About this title: Jorge Luis Borges declared The Invention of Morel a masterpiece of plotting, comparable to The Turn of The Screw and Journey to the Center of the Earth. Set on a mysterious island, Bioy's novella is a story of suspense and exploration, as well as a wonderfully unlikely romance, in which every detail is at once crystal clear and deeply mysterious. Inspired by Bioy Casares's fascination with the movie star Louise Brooks, The Invention of Morel has gone on to live a secret life of its own. Greatly admired by Julio Cortazar, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Octavio Paz, the novella helped to usher ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Edition: First edition. Illustrated.
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: New York Review of Books
Date Published: 2003
ISBN-13:9781590170571ISBN:1590170571
Description: New. No dust jacket as issued. Pristine condition. Not a mark. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 136 p. Contains: Illustrations. New York Review Books Classics. Audience: General/trade. As new, unread, no marks, bumps etc. of any kind. Perfect. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: New York Review of Books
Date Published: 2003-09-01
ISBN-13:9781590170571ISBN:1590170571
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9781590170571. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS, INC Country = UNITED STATES
Date Published: 2003
ISBN-13:9781590170571ISBN:1590170571
Description: BRAND NEW PAPERBACK. 112 pages. (112 pages) set on a mysterious island, bioy's novella is a story of suspense and exploration, as well as a wonderfully unlikely romance, in which every detail is at once crystal clear and deeply mysterious. illustrations, map (Paperback) read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas
Date Published: 1964
Description: Scarce very good ex-library hardcover with various library effects. Dust jacket is good plus to very good with three short closed tears and moderate wear. Text is clean, and the book shows little use. Ships fast with delivery confirmation on all domestic orders. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS
Date Published: 2003
ISBN-13:9781590170571ISBN:1590170571
Description: New. Jorge Luis Borges declared The Invention of Morel a masterpiece of plotting, comparable to The Turn of The Screw and Journey to the Center of the Earth. Set on a mysterious island, Bioy's novella is a story of suspense and exploration, as well as a w... read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: The New York Review of Books, Inc
Date Published: 2003
ISBN-13:9781590170571ISBN:1590170571
Description: New. Set on a mysterious island, Bioy's novella is a story of suspense and exploration, as well as a wonderfully unlikely romance, in which every detail is at once crystal clear and deeply mysterious. read more
Description: New. DISPATCHED FROM UNITED KINGDOM. NO EXPEDITED SHIPPING! Please note orders are confirmed immediately and may take 2-3 business days to ship. This processing time is in addition to the shipping time. Please allow 10-14 days for delivery. Brand new item. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Order with confidence. Code: G20091108082348D. read more
Edition: illustrated editionUpdated_Month1|-1
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: New York Review Books
Date Published: 2003
ISBN-13:9781590170571ISBN:1590170571
Binding: Cloth
Publisher: University of Texas Press, Austin, TX
Date Published: 1964
Description: Borges De Torre, Norah. Very Good in Very Good jacket. Ex-Library. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. 8vo. Cloth. 237 p. Illustrated. Translated by Ruth L. C. Simms with a prologue by Jorge Luis Borges. Library markings include spine label, pasted down book card, and stamps. Dustjacket has been protected by mylar cover. Very good in very good+ dustjacket in mylar cover. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Date Published: 1964
Description: Very Good. B000JE1AR4 Very good hardcover in good dust jacket protected by mylar. Some light edgewear to jacket including a few small chips. Previous owner name stamped on front end page. read more
"At first this book was good but a little predictable. It felt like Last Year at Marienbad. Then it started to feel a little like Celine and Julie Go Boating. These are both great films that I love, so I didn't mind. But the book definitely differs from these in interesting ways, and I really loved the last 30 pages or so. I haven't read Borge's introduction to it yet, but he is so predictable for loving it: it's got most of the signature things in a Borges story: mirrors, reproduction, the fact that the text you are reading is some kind of imperfect artifact (the footnotes were a nice touch, and sometimes quite humorous esp. the one about Malthus on p.83 (also makes you wonder about the "editor"))... though there is no library filled with books, and the prose isn't as dense.
My only complaint is that the narrator's paranoia in the beginning, and his slow-ness to catch on to what is happening even after the reader kinda figures it out is kind of disappointing. I found myself thinking "come on man, don't you get it already?" Sometimes I also found his "voice" to be tiring, too obvious a fabricated fictional voice. Also, near the end, he explains everything (except for one thing, which the editor points out in a footnote), down to the reason for the two suns. I felt this whole section was unnecessary; if left out, the book would've been more pleasurable on a repeat read (or multiple repeat reads, for eternity, get it? haha)
But these minor quibbles shouldn't detract from the overall quality of the book, and the kind of depth it is able to reach in under 100 pages is impressive (although it could be even shorter if the annoying things I noted earlier were to be eliminated). You can read it in a day (and should).
PS - I just thought of this... and I wonder if this works in the original language, but: I love that the title of this book has double meanings. If the title were "Morel's Invention," it would not be as interesting. But as "The Invention of Morel", it makes you wonder if the title refers to Morel's invention or if it refers to the fact that Morel is himself an invention. (as in "The Invention of the Telephone")"
"This book did not becoming interesting until page 68 and what with only 103 pages, that makes for a less than satisfying start. But I suppose that's what you get for choosing a book for its cover (it was a picture of Louise Brooks). It's about a fugitive who is hiding on a now-deserted island whose inhabitants are said to have died from a mysterious disease. A group of tourists show up on the island for a holiday and the company-starved fugitive is torn between wanting to know them and fearing that they will turn him in, feelings that are further complicated by his growing attraction to one of the visitors. I can't really say that much without giving away the surprise (and honestly, the most interesting part of the book). It has a sci-fi twist that I really enjoyed but I had to wade through 60 pages of the protagonist whining about being a fugitive and moaning about his untouchable love. Bottom line- if you have the patience and time (fortunately not much is required in the time department), it's a thought-provoking book... at least the last 30-some pages are."
"I became totally absorbed in this little masterpiece. Full of suspense and strange mystery, I can understand how many great authors and film makers would be influenced by this work. As the surrealistic situation the narrator finds himself in unfolds, the mystery just gets deeper and deeper. Beautifully written (a number of lines and phrases really stuck with me) this is also full of deep philosophical discussion when Bioy gets to the heart of what is happening. Also of note, this novella should be required reading for fans of the TV show "Lost"."
"My Lord! If the NYRB Classics republication of this book doesn't have the BEST picture of Louise Brooks ever, I don't know what does. This book is awesome. It's short, it's totally weird, it's dedicated to Borges, and it was (last season) featured (to my unending delight) as one of the books Sawyer reads in Lost. Like The Turn of the Screw, which Lost featured in its first season, The Invention of Morel is a story about one person's (possibly confused, possibly crazy, possibly true) perception of reality. I'm not going to write anything about the plot at all here because it might take away too much from the reading-experience, but it's a take on the adventure story genre and thus features a man who survives a shipwreck and washes up on a strange island. Read it, and then let's talk about it!"
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