Fictional hyperglots or eidict mentalists (Polyglots) Language Learning Forum

Fictional hyperglots or eidict mentalists
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Language Learning Forum : Polyglots

zenmonkey
Bilingual Tetraglot
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Germany
Joined 6551 days ago
803 posts - 1119 votes

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Speaks: English^C2*, Spanish*, French, German
Studies: Italian, Modern Hebrew

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23 January 2012 at 10:27am | IP Logged

What are your favorites? Often these characters are built up on the myths created around real people - fictional memory giants and their language achievements. Certainly one I have been fascinated by is Funes the Memorious a short semi-biographical story by Borges.

Here is a brief description of this great story, I'll only give part of it, it would be unfair to share the entire plot - I'll leave the discovery to those that wish to read it.

Quote:

"Funes the Memorious" tells the story of a fictional version of Borges himself as he meets Ireneo Funes, a teenage boy who lives in Fray Bentos, Uruguay, in 1884. Borges's cousin asks the boy for the time, and Funes replies instantly, without the aid of a watch and accurate to the minute.

Borges returns to Buenos Aires, then in 1887 comes back to Fray Bentos, intending to relax and study some Latin. He learns that Ireneo Funes has meanwhile suffered a horseback riding accident and is now hopelessly crippled. Soon enough, Borges receives a note from Funes, requesting that the visitor lend him some of his Latin books and a dictionary. Borges, disconcerted, sends Funes what he deems the most difficult works "in order fully to undeceive him".

Days later, Borges receives a telegram from Buenos Aires calling for his return due to his father's ill health. As he packs, he remembers the books and goes to Funes's house. Funes's mother escorts him to a patio where the youth usually spends his dark hours. As he enters, Borges is greeted by Funes's voice speaking perfect Latin, reciting "the first paragraph of the twenty-fourth chapter of the seventh book of the Historia Naturalis" (by Pliny the Elder).

What other fictional character have you got in mind?

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