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The Circular Ruins
"The Circular Ruins"/"Las ruinas circulares") first published in the literary journal Sur in December 1940, it was included in the 1941 collection The Garden of Forking Paths (Spanish: El jardín de senderos que se bifurcan) and the 1944 collection Ficciones. It was first published in English in View (Series V, No. 6 1946), translated by Paul Bowles.
1 pages, Audiobook
First published January 1, 1940
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About the author
Jorge Luis Borges
1,588 books14.3k followersJorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator regarded as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known works, Ficciones (transl. Fictions) and El Aleph (transl. The Aleph), published in the 1940s, are collections of short stories exploring motifs such as dreams, labyrinths, chance, infinity, archives, mirrors, fictional writers and mythology. Borges's works have contributed to philosophical literature and the fantasy genre, and have had a major influence on the magic realist movement in 20th century Latin American literature.
Born in Buenos Aires, Borges later moved with his family to Switzerland in 1914, where he studied at the Collège de Genève. The family travelled widely in Europe, including Spain. On his return to Argentina in 1921, Borges began publishing his poems and essays in surrealist literary journals. He also worked as a librarian and public lecturer. In 1955, he was appointed director of the National Public Library and professor of English Literature at the University of Buenos Aires. He became completely blind by the age of 55. Scholars have suggested that his progressive blindness helped him to create innovative literary symbols through imagination. By the 1960s, his work was translated and published widely in the United States and Europe. Borges himself was fluent in several languages.
In 1961, he came to international attention when he received the first Formentor Prize, which he shared with Samuel Beckett. In 1971, he won the Jerusalem Prize. His international reputation was consolidated in the 1960s, aided by the growing number of English translations, the Latin American Boom, and by the success of Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. He dedicated his final work, The Conspirators, to the city of Geneva, Switzerland. Writer and essayist J.M. Coetzee said of him: "He, more than anyone, renovated the language of fiction and thus opened the way to a remarkable generation of Spanish-American novelists."
Born in Buenos Aires, Borges later moved with his family to Switzerland in 1914, where he studied at the Collège de Genève. The family travelled widely in Europe, including Spain. On his return to Argentina in 1921, Borges began publishing his poems and essays in surrealist literary journals. He also worked as a librarian and public lecturer. In 1955, he was appointed director of the National Public Library and professor of English Literature at the University of Buenos Aires. He became completely blind by the age of 55. Scholars have suggested that his progressive blindness helped him to create innovative literary symbols through imagination. By the 1960s, his work was translated and published widely in the United States and Europe. Borges himself was fluent in several languages.
In 1961, he came to international attention when he received the first Formentor Prize, which he shared with Samuel Beckett. In 1971, he won the Jerusalem Prize. His international reputation was consolidated in the 1960s, aided by the growing number of English translations, the Latin American Boom, and by the success of Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. He dedicated his final work, The Conspirators, to the city of Geneva, Switzerland. Writer and essayist J.M. Coetzee said of him: "He, more than anyone, renovated the language of fiction and thus opened the way to a remarkable generation of Spanish-American novelists."
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July 26, 2023
Be beguiled, read Jorge Luis Borges' The Circular Ruins.
The narrator tells the tale of a magician come to a circular temple long ago destroyed by fire. "He wanted to dream a man: he wanted to dream him with minute integrity and insert him into reality."
We're face to face with the centuries old conundrum: Is all of life but a dream? Are we living our human life as a dream within a dream? Words of a sage: "Mind is illusory – that which is not but appears to be, and appears so much that you think that you are the mind. Mind is maya, mind is just a dream, mind is just a projection…a soap bubble – nothing in it."
But how about our bodies? How about Planet Earth rotating around the Sun? How about the Cosmos? Is all this a dream, a soap bubble within a soap bubble?
"Gradually, he accustomed the boy to reality...His life's purpose was complete; the man persisted in a kind of ecstasy."
What would it take for you to feel your life's purpose is complete? For me, this question ties into Carl Jung's view of 'Individuation' as a process of psychological integration requiring growth at each stage in a human life. And if you are in a state of ecstasy, does it really matter if it is all a dream?
Dream or solid rock, one ancient myth I continually think about: Minerva, the Roman Goddess of Wisdom, born fully formed. Oh, to be like Minerva, to start off in life with wisdom!
I know, I know...we human are not nearly so fortunate - we must earn wisdom through years of absorbing life's hard knocks, years of living through the consequences of lacking wisdom (the polite way of putting it), that is, being dunces, boobs, dummies, not knowing ourselves or the rhythms of nature, human nature included. Now, the question arises: How does wisdom tie into the realization that all might be a dream?
At the conclusion of this Borges tale, do you think the magician can claim a measure of wisdom?
September 6, 2024
خيال بورخيس يا جماعة
كان جنني معاه في مجموعة قصصية عندي ترجمتها سيئة اصدار الهيئة العامة للكتاب زمان
و دلوقتي رحلة جديدة مع بورخيس في قصة الأطلال المستديرة
القصة ببساطة عن راجل قرر انه يخلق بشري في أحلامه
ينام و يخلق منه كل يوم شوية و يعدل عليه
و بعد ما خلقه فضل يعلمه حاجات كثير
بعد كده محي كل ذكريات التعليم دي لأنه بقي شايف انه ابنه و لازم ابنه ميحسش انه شخص مزيف
لحد ما بيستيقظ الراجل في يوم علي حريق بس النار مش بتحرقه و بيكتشف في اللحظة دي انه هو كمان مش حقيقي
القصة مترجمة في مجموعة المترجم 2 لهشام فهمي..
كان جنني معاه في مجموعة قصصية عندي ترجمتها سيئة اصدار الهيئة العامة للكتاب زمان
و دلوقتي رحلة جديدة مع بورخيس في قصة الأطلال المستديرة
القصة ببساطة عن راجل قرر انه يخلق بشري في أحلامه
ينام و يخلق منه كل يوم شوية و يعدل عليه
و بعد ما خلقه فضل يعلمه حاجات كثير
بعد كده محي كل ذكريات التعليم دي لأنه بقي شايف انه ابنه و لازم ابنه ميحسش انه شخص مزيف
لحد ما بيستيقظ الراجل في يوم علي حريق بس النار مش بتحرقه و بيكتشف في اللحظة دي انه هو كمان مش حقيقي
القصة مترجمة في مجموعة المترجم 2 لهشام فهمي..
January 10, 2021
a ♥ m ♥ a ♥ z ♥ i ♥ n ♥g
August 29, 2018
Life
Jorge Luis Borges tells the story of a man who dreams in his short text “The Circular Ruin”. In this story we follow the protagonist into the dream where we get to see the creation of a man. This man grows up and we follow him through the early stages of his life. At the end, he realizes that he is a projection of the protagonists dream and with a great twist we get to uncover that our main character, which is nameless is also nothing more than a projection of another man’s dream.
Although, many would argue that this story is about reality, one could argue that the main focus is on life itself.
However, to really uncover the mysteries of this story one has to define reality. According to the famous author, Philip K Dick, reality is that “which; when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away”. This quote gives us an understanding of what reality is. Applying this to the story confirms the statement; As soon as the protagonist realizes that he is a projection he stops believing making his life and the life of the short story come to an abrupt ending.
Therefore, one could draw the conclusion that the protagonist of the story was not real in the sense of which he only was a projection of another character’s dream.
In addition to reality there is life. Reality is life, and life is reality. It is hard to talk about one of them without mentioning the other. This is what Borges is doing. He is using reality as a “head fake” for life. Since the dawn of man we have tried to figure out our reality, birth and meaning on this planet. There are many religions that try to answer these questions. But they do not always succeed in giving a satisfied answer. In the short story Borges takes away the focus of reality and puts it on the birth of man; “Almost immediately, he dream of a beating heart. He dreamt it as active, warm, secret, the size of a closed fist of carnet color in the penumbra of a human body as yet without face or sex; with minute love he dreamt it, for fourteen lucid nights”. This quote gives an understanding on how Borges looked at life. Life was something beautiful without face or sex.
Therefore, he goes on to emphasize the importance of life and the importance of not knowing how life was born, only how it looks like. A parallel to this is a magic act. During the magic act the audience is amazed by the tricks of the magician and they are kept amazed until the magician reveals how he did the tricks. Thus leaving the audience struggling with the fact if it is better to be amazed in the name of the unknown, or know everything making you immune to surprises and emotions.
In conclusion, I would like to point out the importance of not asking to many questions. This is Borges main point; to not focus on the birth and death of life. We should not be focusing on how we were made or what happens when we die. The last sentence in Borges story explains it very well: “with relief, with humiliation, with terror, he understand that he too was a mere appearance, dreamt by another”. The story ends there suggesting that our lives could also come to an abrupt ending if we find out the truth. So why not stop asking questions, and look at life for what it truly is; absolutely beautiful!
Jorge Luis Borges tells the story of a man who dreams in his short text “The Circular Ruin”. In this story we follow the protagonist into the dream where we get to see the creation of a man. This man grows up and we follow him through the early stages of his life. At the end, he realizes that he is a projection of the protagonists dream and with a great twist we get to uncover that our main character, which is nameless is also nothing more than a projection of another man’s dream.
Although, many would argue that this story is about reality, one could argue that the main focus is on life itself.
However, to really uncover the mysteries of this story one has to define reality. According to the famous author, Philip K Dick, reality is that “which; when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away”. This quote gives us an understanding of what reality is. Applying this to the story confirms the statement; As soon as the protagonist realizes that he is a projection he stops believing making his life and the life of the short story come to an abrupt ending.
Therefore, one could draw the conclusion that the protagonist of the story was not real in the sense of which he only was a projection of another character’s dream.
In addition to reality there is life. Reality is life, and life is reality. It is hard to talk about one of them without mentioning the other. This is what Borges is doing. He is using reality as a “head fake” for life. Since the dawn of man we have tried to figure out our reality, birth and meaning on this planet. There are many religions that try to answer these questions. But they do not always succeed in giving a satisfied answer. In the short story Borges takes away the focus of reality and puts it on the birth of man; “Almost immediately, he dream of a beating heart. He dreamt it as active, warm, secret, the size of a closed fist of carnet color in the penumbra of a human body as yet without face or sex; with minute love he dreamt it, for fourteen lucid nights”. This quote gives an understanding on how Borges looked at life. Life was something beautiful without face or sex.
Therefore, he goes on to emphasize the importance of life and the importance of not knowing how life was born, only how it looks like. A parallel to this is a magic act. During the magic act the audience is amazed by the tricks of the magician and they are kept amazed until the magician reveals how he did the tricks. Thus leaving the audience struggling with the fact if it is better to be amazed in the name of the unknown, or know everything making you immune to surprises and emotions.
In conclusion, I would like to point out the importance of not asking to many questions. This is Borges main point; to not focus on the birth and death of life. We should not be focusing on how we were made or what happens when we die. The last sentence in Borges story explains it very well: “with relief, with humiliation, with terror, he understand that he too was a mere appearance, dreamt by another”. The story ends there suggesting that our lives could also come to an abrupt ending if we find out the truth. So why not stop asking questions, and look at life for what it truly is; absolutely beautiful!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2025
"¿Cómo podía este sueño engendrar un hijo, y cómo podía este hijo no saber que era un sueño?"
La paradoja de la creación y la ilusión de la realidad.
La paradoja de la creación y la ilusión de la realidad.
December 15, 2025
"I am TELLING you, this will ALTER your brain chemistry."- I
"Hah! As if a 3 page story can change ANYTHING about ME."- her
"Wait till you see... just wait till you see."-I
- A real conversation I had with my friend after reading this.
And yes, this three page book will demolish your current perspective about everything. It's whimsical, gothicy setting and voice, akin to Murakami, will never NOT impress onto my mind. The confusion, the dream-like aspect which makes me feel that the story isn't real, like I am not real and that none of this is happening, I LOVE ALL OF IT.
If you find yourself obsessed with magic realism, but haven't read this MASTERPIECE of a story, if you want to lose yourself in the dream that is in reality- this book is for you.
Till next time! Bye!
PS- I dreamt about this story so yk it's good.
"Hah! As if a 3 page story can change ANYTHING about ME."- her
"Wait till you see... just wait till you see."-I
- A real conversation I had with my friend after reading this.
And yes, this three page book will demolish your current perspective about everything. It's whimsical, gothicy setting and voice, akin to Murakami, will never NOT impress onto my mind. The confusion, the dream-like aspect which makes me feel that the story isn't real, like I am not real and that none of this is happening, I LOVE ALL OF IT.
If you find yourself obsessed with magic realism, but haven't read this MASTERPIECE of a story, if you want to lose yourself in the dream that is in reality- this book is for you.
Till next time! Bye!
PS- I dreamt about this story so yk it's good.
January 1, 2016
جدای از چرخشی بودن داستان، یه نکته ی خیلی ظریفی درش وجود داشت. خدایی که شخصیت اول بهش دعا کرد، خدای آتش بود، در واقع شخصیت اول داستان یه جورایی شبیه پرومته بود. پرومته ای که آتش رو از خدایان دزدید و به زمین اورد. با این تفاوت که پرومته ی این داستان، بی نهایت بار تکرار می شه. آتشی که از خدایان دزدیده شده، همون آتشیه که به انسانها توانایی خلق کردن میده. خلق یک هم نوع از رویا!
مثل بقیه ی داستانای بورخس، باز هم نمیتونیم با اطمینان بگیم که واقعا چیزی که تو داستان مطرح میشه واقعیت نداره. هیچ کس نمیتونه با اطمینان ادعا کنه رویای یه فرد دیگه نیست...
مثل بقیه ی داستانای بورخس، باز هم نمیتونیم با اطمینان بگیم که واقعا چیزی که تو داستان مطرح میشه واقعیت نداره. هیچ کس نمیتونه با اطمینان ادعا کنه رویای یه فرد دیگه نیست...
May 13, 2020
Sueños.
Eso es esta historia, maravilloso Borges con sus historias que nos deja pensando incesantemente mente en ellas.
Eso es esta historia, maravilloso Borges con sus historias que nos deja pensando incesantemente mente en ellas.
June 2, 2023
leido x el colegio
May 2, 2017
This story of creativity and dreams is told in such a flowing, dreamlike prose as to create the sense that the reader is creating and dreaming along with the character. Layers of creation are made by the protagonist first, from the protagonist's own mind, and also in the imagination of both the writer and the reader of the protagonist's story. Round and round it goes, as creation and imagination, reality and unreality, existence and fantasy are confronted by both the characters and the reader. The story, therefore, is as circular as the ruins in which the protagonist lays, from beginning to end, and from creation to conclusion.
This is a highly reflective and abstract piece. Recommended to fans of Lovecraft, and the Beats.
This is a highly reflective and abstract piece. Recommended to fans of Lovecraft, and the Beats.
June 6, 2016
As Borgesious as it gets!
June 7, 2015
A wonderful story! I love short books that keep me thinking. And this is one of them.
January 26, 2015
The allusions in The Circular Ruins were fairly strong. However, this wasn't an easy read and the author's way of narrating things can be quite confusing.
December 3, 2015
What a marvellous and extremely well written story. It left me speechless from the very first word until the conclusion, which comes with the very last sentence.
June 1, 2016
They say that read books/stories that make you think. This one does. Packs quite a punch.
April 11, 2019
We're studying surrealism in my Literature in the Arts class, and I love this element of fiction. The story was like magical realism, and worked for me because of this.
May 30, 2022
In the dreaming man's dream, the dreamed man awoke.
🤯
🤯
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2023
إحتماليا هذا ليس أمرا غريبا، إذا كنت تستطيع أن تخلق شخص باستخدام أحلامك، فلا تستبعد احتمال إنك نفسك مخلوق من حلم شخص ما، وربما هذا الشخص مخلوق من حلم شخص آخر وهكذا.. هكذا إلى أين؟ لا أعلم تحديدا، توجد عدة سيناريوهات.
“With relief, with humiliation, with terror, he understood that he also was an illusion, that someone else was dreaming him.”
“With relief, with humiliation, with terror, he understood that he also was an illusion, that someone else was dreaming him.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2021
//Quería soñar un hombre: quería soñarlo con integridad minuciosa e imponerlo a la realidad. //
August 3, 2023
he chillado con el final ........ qué fuerte borges
July 3, 2025
Tag, you're it.
A man and his pursuit of dreams. He dreams, and dreams of dreaming. Dreams to find a higher place, dreams to find a higher plane.
Wow. The best I've ever read by Borges so far, which coming from me says a lot. A highly interesting concept. A bit tedious here and there, but sure makes it up with that fantastic mind blowing ending. Short, quick, and fairly easy to read on the whole. As any Borges writing, I'm positive this little story is also plagued with symbolism and god knows what, but I guess you can enjoy it without it. Recommendable.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1940] [15p] [Fiction] [Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★☆☆☆ Ficciones <--
★★☆☆☆ Borges: Cuentos
★☆☆☆☆ Borges profesor: Curso de literatura inglesa en la Universidad de Buenos Aires [1.5]
★☆☆☆☆ El tamaño de mi esperanza [0.5]
-----------------------------------------------
Tocado, tú la llevas.
Un hombre y su búsqueda de sueños. Sueña, y sueña con soñar. Sueña con encontrar un lugar más elevado, sueña con encontrar un plano más alto.
Wow. Lo mejor que he leído de Borges hasta ahora, que viniendo de mí dice mucho. Un concepto muy interesante. Un poquitoi tedioso aquí y allá, pero que seguro lo compensa con ese fantástico y sorprendente final. Corto, rápido y bastante fácil de leer en general. Como cualquier escrito de Borges, estoy seguro de que este cuento corto también está plagado de simbolismo y dios sabe qué, pero supongo que se puede disfrutarlo sin ello. Recomendable.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1940] [15p] [Ficción] [Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
A man and his pursuit of dreams. He dreams, and dreams of dreaming. Dreams to find a higher place, dreams to find a higher plane.
Wow. The best I've ever read by Borges so far, which coming from me says a lot. A highly interesting concept. A bit tedious here and there, but sure makes it up with that fantastic mind blowing ending. Short, quick, and fairly easy to read on the whole. As any Borges writing, I'm positive this little story is also plagued with symbolism and god knows what, but I guess you can enjoy it without it. Recommendable.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1940] [15p] [Fiction] [Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★☆☆☆ Ficciones <--
★★☆☆☆ Borges: Cuentos
★☆☆☆☆ Borges profesor: Curso de literatura inglesa en la Universidad de Buenos Aires [1.5]
★☆☆☆☆ El tamaño de mi esperanza [0.5]
-----------------------------------------------
Tocado, tú la llevas.
Un hombre y su búsqueda de sueños. Sueña, y sueña con soñar. Sueña con encontrar un lugar más elevado, sueña con encontrar un plano más alto.
Wow. Lo mejor que he leído de Borges hasta ahora, que viniendo de mí dice mucho. Un concepto muy interesante. Un poquitoi tedioso aquí y allá, pero que seguro lo compensa con ese fantástico y sorprendente final. Corto, rápido y bastante fácil de leer en general. Como cualquier escrito de Borges, estoy seguro de que este cuento corto también está plagado de simbolismo y dios sabe qué, pero supongo que se puede disfrutarlo sin ello. Recomendable.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1940] [15p] [Ficción] [Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
Read
December 19, 2025Me gusta que el titulo señala directamente el lugar donde el
protagonista intenta soñar y crear a un hombre. La palabra “ruinas”
remite a la destrucción y al paso del tiempo, un espacio antiguo y
misterioso que sirve como escenario para lo sobrenatural.
“Circulares” refleja la estructura cíclica de la obra: el protagonista
crea a un ser a través de sus sueños y, al final, descubre que él mismo
también es soñado, cerrando un círculo infinito sin origen ni final.
Este sentido circular enfatiza la interconexión entre creador y creado,
entre sueño y realidad, mostrando que ambos están atrapados en un
mismo proceso de existencia y percepción, donde la distinción entre
realidad y fantasía se diluye.
protagonista intenta soñar y crear a un hombre. La palabra “ruinas”
remite a la destrucción y al paso del tiempo, un espacio antiguo y
misterioso que sirve como escenario para lo sobrenatural.
“Circulares” refleja la estructura cíclica de la obra: el protagonista
crea a un ser a través de sus sueños y, al final, descubre que él mismo
también es soñado, cerrando un círculo infinito sin origen ni final.
Este sentido circular enfatiza la interconexión entre creador y creado,
entre sueño y realidad, mostrando que ambos están atrapados en un
mismo proceso de existencia y percepción, donde la distinción entre
realidad y fantasía se diluye.
November 24, 2020
Wow, the ending to The Circular Ruins is really good. The last line gave me chills, haha. I haven't read any Jorge Luis Borges before, but this short story convinced me that I need to check out more of his work. It is a piece of surrealist fiction that makes you think. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll only say the story centers around the concept of dreaming. The imagery is rather nice and detailed, and although a bit dense, it is not super difficult to follow along with the story. This definitely deserves a solid 4-stars.
Check out the story here: http://users.clas.ufl.edu/burt/KafkaK...
I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this!
Check out the story here: http://users.clas.ufl.edu/burt/KafkaK...
I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this!
July 15, 2019
What goes right always goes left. This was fantastic
September 13, 2021
Mind-blowing 🤯
November 22, 2024
There’s no one like borges
December 16, 2018
Something about Borges’ way of organizing words and his courageous imaginings, none of which I can analytically explicate, imbue every story with another reality than I have known.
December 30, 2022
The memory, which at first calmed him, ended by tormenting him.
July 22, 2022
Trippy little story about a sorcerer who exhibits extreme hubris in dreaming another poor soul into life. I have read quite a few Borges shorts but don’t tend to review them individually.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews