The Written World and the Unwritten World: Collected Non-Fiction

Description

An ingenious exploration of the meaning of literature, from one of Italy's most beloved writers 'If the world is increasingly senseless, all we can do is try to give it a style' The difference between life and literature; the good intentions of holiday reading; the avante-garde; the fate of the novel; the fantastical; the art of translation- these are just some of the ideas in The Written World and the Unwritten World. A collection of essays, articles, interviews, correspondence, notes and other occasional pieces on writing, reading and interpreting books, this work gives us new insight into Italo Calvino's expansive, curious and generous mind. Translated by Ann Goldstein

Italo Calvino, one of Italy's finest postwar writers, has delighted readers around the world with his deceptively simple, fable-like stories. Calvino was born in Cuba in 1923 and raised in San Remo, Italy; he fought for the Italian Resistance from 1943-45. His major works include Cosmicomics (1968), Invisible Cities (1972), and If on a winter's night a traveler (1979). He died in Siena in 1985.

Electric . . . this rich collection of essays, reviews, interviews and more . . . are not only the backstory to his fictional method, but often another expression of it -- Tim Adams * Observer * Engagingly whimsical . . . a wry sense of humour . . . there are gems to be mined. And, like real precious stones, they are found in unlikely places * Economist * Glimmering insight and wit . . . incisive . . . reading this book is time spent with a first-rate mind -- Chris Power * The Sunday Times * Playful . . . unfailingly stimulating . . . there are plenty of delights -- John Self * Guardian * Wonderful . . . surveys his varied interests and discerning style . . . Calvino's prose is sparkling as ever, and he approaches ideas with wit and an open mind, always ready to challenge a stale point of view. This anthology will delight Calvino fans old and new * Publishers Weekly * It is for these moments of pathos, irony and honesty, when palaces of dazzling reflection are swept aside and the most adventurous thinking is undone, that one reads Italo Calvino -- Tim Parks * TLS * An indispensable writer . . . although the reader of Italo Calvino will be taken further out of himself than most readers, he will also discover that the experience is not a flight from, but an enrichment of himself . . . I can think of no finer writer to have beside me -- Salman Rushdie An effervescent sense of humor . . . Calvino was a master at playing with linguistic register, alternating between high and low, humor and seriousness, philosophy and fantasy, shifting from one literary genre to another -- Jhumpa Lahiri