The Gospel According to Mark (story)
Encyclopedia
"The Gospel according to Mark" (originally in Spanish "El Evangelio según Marcos") is a short story
by the Argentine
writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges
. It is one of the stories in the short story collection Doctor Brodie's Report (originally in Spanish El informe de Brodie), first published in 1970
.
To pass the time he begins reading to the illiterate farm family that works at the house, though out of the few books available, the only one that manages to keep their attention is an old dusty Bible. The family is captivated by the crucifixion and the idea of salvation from earthly strife. The young doctor sleeps with an unnamed woman without speaking a word. Later, they crucify the young doctor with the rafters from the roof.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by the Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
. It is one of the stories in the short story collection Doctor Brodie's Report (originally in Spanish El informe de Brodie), first published in 1970
1970 in literature
The year 1970 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Deliverance by American poet James Dickey published...
.
Plot summary
A kindly but indifferent young medical student on holiday gets trapped at a cousin's house in Argentina during the rainy season. He helps the family patriarch to stop the roof leaking by installing some heavy rafters.To pass the time he begins reading to the illiterate farm family that works at the house, though out of the few books available, the only one that manages to keep their attention is an old dusty Bible. The family is captivated by the crucifixion and the idea of salvation from earthly strife. The young doctor sleeps with an unnamed woman without speaking a word. Later, they crucify the young doctor with the rafters from the roof.
External links
- The Gospel according to Mark and El Evangelio según Marcos (an English translation and the Spanish original)
- The Gospel according to Mark (read by Paul Theroux; New Yorker podcast)