---
product_id: 13729571
title: "The Invention of Morel (New York Review Books Classics)"
price: "A$29"
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reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/13729571-the-invention-of-morel-new-york-review-books-classics
store_origin: AU
region: Australia
---

# The Invention of Morel (New York Review Books Classics)

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## Description

The Invention of Morel (New York Review Books Classics) [Adolfo Bioy Casares, Ruth L. C. Simms, Jorge Luis Borges, Suzanne Jill Levine] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Invention of Morel (New York Review Books Classics)

Review: Impossible to categorize --or to put down - What makes you decide to read a book? It does not matter that the book was inspired by Louise Brooks but that could be intriguing enough for a start. It is encouraging when someone like Borges- the fantasist - recommends it. Comparisons to Philip K.Dick or Chesterton are handy, perhaps, as a hint. You may wonder how all of these very different references fit in this slim book. But finally, when you do read it, all those references have to fall away (but perhaps not too far away) and the book must stand on its own. Bioy Casares has created a surprising little marvel. Our hero is escaping the police for an unnamed capital crime, and finds himself on an island (a map is provided) decorated with three pristine buildings on the hill, but otherwise a barely hospitable place of vicious high tides, mosquitoes, swamps, reeds and misery. As you work through this environment, Borges does come to mind, as it seems fantastic, with the imagery that seems a signature of South America genius. You'll find yourself trying to determine whether what he describes is real or his own imaginings. After exploring every cranny of the buildings --and the descriptions remind me of art deco drawings, clean, clear, balanced but at the same time ornate-- he finds one day that the island is suddenly inhabited. Not wanting to be discovered, he skulks around the visitors, drawn especially to the pensive and lovely Faustine and the book slips from Borges to a period mystery, a la Chesterton. His understanding of the situation increases and it becomes more like a science fiction invention (the reference to Philip K Dick)... but still there is more, and when you realize there IS more, it becomes Casares' own novel, and stands on its own. It becomes a meditation on the nature of reality and our inability to separate the appearance from the nature of what is observed, the thin border between our own projections and fact, and even our willingness to consciously live in delusion. Does our hero become insane or is the answer to the mystery the whole answer, and his solution rational? This is a very short book, with twice the atmosphere. It is intriguing even while it feels like it is of its own time (1925 or so). When you finish it (in a day perhaps) you may want to read it again to take the time to notice how Casares has molded so many elements into a coherent story, building dread, curiosity and solutions incredibly cleverly. This is definitely worth your time if you like a book that is bigger than itself.
Review: From the Diary of a Fugitive - As soon as I finished this book I started once again from the beginning, connecting the dots in this science fiction epic by Argentinian writer Adolfo Bioy Casares. This novel, which is the most well-known of his works, tells the story of a fugitive on an unusual island from the perspective of his diary. Slowly uncovering the mystique of the island allows for an incredible re-read, which recontextualized all the details laid throughout the plot. Casares’s unique style lends itself perfectly to the diary perspective of the story, as he is well versed in writing short stories, essays, letters, and even works written in collaboration with other great writers such as Jorge Luis Borges. The story incorporates aspects of realism as well as science-fiction, creating a wholly distinctive tale that holds up to this day. Dealing with themes of love, death, isolation, and immortality, this story is great for anyone interested in romantic relationships told from a fresh and fascinating science fiction lens. Incorporating the nature of the self in relation to a romantic partner, as well as that finite romance in the scale of eternity, this novel invokes thought and theory about a myriad of existential topics. All of this and more tackled in only 103 pages! Very much worth a read, and a re-read, and then one more just for good measure.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN  | 1590170571 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #26,564 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #51 in Hispanic American Literature & Fiction #2,084 in Literary Fiction (Books) #2,448 in Suspense Thrillers |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (297) |
| Dimensions  | 4.99 x 0.29 x 7.98 inches |
| ISBN-10  | 9781590170571 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1590170571 |
| Item Weight  | 4.2 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 103 pages |
| Publication date  | August 31, 2003 |
| Publisher  | NYRB Classics |

## Images

![The Invention of Morel (New York Review Books Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/716MrIq024L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Impossible to categorize --or to put down
*by B***H on February 8, 2012*

What makes you decide to read a book? It does not matter that the book was inspired by Louise Brooks but that could be intriguing enough for a start. It is encouraging when someone like Borges- the fantasist - recommends it. Comparisons to Philip K.Dick or Chesterton are handy, perhaps, as a hint. You may wonder how all of these very different references fit in this slim book. But finally, when you do read it, all those references have to fall away (but perhaps not too far away) and the book must stand on its own. Bioy Casares has created a surprising little marvel. Our hero is escaping the police for an unnamed capital crime, and finds himself on an island (a map is provided) decorated with three pristine buildings on the hill, but otherwise a barely hospitable place of vicious high tides, mosquitoes, swamps, reeds and misery. As you work through this environment, Borges does come to mind, as it seems fantastic, with the imagery that seems a signature of South America genius. You'll find yourself trying to determine whether what he describes is real or his own imaginings. After exploring every cranny of the buildings --and the descriptions remind me of art deco drawings, clean, clear, balanced but at the same time ornate-- he finds one day that the island is suddenly inhabited. Not wanting to be discovered, he skulks around the visitors, drawn especially to the pensive and lovely Faustine and the book slips from Borges to a period mystery, a la Chesterton. His understanding of the situation increases and it becomes more like a science fiction invention (the reference to Philip K Dick)... but still there is more, and when you realize there IS more, it becomes Casares' own novel, and stands on its own. It becomes a meditation on the nature of reality and our inability to separate the appearance from the nature of what is observed, the thin border between our own projections and fact, and even our willingness to consciously live in delusion. Does our hero become insane or is the answer to the mystery the whole answer, and his solution rational? This is a very short book, with twice the atmosphere. It is intriguing even while it feels like it is of its own time (1925 or so). When you finish it (in a day perhaps) you may want to read it again to take the time to notice how Casares has molded so many elements into a coherent story, building dread, curiosity and solutions incredibly cleverly. This is definitely worth your time if you like a book that is bigger than itself.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ From the Diary of a Fugitive
*by B***N on June 28, 2021*

As soon as I finished this book I started once again from the beginning, connecting the dots in this science fiction epic by Argentinian writer Adolfo Bioy Casares. This novel, which is the most well-known of his works, tells the story of a fugitive on an unusual island from the perspective of his diary. Slowly uncovering the mystique of the island allows for an incredible re-read, which recontextualized all the details laid throughout the plot. Casares’s unique style lends itself perfectly to the diary perspective of the story, as he is well versed in writing short stories, essays, letters, and even works written in collaboration with other great writers such as Jorge Luis Borges. The story incorporates aspects of realism as well as science-fiction, creating a wholly distinctive tale that holds up to this day. Dealing with themes of love, death, isolation, and immortality, this story is great for anyone interested in romantic relationships told from a fresh and fascinating science fiction lens. Incorporating the nature of the self in relation to a romantic partner, as well as that finite romance in the scale of eternity, this novel invokes thought and theory about a myriad of existential topics. All of this and more tackled in only 103 pages! Very much worth a read, and a re-read, and then one more just for good measure.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good Read
*by D***S on November 7, 2025*

A good book. Not great, but good. Interesting concept for the era in which it was written. I kept flipping back to the front cover, since I'm fascinated with Louise Brooks as well as the author.

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*Product available on Desertcart Australia*
*Store origin: AU*
*Last updated: 2026-01-26*