El informe Brodie es un volumen de madurez narrativa de gran sencillez y desnudez formal que, con todo, encierra todo el imaginario borgiano. Dos preocupaciones centran las tramas: la ética y la idea del destino como una línea en fuga.

Perhaps Borges' most inessential book, Brodie's Report is a sort of counterpart to A Universal History of Iniquity in that it's a collection of laconic short stories revolving around Argentine gauchos and knife-fighters. But whereas Iniquity, despites its flaws, had the exuberant ideas of youth, Brodie's Report, written when Borges was in his seventies, just seems stale.

The stories are surprisingly shallow; there was not one stand-out piece of writing and their only notable feature, beyond Borges' ever-present and often-underrated storytelling, is their bone-white violence. The brutality on show among Borges' characters is stronger here than in any of his other writing.

But why this is the case is not clear, and it's certainly not why people read Borges. Brodie's Report is entirely absent the evocative labyrinths, metaphysics and mythology that make his most enduring stories sparkle, but this would be fine if there was something intellectually sustaining in their stead. But there isn't, and the book lacks literary validity. There is in truth very little to say about it in a review; it pains me to write of Borges in demerit, but the book contains little of what makes readers fall (and stay) in love with this singular writer. ( )

Una interesante colección de cuentos muy argentinos, por su lenguaje, por sus personajes y por la situaciones que presenta. ( )

Due fratelli, violenti e solitari, vivono chiusi nel cerchio di un rapporto esclusivo. Quando scoprono di essere innamorati della stessa donna, non esitano a sbarazzarsi di lei e di un sentimento che li umilia per tornare alla loro vecchia vita di uomini tra uomini. Con questo laconico capolavoro, L’intrusa, si apre la raccolta di racconti (ingannevolmente) «lineari» e «realisti» che un Borges ormai settantenne volle scrivere all’insegna del giovane Kipling.

These stories were decent, but I do not believe they hold the same aplomb as the rest of Borges' retinue that he has to offer. They seemed to be more fragmented and experimental more than anything else and the lack of structure inherent in them, for me, distanced me from them as a whole. Nevertheless, they were worth reading- but I do not believe that this is essential Borges.

3 stars. ( )