A Universal History of Infamy

Summary

A Universal History of Infamy by Jorge Luis Borges is an exquisite mosaic of stories in which the figures of criminals, adventurers, and impostors come to life, leaving their mark on the pages of world history. With his characteristic irony and philosophical depth, Borges explores the nature of evil, illusion, and humanity’s passion for breaking taboos. In these tales, inspired by both real and legendary characters, the author masterfully blends documentary precision with poetic imagination, turning a chronicle of crimes into a meditation on the duality of the human soul and the elusive boundaries between truth and fiction. The book becomes a kind of catalogue of human vices, where each protagonist—from Chinese emperors to London swindlers—is not only a bearer of infamy but also an enigma reflecting the eternal longing for freedom and transcendence of the ordinary.