317:
inch, but all space was there, actual and undiminished. Each thing (a mirror's face, let us say) was infinite things, since I distinctly saw it from every angle of the universe. I saw the teeming sea; I saw daybreak and nightfall; I saw the multitudes of
America; I saw a silvery cobweb in the center of a black pyramid; I saw a splintered labyrinth (it was London); I saw, close up, unending eyes watching themselves in me as in a mirror; I saw all the mirrors on earth and none of them reflected me; I saw in a backyard of Soler Street the same tiles that thirty years before I'd seen in the entrance of a house in
25:
445:
479:
327:
and spent too much time in the dark and enclosed space of his cellar, and the narrator assures him that what he truly needs are the wide open spaces and fresh air of the countryside, and these will provide him with the true peace of mind that he needs to complete his poem. He then takes his leave of Daneri and exits the house.
326:
Though staggered by the experience of seeing the Aleph, the narrator pretends to have seen nothing in order to get revenge on Daneri, whom he dislikes, by giving Daneri a reason to doubt his own sanity. The narrator tells Daneri that Daneri has lived too long amongst the noise and bustle of the city
307:
Later in the story, a business attempts to tear down Daneri's house in the course of its expansion. Daneri becomes enraged, explaining to the narrator that he must keep the house in order to finish his poem, because the cellar contains an Aleph which he is using to write the poem. Though by now he
257:
316:
On the back part of the step, toward the right, I saw a small iridescent sphere of almost unbearable brilliance. At first I thought it was revolving; then I realised that this movement was an illusion created by the dizzying world it bounded. The Aleph's diameter was probably little more than an
295:
is a fictionalized version of the author. At the beginning of the story, he is mourning the recent death of
Beatriz Viterbo, a woman he loved, and he resolves to stop by the house of her family to pay his respects. Over time, he comes to know her first cousin, Carlos Argentino Daneri, a mediocre
435:
341:. He also states his belief that the Aleph in Daneri's house was "a false Aleph". Borges then defends this claim by citing many similar instances where objects were inaccurately perceived to be Alephs.
433:
434:
1134:
311:
Left alone in the darkness of the cellar, the narrator begins to fear that Daneri is conspiring to kill him, and then he sees the Aleph for himself:
931:
1159:
977:
1119:
623:
511:
450:
393:
321:; I saw bunches of grapes, snow, tobacco, lodes of metal, steam; I saw convex equatorial deserts and each one of their grains of sand...
1077:
1037:
862:
1164:
874:
89:
483:
264:
In Borges' story, the Aleph is a point in space that contains all other points. Anyone who gazes into it can see everything in the
42:
61:
984:
334:
to the story, Borges explains that Daneri's house was ultimately demolished, but that Daneri himself won second place for the
68:
1129:
792:
743:
602:
1154:
1030:
712:
285:
236:
75:
1093:
658:
108:
1144:
1139:
57:
1149:
764:
504:
1124:
595:
529:
46:
268:
from every angle simultaneously, without distortion, overlapping, or confusion. The story traces the theme of
549:
338:
588:
1114:
855:
637:
308:
believes Daneri to be insane, the narrator proposes to come to the house and see the Aleph for himself.
898:
729:
722:
497:
1016:
469:
389:
1088:
1023:
1009:
991:
806:
566:
359:
82:
1061:
948:
884:
700:
693:
679:
35:
300:
with a vastly exaggerated view of his own talent who has made it his lifelong quest to write an
1066:
799:
785:
616:
905:
891:
757:
665:
651:
383:
771:
630:
465:
8:
644:
672:
609:
559:
245:
241:
234:. First published in September 1945, it was reprinted in the short story collection,
520:
231:
133:
1083:
919:
273:
219:
163:
304:
that describes every single location on the planet in excruciatingly fine detail.
736:
686:
281:
189:
1108:
368:
1071:
835:
970:
453:
was created from a revision of this article dated 22 August 2016
941:
825:
318:
292:
277:
223:
173:
129:
331:
778:
750:
578:
335:
301:
227:
153:
489:
256:
24:
1044:
912:
276:". Borges has stated that the inspiration for this story came from
269:
265:
478:
297:
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
272:found in several of Borges' other works, such as "
1106:
505:
1135:Works originally published in Sur (magazine)
624:An Examination of the Work of Herbert Quain
1078:Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge
1038:Adrogue, con ilustraciones de Norah Borges
512:
498:
291:As in many of Borges' short stories, the
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
461:, and does not reflect subsequent edits.
444:
358:Borges, Jorge Luis (1998). "Afterword".
255:
985:The Analytical Language of John Wilkins
1107:
381:
357:
519:
493:
16:1945 short story by Jorge Luis Borges
793:The Two Kings and the Two Labyrinths
744:Story of the Warrior and the Captive
603:Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote
47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
1160:Argentine speculative fiction works
13:
1120:Short stories by Jorge Luis Borges
431:
14:
1176:
659:Theme of the Traitor and the Hero
412:
1165:Works based on the Divine Comedy
477:
443:
23:
1067:Jorge Guillermo Borges (father)
396:from the original on 2016-04-27
251:
244:, and revised by the author in
34:needs additional citations for
1062:Leonor Acevedo Suarez (mother)
375:
351:
1:
550:A Universal History of Infamy
344:
339:National Prize for Literature
863:The Gospel According to Mark
58:"The Aleph" short story
7:
1130:Short stories about writers
638:The Garden of Forking Paths
596:The Approach to Al-Mu'tasim
382:Borges, Jorge Luis (1945).
237:The Aleph and Other Stories
10:
1181:
1155:Novels set in Buenos Aires
589:Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius
1054:
1001:
962:
929:
872:
845:
823:
710:
576:
547:
536:
527:
390:Norman Thomas di Giovanni
204:
196:
184:
179:
169:
159:
149:
139:
128:
123:
1024:Book of Imaginary Beings
1010:Historia de la eternidad
992:A New Refutation of Time
807:The Man on the Threshold
567:On Exactitude in Science
222:title: "El Aleph") is a
1145:Buenos Aires in fiction
1140:Mathematics and culture
1017:Borges on MartĂn Fierro
694:The Sect of the Phoenix
680:Three Versions of Judas
484:The Aleph (short story)
1150:Fray Bentos in fiction
1094:Borges and mathematics
786:The Writing of the God
617:The Lottery in Babylon
439:
419:Listen to this article
324:
261:
1125:Fantasy short stories
1072:Norah Borges (sister)
906:There Are More Things
758:The House of Asterion
666:Death and the Compass
652:The Form of the Sword
438:
392:, Jorge Luis Borges.
313:
259:
949:Shakespeare's Memory
932:Shakespeare's Memory
631:The Library of Babel
486:at Wikimedia Commons
470:More spoken articles
286:The Door in the Wall
208:15 (Bantam 1971 ed.)
43:improve this article
847:Dr. Brodie's Report
645:Funes the Memorious
140:Original title
1115:1945 short stories
673:The Secret Miracle
610:The Circular Ruins
560:Man on Pink Corner
440:
361:Collected Fictions
280:'s short stories "
262:
1102:
1101:
978:The Total Library
958:
957:
772:Averroes's Search
765:Deutsches Requiem
521:Jorge Luis Borges
482:Media related to
436:
232:Jorge Luis Borges
212:
211:
134:Jorge Luis Borges
119:
118:
111:
93:
1172:
1084:H. Bustos Domecq
920:The Book of Sand
875:The Book of Sand
545:
544:
514:
507:
500:
491:
490:
481:
460:
458:
447:
446:
437:
427:
425:
420:
406:
405:
403:
401:
388:. Translated by
379:
373:
372:
366:
355:
274:The Book of Sand
230:writer and poet
197:Publication date
121:
120:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
1180:
1179:
1175:
1174:
1173:
1171:
1170:
1169:
1105:
1104:
1103:
1098:
1050:
997:
954:
925:
868:
841:
819:
737:The Theologians
706:
572:
540:
538:
532:
523:
518:
474:
473:
462:
456:
454:
451:This audio file
448:
441:
432:
429:
423:
422:
418:
415:
410:
409:
399:
397:
380:
376:
364:
356:
352:
347:
282:The Crystal Egg
254:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1178:
1168:
1167:
1162:
1157:
1152:
1147:
1142:
1137:
1132:
1127:
1122:
1117:
1100:
1099:
1097:
1096:
1091:
1086:
1081:
1074:
1069:
1064:
1058:
1056:
1052:
1051:
1049:
1048:
1041:
1034:
1027:
1020:
1013:
1005:
1003:
999:
998:
996:
995:
988:
981:
974:
966:
964:
960:
959:
956:
955:
953:
952:
945:
937:
935:
927:
926:
924:
923:
916:
909:
902:
895:
888:
880:
878:
870:
869:
867:
866:
859:
851:
849:
843:
842:
840:
839:
831:
829:
821:
820:
818:
817:
810:
803:
796:
789:
782:
775:
768:
761:
754:
747:
740:
733:
726:
718:
716:
708:
707:
705:
704:
697:
690:
683:
676:
669:
662:
655:
648:
641:
634:
627:
620:
613:
606:
599:
592:
584:
582:
574:
573:
571:
570:
563:
555:
553:
542:
534:
533:
528:
525:
524:
517:
516:
509:
502:
494:
488:
487:
463:
449:
442:
430:
417:
416:
414:
413:External links
411:
408:
407:
374:
349:
348:
346:
343:
260:Borges in 1967
253:
250:
210:
209:
206:
202:
201:
200:September 1945
198:
194:
193:
186:
182:
181:
177:
176:
171:
167:
166:
161:
157:
156:
151:
147:
146:
141:
137:
136:
126:
125:
117:
116:
31:
29:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1177:
1166:
1163:
1161:
1158:
1156:
1153:
1151:
1148:
1146:
1143:
1141:
1138:
1136:
1133:
1131:
1128:
1126:
1123:
1121:
1118:
1116:
1113:
1112:
1110:
1095:
1092:
1090:
1087:
1085:
1082:
1080:
1079:
1075:
1073:
1070:
1068:
1065:
1063:
1060:
1059:
1057:
1053:
1046:
1042:
1040:
1039:
1035:
1033:
1032:
1028:
1026:
1025:
1021:
1019:
1018:
1014:
1012:
1011:
1007:
1006:
1004:
1000:
993:
989:
986:
982:
979:
975:
972:
968:
967:
965:
961:
950:
946:
943:
939:
938:
936:
934:
933:
928:
921:
917:
914:
910:
907:
903:
900:
896:
893:
889:
886:
882:
881:
879:
877:
876:
871:
864:
860:
857:
856:The Encounter
853:
852:
850:
848:
844:
837:
833:
832:
830:
828:
827:
822:
815:
811:
808:
804:
801:
797:
794:
790:
787:
783:
780:
776:
773:
769:
766:
762:
759:
755:
752:
748:
745:
741:
738:
734:
731:
727:
724:
720:
719:
717:
715:
714:
709:
702:
698:
695:
691:
688:
684:
681:
677:
674:
670:
667:
663:
660:
656:
653:
649:
646:
642:
639:
635:
632:
628:
625:
621:
618:
614:
611:
607:
604:
600:
597:
593:
590:
586:
585:
583:
581:
580:
575:
568:
564:
561:
557:
556:
554:
552:
551:
546:
543:
535:
531:
526:
522:
515:
510:
508:
503:
501:
496:
495:
492:
485:
480:
476:
475:
471:
467:
452:
395:
391:
387:
386:
378:
370:
369:Penguin Books
363:
362:
354:
350:
342:
340:
337:
333:
328:
323:
322:
320:
312:
309:
305:
303:
299:
294:
289:
287:
283:
279:
275:
271:
267:
258:
249:
247:
243:
239:
238:
233:
229:
225:
221:
217:
207:
203:
199:
195:
192:
191:
187:
183:
178:
175:
172:
168:
165:
162:
158:
155:
152:
148:
145:
142:
138:
135:
131:
127:
122:
113:
110:
102:
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: –
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
1076:
1036:
1029:
1022:
1015:
1008:
930:
899:The Congress
873:
846:
836:Borges and I
824:
813:
730:The Dead Man
723:The Immortal
711:
577:
548:
530:Bibliography
398:. Retrieved
384:
377:
360:
353:
329:
325:
315:
314:
310:
306:
290:
263:
252:Plot summary
235:
218:" (original
215:
213:
188:
185:Published in
143:
105:
99:January 2017
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1002:Other works
942:Blue Tigers
826:Dreamtigers
541:collections
539:short story
319:Fray Bentos
293:protagonist
224:short story
180:Publication
174:Short story
130:Short story
124:"The Aleph"
1109:Categories
1089:Pedro Mata
1031:Labyrinths
466:Audio help
457:2016-08-22
400:8 December
345:References
332:postscript
278:H.G. Wells
69:newspapers
971:Yo, JudĂo
885:The Other
814:The Aleph
779:The Zahir
751:Emma Zunz
713:The Aleph
701:The South
579:Ficciones
336:Argentine
302:epic poem
228:Argentine
216:The Aleph
154:Argentina
1045:El Golem
913:The Disk
800:The Wait
537:Original
468: ·
394:Archived
385:El Aleph
270:infinity
266:universe
170:Genre(s)
160:Language
144:El Aleph
1055:Related
892:Ulrikke
687:The End
455: (
426:minutes
284:" and "
226:by the
220:Spanish
164:Spanish
150:Country
83:scholar
963:Essays
240:, in
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
365:(PDF)
330:In a
205:Pages
90:JSTOR
76:books
402:2022
298:poet
246:1974
242:1949
62:news
288:".
190:Sur
132:by
45:by
1111::
424:10
367:.
248:.
1047:"
1043:"
994:"
990:"
987:"
983:"
980:"
976:"
973:"
969:"
951:"
947:"
944:"
940:"
922:"
918:"
915:"
911:"
908:"
904:"
901:"
897:"
894:"
890:"
887:"
883:"
865:"
861:"
858:"
854:"
838:"
834:"
816:"
812:"
809:"
805:"
802:"
798:"
795:"
791:"
788:"
784:"
781:"
777:"
774:"
770:"
767:"
763:"
760:"
756:"
753:"
749:"
746:"
742:"
739:"
735:"
732:"
728:"
725:"
721:"
703:"
699:"
696:"
692:"
689:"
685:"
682:"
678:"
675:"
671:"
668:"
664:"
661:"
657:"
654:"
650:"
647:"
643:"
640:"
636:"
633:"
629:"
626:"
622:"
619:"
615:"
612:"
608:"
605:"
601:"
598:"
594:"
591:"
587:"
569:"
565:"
562:"
558:"
513:e
506:t
499:v
472:)
464:(
459:)
428:)
421:(
404:.
371:.
214:"
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
