29 pages 58 minutes read

Jorge Luis Borges

The Book of Sand

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1975

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Character Analysis

The Narrator

The unnamed narrator of the story is presumably Argentinian, as he lives in Argentina on Calle Belgrano, or Belgrano Street, and previously worked for the National Library. The fact that he recently retired indicates that he is older, though he does not reveal his age. His eyesight is imperfect, and he notes that he is nearsighted. The narrator is a solitary man, as shown by the comments in which he notes his own misanthropy and “few friends.” His collection of rare Bibles in multiple languages, his commentary on their relative quality, and library career indicate that he is both intelligent and well-read.

From his interactions with the salesman, it becomes apparent that the narrator is friendly; he talks comfortably with the salesman well into the night, though his few friendships indicate that such interactions are rare. His contradictory nature is also evident in his hesitancy to burn the book, for fear that its infinite smoke will “suffocate the planet” (483), followed by his decision to leave it in the library, where someone else might find it and suffer as he has.

The narrator craves knowledge and understanding, and his willingness to trade the Wycliffe Bible and his pension for

blurred text

blurred text

Related Titles

By Jorge Luis Borges

Study Guide

logo

Borges and I

Jorge Luis Borges

Borges and I

Jorge Luis Borges

Plot Summary

logo

Ficciones

Jorge Luis Borges

Ficciones

Jorge Luis Borges

Study Guide

logo

In Praise of Darkness

Jorge Luis Borges

In Praise of Darkness

Jorge Luis Borges

Study Guide

logo

Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote

Jorge Luis Borges

Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote

Jorge Luis Borges

Study Guide

logo

The Aleph

Jorge Luis Borges

The Aleph

Jorge Luis Borges

Plot Summary

logo

The Aleph and Other Stories

Jorge Luis Borges

The Aleph and Other Stories

Jorge Luis Borges

Study Guide

logo

The Circular Ruins

Jorge Luis Borges

The Circular Ruins

Jorge Luis Borges

Study Guide

logo

The Garden of Forking Paths

Jorge Luis Borges

The Garden of Forking Paths

Jorge Luis Borges

Study Guide

logo

The Library of Babel

Jorge Luis Borges

The Library of Babel

Jorge Luis Borges