Henningfeld is an associate professor at Adrian College who writes widely on literature for educational publishers. In the following essay, she discusses Borges's use of metafiction in "The Garden of Forking Paths."

Before the publication of his first collection of short stories, El jardin de senderos que se bifurcan [The Garden of Forking Paths ] in 1941, Argentine readers knew Jorge Luis Borges as a writer of poetry and essays.

The publication of his first short stories, however, marked a shift in his reputation. Soon, Borges would achieve an international reputation because of his short stories. By the late twentieth century, critics and scholars listed Borges as one of the most important writers of the century.

Although Borges is widely considered an important writer, not all critics appreciate his work— particularly his short stories. There are those who find his work overly cerebral and erudite, too filled with...