Short Stories 2

I found “Mr. Palomar in the Garden” to be a very different kind of story from what we have read so far. It had a very stream of consciousness flow to it, which was surprisingly easy to follow and also interesting. It reminded me of a much more entertaining version of “Walden”). “The Garden of Forking Paths” was also an interesting story. It incorporated intellectual thinking, like explaining parallel universes, but in a more matter of fact, easy to understand way inside of a larger story. I found the piece on Menard a bit harder to follow. “Forerunners and Figures of the Anti-Enlightenment” was somewhat enjoyable to read. The almost parody of the ‘enlightenment’ in Latin American countries made me think about the actual ‘Enlightenment.’ Did people actually become better by being ‘enlightened?’ The first two stories also touch on work. What actually is work? Should thinking and intellectual inquiries be considered work?