I decide to jettison Waugh Wednesday for time being .So I found a suitable if not better replacement and that is working through the works one by one of a writer I hold in the highest possible regard Jorge Luis Borges .I read labyrinths late last year and struggled to review it as it is such a rich mix of stories and styles of writing ,so I decide to review each story individually from the three collections I own first whilst adding to them over time .Borges is the godfather of magic realism and the Latin american boom ,He lived AND worked in Buenos Airies ,in later life he became blind and had people read to him on such was the writer Alberto Manguel .
Have you read Borges ?
What is your favourite story ?
I ll pick and mix them from collections as I go along
Have you read Borges ?
if so have you a favourite story ?
