Tastiest Little Piece of Fiction I’ve Gulped Down in Some Time

Okay-it’s a snack, maybe an hors d’oeuvre, or even more appropriate…tapis-as it does come from South America. When last in Seattle I stumbled upon Luis Fernando Verissimo’s yummy little piece of fiction called Borges and the Eternal Orangutans. The mention of Borges made me shudder like a dog on point, and the cover art by Fernando Botero pretty much sealed the deal that this one was coming home with me.

I can’t tell you how pleased I was to discover this gem. The story is based upon the life of a mouse of a man named Vogelstein, who decides to attend the annual meeting of the Israfel Society (named after a poem of E.A. Poe’s just in case you missed the reference) which is in fact devoted to the study of Edgar Allen Poe in hopes of meeting his hero, Jorge Luis Borges who he had accidentally insulted decades before.

See-it’s already sounding complicated and he’s not even left his dreary little apartment or his recently deceased cat yet. There is a wonderful moment (actually a few) when one character is toppled over at the opening reception because of his twitchy and introverted character that seems to make him nearly invisible to those around him. He of course becomes a key suspect later in the story.

The crux of the story is that of a “locked door” murder which Vogtelstein discovers. The seriously unlikable Rotkopf (another conference attendee) is stabbed to death in front of a mirror in his hotel room. Does his body make the shape of an I? An M? an X? Can the woman with the seductive mole on her breast be trusted? Along with the assistance of the local constabulary, it somehow falls to Vogelstein and his literary inspiration, the aged, and dying George Borges to solve the case.

Above all it’s a whip-clever little book. Literary references—not just to Poe and Borges, but also to the Bible and to the titular monkeys who might produce a Shakespeare play if sat for an eternity before a typewriter—abound. Verissimo blends mystery, highbrow literary commentary, and philosophical speculation while spinning a suspenseful, believable plot that keeps the reader completely enthralled throughout. The characters are equally ingenious; I found myself aching to be there in Vogelstein’s stead listening to the gravelly voice of Borges.

My only compunction to issuing this raving review is this…sadly I am not able to track down any of Verissimo’s other work which has been translated into English. So, it would appear that should I decide to continue my romance with this brilliant writer I’m going to have to learn to read Spanish. I think that would have pleased Borges.