Week of 17/11/14: Labyrinths (and a bit of reflection)

Prompt:  Do you agree with the author's beliefs?  Which do you prefer, the writing or the ideas?  And what would you like the author to explore more?  (Because I can't focus on just one prompt, ever)
Pages read:  About five stories and a few essays, totaling an approximate 80 pages.

If you've been reading my blogs for say, the past couple of months; then you know I've been reading many, many books on existentialism and nihilistic philosophy.  Through this reading, all I can come across is more paradoxes and conflicting opinions on the universe (in general).  This is (obviously) to be expected, and it only fuels my fascination; although a break from all these self-pitying streams of conscience is in store.  While I don't always agree with anything an author of these fictions states as universal truth, I feel Borges does a good job of making an ambiguous point and leaving its meaning to the reader.  Therefore, there is no agreeing or disagreeing; more of accepting a possible cause and effect.  Which I do.  Borges theories on metaphysical thought could hold truth, at least to myself.  His domino effect of the slightest happenings becoming large calamities could be happening, and is, at any and every moment.  The important 'rule of thumb' for enveloping yourself in this type of thought is to remember there isn't any scientific evidence behind an of the statements made.  Which doesn't legitimatize or delegitimize anything; something I agree with Borges on.

Now usually writing shapes itself around presented ideas, though this is not the case with Borges.  This aspect of his writing I find... difficult to relate to?  It's as if the author knows his talent and is proving a point, rather than writing his mind/soul out.  This is not a check in the negative column, however; and I'm sure this is far from the truth.  This is simply my impression of Borges' writing.  See, the writing overshadows the ideas which leads to inconsistent points of interest.  To say that in a clearer phrase: when one part of a story is all adjectives and descriptions and set up, and (usually the end) is all deep statements and dread and messages of human condition/suffering it makes reading simultaneously riveting and drab. Its a bit like reading The Dead, you would never expect the ending to destroy your perspective.

Anything else that confuses me.  I know what it's like to ponder the meaning of life alone in your room, in the dark.  And I want something more than that, it has become a perpetual search.  So far, I'm impressed with Borges in his ability to write in detail and not focus on the "big questions".  You know, the ones you ask yourself when your standing under the stars in silence, wishing desperately either to be immortal or to have your meaningless life end right then and there.  I wish (and perhaps this will be granted, I'm still exploring Labyrinths) that Borges would explore what thought means and what is does to the grand psyche.  If these volumes have taught me anything, it's that all we can do is wish, and presume, and dream.  Time may be meaningless, life likewise; but if there's one thing our species will be infamous for, it's our curiosity and meddling.  We all have to find a balance between between apathy and passion and what we should spend thought on, and that's what life is about.