The Linguist

24 The Linguist Vol/61 No/3 2022 thelinguist.uberflip.com REVIEWS The great Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges is best known for his brief works of fiction, consisting mostly of complex and enigmatic metaphysical fables. One line of critical thought maintains that the characters and events in these tales derive from Borges' imagination and serve merely as props to support the underlying philosophical or moral message. In The Borges Enigma: Mirrors, doubles and intimate puzzles, CIOL member Cynthia Lucy Stephens sets out to prove that the opposite is true and that, in fact, Borges' stories were largely derived from the most important events and individuals in his own life. In the introduction and opening chapter, Stephens describes Borges' early polyglot life between Europe and South America, and discusses the various biographies devoted to him. She then goes on to consider the most important literary themes in his fiction, including symmetries, allusiveness (Borges' tales frequently look back to the great writers and thinkers of the past), and the figure of 'the double' – or doppelganger – as epitomised by Jekyll and Hyde in the tale by R L Stevenson, a writer whom Borges greatly admired. Throughout, Stephens seeks to reveal how, behind the mirror images, double identities and shifting realities, Borges' deepest traumas and concerns are concealed. In a chapter about translation, we discover that Borges was also a prodigious translator. Over his lifetime he translated many of the world's leading writers into Spanish, including Woolf, Poe, Faulkner and Kafka. Developing an idiosyncratic approach, he eschewed literalism for a more creative focus, considering that there is no such thing as a perfect, finished translation. He was also willing to accept that a translated work could be superior to the original. Stephens provides a detailed account of the work of his most important translators, particularly Norman Thomas di Giovanni and Alastair Reid, and describes how, through their lengthy collaborations, Borges ended up becoming close friends with them both. The Borges Enigma discusses these and many other facets of this fascinating writer. The book provides a wealth of detail and is strongly recommended for anyone wishing to gain a deeper knowledge of the rich, strange worlds he created. Ross Smith MCIL The Borges Enigma Cynthia Lucy Stephens Tamesis Books 2021, 314 pp; ISBN: 978-1855663497 Hardcover £75 eBook £19.99 Help save the planet: download The Linguist There are few better feelings in life than tearing open the wrap on a freshly delivered magazine. But it does come at an environmental cost. Although The Linguist is packaged in biodegradable film, the reality is that the unavoidable chemicals in printing inks and the weights of paper that support high-quality full-colour pages do impact on the planet, as do the miles of travel and transit to get the magazine from the printers to your letterbox. This is one of the reasons we have introduced a downloadable digital version of the latest issue of The Linguist on the CIOL website, instantly available to CIOL members by logging in. We know that The Linguist is a valuable and, for many, a cherished part of CIOL membership. So there is absolutely no expectation that anyone should feel obliged to cancel their print subscription to go digital only. However, in the short time that the downloadable version has been available several people have done so, citing their concern for the environment. If you want to join them, simply log in to MyCIOL, switch to 'Digital only' and you will have helped us take a small step in reducing our impact on the environment. Caught reading The Linguist Mike Harrington FCIL takes a break from pedal-pushing in front of the hunting lodge Jachthuis Sint Hubertus in the Hoge Veluwe national park near Arnhem, The Netherlands. Share your snaps at linguist.editor@ciol.org.uk. © SHUTTERSTOCK

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