Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
In this unique novel, a Venetian traveler describes 55 different cities to the Mongol emperor, each city more fantastical and surreal than the last. The cities are divided into categories such as "Cities and Memory," "Cities and Desire," "Cities and Signs," etc. As the traveler continues to describe these cities, it becomes clear that they are all actually the same city, Venice, seen from different perspectives and points in time. The novel explores themes of memory, perception, and the nature of human experience.
The 322nd greatest book of all time
- Published
- 1972
- Nationality
- Italian
- Type
- Fiction
- Pages
- around 165
- Words
- 36,000
- Original Language
- Italian
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This book is on the following lists:
- 60th on The 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century (Folha de São Paulo)
- 93rd on 100 Essential Books (Bravo! Magazine)
- 149th on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- The Bigger Read List (English PEN)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- Donald Barthelme’s Reading List (Believer Mag)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- Zeit Literaturkanon (https://www.librarything.com/award/335/ZEIT-Literaturkanon)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- The Ultimate Book Bucket List: The 75 Best Books Of All Time (Refinery29)
- The 50 Books Everyone Needs to Read, 1963-2013 (Flavor Wire)
- How to Read and Why (Harold Bloom)