Synopses & Reviews
A splendid new translation of Borges's famous bestiary now beautifully illustrated!
The Book of Imaginary Beings is Borges's whimsical compendium of more than one hundred of the "strange creatures conceived down through history by the human imagination." This unique contribution to fantasy literature ranges widely across the world's mythologies and literatures to bring together the fantastical inventions drawn from the Kabbalah, Homer, Confucius, Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, and Kafka, among others. Here readers will find the familiar and expected dragons, centaurs, and unicorns, as well as the less familiar and altogether unexpected Animals That Live in the Mirror, the Humbaba, the Simurgh, and other undeniably curious beasts. Throughout, Borges's cunning and humorous commentary is sheer delight.
Andrew Hurley's brilliant new translation is perfectly paired with original drawings from award-winning illustrator Peter Sís. The result is a wonderful gift book an Alice Through the Looking Glass menagerie, which should appeal not only to Borges aficionados but also to fantasy fans of all stripes and ages.
Review
"Andrew Hurley's translation of The Book of Imaginary Beings reads very well and confidently replaces a 1969 version by Norman Thomas di Giovanni....The new edition is altogether so handsome and enjoyable that it is certainly the one to acquire now." Washington Post
Review
"Of all the Latin American authors in this century, [Borges] is the most universal." Harold Bloom
Synopsis
A whimsical compendium of more than one hundred of the strange creatures conceived down through history by the human imagination, this unique contribution to fantasy literature ranges widely across the world's mythologies and literatures.
Synopsis
In a perfect pairing of talent, this volume blends twenty illustrations by Peter Sís with Jorge Luis Borges's 1957 compilation of 116 "strange creatures conceived through time and space by the human imagination," from dragons and centaurs to Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat and the Morlocks of H. G. Wells's
The Time Machine. A lavish feast of exotica brought vividly to life with art commissioned specifically for this volume,
The Book of Imaginary Beings will delight readers of classic fantasy as well as Borges's many admirers.
About the Author
Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986), born in Buenos Aires and educated in Europe, was one of the most widely acclaimed writers of his time. He published many collections of poems, essays, and short stories and in 1961 shared the International Publishers' Prize with Samuel Beckett.