I will admit that starting out I did not care for Borges at all. His first story that we had to read "The Garden of Forking Paths" both did not interest me. It was very hard to follow. In "The Garden of Forking Paths" I really like the meaning from it as well with the whole which path should you follow, but I thought it went on for too long. The story could have been summarized in a short paragraph instead of pages.
Now with that being said there are two of his stories that I did end up liking. "Emma Zunz" and "The Gospel According to Mark". The one about Emma Zunz was very interesting. It felt like a thriller to me the whole time. I was kept on my toes wondering what was going to happen next. I really understand after discussing this in class just how important that last sentence was about the two different worlds. It made me like the story even more. Here Emma told his whole story about how her father died and so she went and found the killer and killed him herself. Then she goes and tells the police a completely different story. And for the rest of her life people will think of her (ones who know the made up story) as a helpless person who killed someone by protecting herself. While the whole time she is going along in a different universe living the truth. It's very interesting to think what certain people know about you and perceive you to be like. No telling how many different realities you are living in.
"The Gospel According to Mark" was also one that was very worth reading. A few parts of it were difficult to understand, like the young girl coming into his bedroom late at night. But the overall story in general I enjoyed. It related a lot to the bible. Especially when they were talking the flood and everything. The ending was a real shocker that I should have guessed coming. All throughout the story the man teaches them the world of God. It really relates to him being "Jesus", especially the ending when they pull out the boards in the shape of a cross.
I think one of the problems with the "Garden of Forking Paths" is that it actually has three things going on: the spy, the labyrinth book, and the philosophical exposition on the nature of time. It is a very thick story. I'm glad you liked "Emma Zunz": I agree that it is a lot like a thriller. I can think of a bunch of contemporary movies that take this point of view. I like your statement that there is no telling how many realities some people are living in.
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