Tuesday, May 5, 2009

If on a winter's night a traveler

Wow. Just wow.

This is apparently a famous book by Italo Calvino, written circa 1979, but why the heck hadn't I heard of it before this year? It is an amazing ode to writing and reading. The experience of reading this book is like no other, and I loved it. It's very complex, very clever, intensely engaging. The structure of the book is just brilliant.

That being said, some of the short stories inside the novel were somewhat odd, perhaps slightly disturbing, but really no big deal compared to the wow factor. This is a great book if you love to read. It is like a love song written to readers everywhere. Be prepared to sit back and get taken for a very entertaining and lyrical ride. Excellent!

2 comments:

Tasha said...

Glad you enjoyed this! I loved the 2nd person POV. Have you read David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, which was inspired by If on a winter's night a traveler...? It took me a few months to get through Cloud Atlas, but I thought it was excellent.

Susana la Banana said...

I haven't read Cloud Atlas, but thanks for the recommendation! I will probably check it out after we get moved in to our new house. During the transition and stress, I like E-A-S-Y reading. ;)