Dreamtigers by Jorge Luis Borges

Dreamtigers is a book of short stories and poems and, as with all of Borges' work, it is quite postmodern. I found it very interesting to read, challenging in spots. My representative line is the end of a short dialogue and reads: "Quite frankly, I don’t remember whether we committed suicide that night or not."

I got this from the library. I read it in August 2013.

Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges

A couple of years ago I wrote the name Jorge Luis Borges on a piece of scrap paper and put it in my wallet. It ended up on my nightstand and I came across it in July. Its origin is unknown although I suspect it was from a blog I read called "Ribbon Farm." Searching that blog it may have been this post. But I don't know for sure. It does not seem that familiar now that I reread it.

Anyway, Ficciones is a book of short stories by Borges, an Argentinian author who wrote in the 40s and 50s. He's a postmodern author and his stories are enjoyable to read and at the same time quite unorthodox. My favorite was probably a "critical review" of a scholar of Cervantes (Pierre Menard) who rewrites Don Quixote word-for-word, using the exact words of Cervantes, so deeply has he immersed himself in the work. The critic, however, perceives different meanings in various places, meanings placed there by Menard, even though the words are exactly the same. So there's the post-modern literary attitude at work, both in the critic's review and the fact that Borges himself does not seem to treat it as a parody but as...I don't know what, really.  "The Garden of Forking Paths" is another example of a post-modern tale, the story of an unpublished book that is ultimately a riddle that leads to a murder. It took a few readings to follow it properly, and I think I could reread it over and over and still enjoy it.

I probably won't get the chance to reread it so often. I checked it out of the library and read it on a trip to Atlanta in August 2013.

The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker

The eponymous anthologist is also the narrator of this short novel. The famous author has compiled an anthology and his publisher is badgering him for the introduction he owes, which is well past its deadline. His live-in girlfriend leaves him over this behavior, which breaks his heart but does nothing to get him going. She comes over to walk the dog and wash him and such and generally has a genial relationship, but the unwritten introduction remains a barrier to their relationship. He becomes very productive around the house for a time in the way that only a dedicated procrastinator can do. Months go by and relationships get strange.

The anthologist seems a little like a grown-up version of Holden Caulfield. I'm not sure if I read that somewhere before (probably), but that's what it seems like to me.

I am pretty sure I saw a review of this in Harper's when it came out in 2009 and thought it sounded interesting. My first Baker novel, I finished this in July 2013. I picked this up at a Border's closing sale, on the bargain table to boot. It was well worth the price, and I'll probably pass it along to someone.

Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

Bridges' book covers the sins that we commit that are commonly ignored or are sins of omission. The first he describes (ungodliness) is a summary of the balance of the book. Bridges describes ungodliness as the action of ignoring God most of the time. Going through the day without a thought for Him or concern for His sovereignty and involvement in our day is equivalent to ungodliness. Charnock called this "practical atheism."

The book identifies many sins that we may ignore or not even consider as sin. I read it as part of our small group Bible study and we found it a profitable exercise. I bought a copy and this was a keeper, along with the study guide.

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

Classified as "horror fiction," I Am Legend was recommended by a blogger I like, I think, so I picked up at the library and got through it in a day or so in July. It was more a novellette than a novel, as it was pretty short. I had heard the movie was about zombies while the book is about vampires--sort of. The detail about the reality of the "vampires" was kind of interesting. It kept me engaged but ultimately I didn't enjoy it that much.