From 1933 to 1934, Jorge Luis Borges, the master of fiction whose work would change the literary world, published a series of "falsifications and distortions" in the Buenos Aires newspaper Critica. These "falsifications" used as their starting point the lives of real villains and desperados. Borges then elaborated using all of the anecdotes and myths about these historical characters, creating what amounted to "nonfictional fictions." The entire series was then published in book form as A Universal History of Infamy. Now Rhys Hughes, a Welshman of some infamy himself, has summoned his vast storytelling powers to create A New Universal History of Infamy, with all-new historical characters as the focus of his nonfiction fictions. Come along on a wild ride with unsavory types of every description. Entertaining and erudite at the same time, Hughes' book also includes some of the literary parodies Borges himself delighted in creating. With an introduction by noted critic John Clute and an afterword by Michael Simanoff.

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Reader Reviews

Adam

(4/5)

May 15, 2024

Not really a Borges rewrite but another collection of Rhys Hughes signature brand wacked on the head insanity..people need to read him..he is the best.

David

A very good book.

Vit Babenco

(5/5)

A New Universal History of Infamy is an obvious and emphatic tribute to Jorge Luis Borges. But instead of the maestro’s all-encompassing intellectual panache there is an exquisite accent on absurdity and a special stress on madness.“He issued further commands from a chair planted in the swamp. Time was running short. He executed a few more officers and signed his mother’s death warrant, blaming her for giving birth to him and thus generating his predicament.”Biographies of scoundrels, absurdist

Jason Rolfe

One of the many wonderful things about Hughes is his willingness to pay homage to the authors he admires. If you are familiar with his work, you should easily recognize his appreciation for authors such as Borges. If you appreciate writers who think beyond the scope of normality. Who find adventure not only in the stories they read, but in the very words used to construct them, and in the ideas that impregnate them. "A New Universal History of Infamy" is brilliant not because it pays tribute to

Kathy

Don't know how to rate this as it is off the charts weird and not all that easy to decipher.If WEIRD sounds interesting to you, check him out here: http://rhysaurus.blogspot.com/Kindle Unlimited

Jacob

Of course I picked it up because of the title, and I really enjoyed it. It's wonderfully nutty.

Elsa

Neste momento ainda só li os três primeiros contos, mas estou a adorar conhecer a loucura deste autor, que tão bem espelha a minha.Sei que vou ter que lê-lo devagar, intervalado com outros porque às tantas cansa-nos um pouco, mas há que tirar o chapéu à escrita do autor.

Antonis

Ο Χιούζ δεν γράφει απλώς το σίκουελ ενός αριστουργήματος. Γράφει ένα αριστουργηματικό σίκουελ. Όποιος έχει απολαύσει τα βιβλία του Μπόρχες, του Περέκ, του Πάβιτς, του Καλβίνο και άλλων μεταμοντέρνων θα την καταβρεί και με αυτό. Ένα βιβλίο για όσους αγαπούν τα βιβλία και τις παράξενες ιστορίες.

Tayne

(3/5)

Some of the pieces in here are an absolute riot and match in originality the Borges originals that this book serves as a parody of. But unfortunately they don't always work, especially the scraps at the end.

Isk

One-sentence summary:Crooks and rogues are the fore of these stories that shadow the future Borges.Second half (the stories which seem less iniquitous and less history-based) is much better, and much more distinctly foreshadows the Borges to come.

Emily

(2/5)

Ιστορίες διαφόρων άτιμων, πρώην τίμιων και πάππου προς πάππου άτιμων.Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι ξετρελλάθηκα. Σε ορισμένα σημεία, βαρέθηκα αφόρητα. Σχεδόν σε όλο το βιβλίο, ο κυνόδους μου αρνήθηκε να εμφανιστεί υπό τύπον χαμόγελου. Άλλοτε, ξυπνώντας στα μισά της νύχτας, οι ιστορίες μού χρησίμευσαν στην ταχεία επάνοδο στας αγκάλας του Μορφέως.Το σωστό θα ήταν να έχω διαβάσει τον προάγγελο του βιβλίου, γραμμένο από τον Μπόρχες αλλά δεν είχα το χρόνο να το κάνω.

Chenlu

Short, clever, and fun. Not quite original.

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A New Universal History of Infamy

A New Universal History of Infamy

A New Universal History of Infamy

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