Why didn't he write a novel?

He was blind

he was bored

>>24579355 (OP)
Because it wasn’t his thing. It is like asking why Proust didn’t write an epic poem or Homer didn’t write a play. Borges whether you like him or dislike him, realized his strength was in the short story format which is a mark for him because way too many writers go the full novel format and need to pad it out with irrelevant stuff.

>>24579355 (OP)
He resented the novel form and thought a poem or short story could always capture the idea better and that novels, especially realist novels, especially especially naturalist ones, were tedious rigmaroles. And he's largely right.

>>24579355 (OP)
He was lazy. That's the truth. He admits it. Lazy reader of novels.

He didn't want to

>>24579518
He is right in his criticism of some novelists yet entirely lame all the same.

>>24579524
Lame in what way?

>>24579539
He is entirely boring. The Quentin terentino of literature. LAME

>>24579551
Ah

>>24579366
It didn't stop Taha Hussein

>>24579355 (OP)
My copy of Aleph had an introduction by him where he straight up said he never wrote a novel because he was too lazy and it seemed like an intimidating task.

>>24579524
Basically you have no argument

>>24579355 (OP)
short answer: cause he wasnt a novelist

long answer: he writes plots, cool ideas, gimmicks, but not characters; at least not characters that could last a novel