Robert Stevens

This story reminded me very much of Zampano in House of Leaves. Borges mounts a critical review of a story that does not exist, much like Zampano did regarding the Navidson Record. The story being analyzed is about a law student who becomes an outcast among the poor and destitute after killing a man in a riot. After seeing the good in these people, he comes to the belief that a mysterious (if not divine) man or being – Al-Mu’tasim – has impacted their lives in a positive way, so he sets out to find this mysterious person. As he searches, he is told by different people wildly different descriptions of Al-Mu’tasim. Eventually the law student catches up with Al-Mu’tasim, but the story ends just as he walks through the curtain into the room where he is. This is kind of an anticlimactic ending that leaves a lot open to speculation. When I read that part, I started to wonder if this story influenced the writers of the Sopranos for the final episode, as the endings were very similar.