![]() ![]() Zones of Uncanny Spectrality: The City in Postmodern Literature. Non-Places: An Introduction to Supermodernity. Taking Place: Non-Representational Theories and Geography. Literary Geographies 1 (1): 3–6.Īnderson, Ben, and Paul Harrison, eds. Fifty years on, what can Calvino’s dreamlike book offer to scholars and practitioners interested in actually existing urban life? This chapter examines Calvino and his work before introducing the scope of the volume and the the chapters that follow.Īlexander, Neal. The chapters, by and large, approach the novel not only as a novel but as a work of urban theory, a work of evocative ethnography, a work of place-writing. To commemorate the 50th anniversary, the essays in this volume grapple with the theoretical, pedagogical, and political legacies of Invisible Cities. This collection serves as both appreciation and critical engagement, tribute and extension. Much has been written about the book as a piece of literature, but Invisible Cities has long been a favorite among social scientists and planners as well. Despite its brevity, the work’s themes and poetics are expansive, challenging traditional conventions of genre and academic discipline. A page from The Travels of Marco Polo (Il Milione) by Marco Polo (c.Fifty years have passed since the original publication of Italo Calvino’s magisterial book Invisible Cities ( Le città invisibili). This post contains affiliate links which are clearly marked with an asterisk (*) – I will receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.ġ. It’s weird and it probably isn’t for everyone but I recommend giving Calvino a go. Okay, final thoughts: I loved this book and I’d recommend it wholeheartedly. I think these quotes give you a sense of Calvino’s style and the ideas he explores within the book. The earth has forgotten her.įutures not achieved are only branches of the past: dead branches. I added some quotes from Invisible Cities to my commonplace book and I realise that they make zero sense out of context (and possible even within the context of the book because that’s just Calvino’s style) but I wanted to share two short ones here:īut in vain I set out to visit the city: forced to remain motionless and always the same, in order to be more easily remembered, Zora has languished, disintegrated, disappeared. I think it’s a beautiful work of literature and I found it fascinating. It’s all very surreal but also carefully constructed. You can definitely read this without delving into the writing of Marco Polo though so don’t worry about that!īoth the writing style and the form of the book can be a little bit odd at times but, for me, that adds to the dream-like, whimsical nature of the book. ![]() He’s just drawing inspiration and building upon an already fascinating text. Calvino isn’t attempting to mimic the original and he isn’t trying to mock or deride it either. I love Calvino’s response to the original text and I think it’s a beautiful reimagining of Marco Polo’s work in Calvino’s distinct style. Calvino indulges in metafiction in such a beautiful, creative way in this novel.Ĭalvino is deliberately deconstructing the travelogue, a form of travel literature which is like a travel diary, and Invisible Cities draws up The Travels of Marco Polo, the travelogue that Marco Polo wrote in the thirteenth century. ![]() Every so often, the city descriptions are broken up by dialogue between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan and the frame narrative helps create a sense of continuity within the and it emphasises Marco Polo’s storytelling. He’s describing various (fictitious) cities to Kublai Khan and many of the tales can be read meditations on human nature, culture, language, and death. The book is set out as a series of tales or short stories told by Marco Polo. ![]() A quick note about the translator: William Weaver was a well-known English language translator of modern Italian literature and he translated several works by Calvino, Umberto Eco, and Primo Levi. I adored reading this because Calvino has this ability to transport me into whatever world he has created and it was such an immersive reading experience for me. Italo Calvino’s books are always weird and wonderful and Invisible Cities was no different. Summary: As Marco tells the khan about Armilla, which “has nothing that makes it seem a city, except the water pipes that rise vertically where the houses should be and spread out horizontally where the floors should be,” the spider-web city of Octavia, and other marvellous burgs, it may be that he is creating them all out of his imagination, or perhaps he is recreating details of his native Venice over and over again, or perhaps he is simply recounting some of the myriad possible forms a city might take ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |