Italo Calvino (Author) Italo Calvino was born in Cuba in 1923 and grew up in Italy. He was an essayist and journalist and a member of the editorial staff of Einaudi in Turin. One of the most respected writers of the twentieth century, his best-known works of fiction include Invisible Cities, If on a Winter's Night a Traveller, Marcovaldo and Mr Palomar. In 1973 he won the prestigious Premio Feltrinelli. He died in 1985. A collection of Calvino's posthumous personal writings, The Hermit in Paris, was published in 2003.William Weaver (Translator) William Weaver has translated Umberto Eco, Italo Svevo, Primo Levi, Italo Calvino and Roberto Calasso, among others. He is a professor at Bard College.

"Breathtakingly inventive" -- David Mitchell "The greatest Italian writer of the twentieth century" Guardian "Reading Calvino, you're constantly assailed by the notion that he is writing down what you have always known, except that you've never thought of it before.This is highly unnerving: fortunately you're usually too busy laughing to go mad... I can think of no finer writer to have beside me while Italy explodes, Britain burns, while the world ends" -- Salman Rushdie "A devastating, wonderfully ingenious parody of all those dreary best-sellers you buy at the airport... It is a "world novel": take it with you next time you plan to travel in an armchair" -- Lorna Sage Observer "A brilliant work of the imagination and the intellect working in union.And, by the way, it's very funny also" Scotsman

1. 3/5

   Creatively Unique in Form - Postmodern-ly Unclear

   Not for me. But maybe for others. It might be an issue of personal taste, this is given as a caveat. The book is creative and fun in its form, and portraits the sensations of feeling well. The thoughts to me, are not the most clearly or cleverly delivered. Had they been clearly conveyed, or relevant musings (that are appealing or valuable rather than fever-musings) then it would have enriched more. Some of these musings were such (I won't spoil), but the majority wasn't. It also made me less well oriented to the cliffhangers. If you are a feelings-oriented person this one might speak to you, but I don't think it enriches the person necessarily. Calvino does manage to describe depravity in humans and the feeling of being a victim, in the throes of one's own emotions.

   Niccolas A

   22 april 2025

Italo Calvino (Author) Italo Calvino was born in Cuba in 1923 and grew up in Italy. He was an essayist and journalist and a member of the editorial staff of Einaudi in Turin. One of the most respected writers of the twentieth century, his best-known works of fiction include Invisible Cities, If on a Winter's Night a Traveller, Marcovaldo and Mr Palomar. In 1973 he won the prestigious Premio Feltrinelli. He died in 1985. A collection of Calvino's posthumous personal writings, The Hermit in Paris, was published in 2003.William Weaver (Translator) William Weaver has translated Umberto Eco, Italo Svevo, Primo Levi, Italo Calvino and Roberto Calasso, among others. He is a professor at Bard College.

"Breathtakingly inventive" -- David Mitchell "The greatest Italian writer of the twentieth century" Guardian "Reading Calvino, you're constantly assailed by the notion that he is writing down what you have always known, except that you've never thought of it before.This is highly unnerving: fortunately you're usually too busy laughing to go mad... I can think of no finer writer to have beside me while Italy explodes, Britain burns, while the world ends" -- Salman Rushdie "A devastating, wonderfully ingenious parody of all those dreary best-sellers you buy at the airport... It is a "world novel": take it with you next time you plan to travel in an armchair" -- Lorna Sage Observer "A brilliant work of the imagination and the intellect working in union.And, by the way, it's very funny also" Scotsman

1. 3/5

   Creatively Unique in Form - Postmodern-ly Unclear

   Not for me. But maybe for others. It might be an issue of personal taste, this is given as a caveat. The book is creative and fun in its form, and portraits the sensations of feeling well. The thoughts to me, are not the most clearly or cleverly delivered. Had they been clearly conveyed, or relevant musings (that are appealing or valuable rather than fever-musings) then it would have enriched more. Some of these musings were such (I won't spoil), but the majority wasn't. It also made me less well oriented to the cliffhangers. If you are a feelings-oriented person this one might speak to you, but I don't think it enriches the person necessarily. Calvino does manage to describe depravity in humans and the feeling of being a victim, in the throes of one's own emotions.

   Niccolas A

   22 april 2025

Italo Calvino (Author) Italo Calvino was born in Cuba in 1923 and grew up in Italy. He was an essayist and journalist and a member of the editorial staff of Einaudi in Turin. One of the most respected writers of the twentieth century, his best-known works of fiction include Invisible Cities, If on a Winter's Night a Traveller, Marcovaldo and Mr Palomar. In 1973 he won the prestigious Premio Feltrinelli. He died in 1985. A collection of Calvino's posthumous personal writings, The Hermit in Paris, was published in 2003.William Weaver (Translator) William Weaver has translated Umberto Eco, Italo Svevo, Primo Levi, Italo Calvino and Roberto Calasso, among others. He is a professor at Bard College.

"Breathtakingly inventive" -- David Mitchell "The greatest Italian writer of the twentieth century" Guardian "Reading Calvino, you're constantly assailed by the notion that he is writing down what you have always known, except that you've never thought of it before.This is highly unnerving: fortunately you're usually too busy laughing to go mad... I can think of no finer writer to have beside me while Italy explodes, Britain burns, while the world ends" -- Salman Rushdie "A devastating, wonderfully ingenious parody of all those dreary best-sellers you buy at the airport... It is a "world novel": take it with you next time you plan to travel in an armchair" -- Lorna Sage Observer "A brilliant work of the imagination and the intellect working in union.And, by the way, it's very funny also" Scotsman

1. 3/5

   Creatively Unique in Form - Postmodern-ly Unclear

   Not for me. But maybe for others. It might be an issue of personal taste, this is given as a caveat. The book is creative and fun in its form, and portraits the sensations of feeling well. The thoughts to me, are not the most clearly or cleverly delivered. Had they been clearly conveyed, or relevant musings (that are appealing or valuable rather than fever-musings) then it would have enriched more. Some of these musings were such (I won't spoil), but the majority wasn't. It also made me less well oriented to the cliffhangers. If you are a feelings-oriented person this one might speak to you, but I don't think it enriches the person necessarily. Calvino does manage to describe depravity in humans and the feeling of being a victim, in the throes of one's own emotions.

   Niccolas A

   22 april 2025