TheLibraryOfBabel

MeatballWiki | RecentChanges | Random Page | Indices | Categories

A JorgeLuísBorges short story that describes a very large and probably infinite library. The library contains all possible books that can be written. The majority of the books are disorganized letters and make no sense. A few of them are great books. One of them contains the list and the location of all the great books in the library, but there are too many with the false list of the great books.

None of these books have actually been found; the probability of any given book containing all the characters assembled in just the right order to make the Master Index Book is, of course, remote. Yet because the library is infinite, this book must exist. Similarly, there must be a large number of false index books.

Only one intelligible phrase has ever been found, in any of the books, by the people known to be living in the vast library: "O time thy pyramids."

see: http://jubal.westnet.com/hyperdiscordia/library_of_babel.html

I love to read, but a few years ago I was in the biggest bookstore in this town. A very nice and wide store, but I suddenly realized Hell would look like this; just a gigantic bookstore, and you are trapped inside until you have read all the latest books.

TheLibraryOfBabel

Discussion