Seven Nights

I am fascinated by the genius of Jorge Luis Borges. "Seven Nights" is a short collection (121 pages) of seven lectures given over seven evenings in the summer of 1977 in Buenos Aires. Borges was almost fully blind and spoke informally, without notes, as was his usual style. He exercised his great memory with skill; he shifted effortlessly across literary genre, across the centuries, across languages, occasionally making unexpected connections. I almost believed that I was present at his lectures. Each lecture can stand alone, but references to prior topics abound. I first encountered "Seven Nights" some years ago. Having just read Dante's Inferno for the first time, I was having difficulty articulating the powerful impact that Dante's great work had made on me. In his first lecture, "The Divine Comedy", Borges provided the words. He says, the Middle Ages "gave us, above all, the Divine Comedy, which we continue to read, and which continues to astonish us, which will last beyond our lives, far beyond our waking lives." He describes the joy of reading Dante's work as a narrative, ignoring - at least during the first reading - the extensively documented literary and historical criticism. "The Commedia is a book everyone ought to read. Not to do so is to deprive oneself of the greatest gift that literature can give us." "Dreams are the genus; nightmares are the species. I will speak first of dreams, and then of nightmares." So begins lecture two. Borges takes us on a journey through history, literature, and poetry in search for understanding of that so common, but so unusual event, that we call dreams. "A major event in the history of the West was the discovery of the East." And so begins lecture three on that great work that defines the mystery that is Arabia. "These tales have had a strange history. They were first told in India, then in Persia, then in Asia Minor, and finally were written down in Arabic and compiled in Cairo. They became The Book of a Thousand and One Nights." Borges lectures travel an elliptical orbit around his topic, sometimes approaching directly, other times looking outward, away from his stated subject. In his lecture on poetry (number five) he comments on literature in general: "A bibliography is unimportant - after all, Shakespeare knew nothing of Shakespearean criticism. Why not study the texts directly? If you like the book, fine. If you don't, don't read it. The idea of compulsory reading is absurd. Literature is rich enough to offer you some other author worthy of your attention - or one today unworthy of your attention whom you will read tomorrow." His other lectures, "Buddhism", "The Kabbalah", and "Blindness", are equally intriguing. In once more rereading "Seven Nights" I found myself again astounded by Borges, by his seemingly inexhaustible knowledge of literature, by his capability to forge unexpected connections, and by his provocative statements. He has obviously given considerable thought to his con

The seven nights in question are off the cuff essays Borges delivered in Buenos Aires in the late seventies, written down by fans. He clearly did this sort of thing very well, and the regret one has at not being able to appreciate the performance at first hand is vitiated by these excellent transcriptions. Dante, the Thousand and One nights, Buddhism - all dealt with in exquisite thoughtful prose. All quotations are from memory (Borges was by now completely blind) and all conclusions paradoxical, lapidary, Borgesian. A stocking filler. Go ahead, treat yourself.

"Seven Nights" brings together seven lectures delivered by Jorge Luis Borges in Buenos Aires in 1977. They have been translated into a straightforward English by Eliot Weinberger. Despite the wealth of literary and cultural references made in the lectures, they have an informal feel to them: you can imagine the Argentine master writer sitting across from you at a coffee shop and speaking these words.In the lectures Borges discusses, in turn, Dante's "Divine Comedy," nightmares, the "Thousand and One Nights," Buddhism, poetry, the Kabbalah, and his own blindness. The book thus has a multicultural aspect that spans time and language. Along the way, Borges references many other writers: Homer, Shakespeare, Cervantes, Nietzsche, Poe, and others.The book, although rambling at times, is full of characteristically "Borgesian" gems. Consider, for example, the passages where he reflects on the translations of the word "nightmare" ("pesadilla" in Spanish) in various languages. I was also intrigued by his attempt to define magic. Particularly moving and thought-provoking are his thoughts on blindness. Borges suggests that, for him, blindness is no mere handicap, but rather "a way of life: one of the styles of living" that has actually brought to him "some gifts."Borges is sometimes playful, often witty, and always learned. In the lecture on blindness, Borges notes, "I had always imagined Paradise as a kind of library." I, too, imagine my personal Paradise to contain a library--and among that library's contents would be the complete works of Borges.

This is the fine Borges aged like wine. The lectures were given at a time where he was beyond concern of his or anyone else's "status" in literature. These lectures are almost evangelical and they have a personal touch. For our benefit Borges becomes an enthusiastic amateur. They are the most erudite "informal" lectures I have ever read.

I have tried to be fair & descriptive in this reveiw but I fail here & there... Seven Nights gives you a quick and unavoidably engaging look into the some of Borges' favorite themes and ideas. The text is taken from lectures and has a pleasant verbal style. Because of the format used, (the lecture) this book is quite different from any other Borges you may have read. If you have read Borges and found his novels a little dense you will find this slim volume well leavened. If you have never read his works then this is a great place to begin. Each chapter of Seven Nights explores a different topic. Topics include: Date's Divine Comedy, Buddhism, Nightmares, Blindness, Poetry, The Thousand and One Nights, and The Kabbalah. My favorite moment occurs in the in the chapter on Poetry. Borges compares the words for 'moon' in English, Spanish, Greek, French, Portugese, and German for their aesthetic effects and the degree to which they fit with the the moon itself. He concludes that the English 'moon' is best because of the slowness & roundness of the sound when spoken. Seven Nights is melodious and occasionally sublime.