Reviews

Collection of Sand by Martin McLaughlin, Italo Calvino

georgiazinzan's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

mind altering - but i would’ve ended the book on the second to last passage 

bhaines's review against another edition

his voice is very distinctive idk what it is. sometimes had more ideas than felt necessary but liked most of them. temples that are constantly rebuilt, the mythology of science, different ways to live forever in stone or fire or sand.

hakkun1's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

brother_stephen's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.5

becklabeck's review against another edition

4.0

The introduction to these essays says that one of Calvino's main themes in this collection is sight. From art exhibits to books Calvino read to travels through Japan, Mexico, and Iran, I was impressed by the ability of these different essays to often return to the same central concepts of observation and perception, and the limitations of both. I found all of the essays pretty interesting, though some definitely struck me more than others. Calvino is great at stirring the imagination even in the observation of seemingly mundane objects, like a collection of sand or a trove of stamps. His curiosity made everything he fixed his eye on shine with allure and intrigue. This was an interesting assortment of essays, and I enjoyed reading them.

mahashweta's review against another edition

4.0

What always draws me to Calvino's writings are his remarkably witty observances about regular, commonplace occurences, which makes the reader consider something familiar in a different light. This is probably not my favourite collection of his essays, although the final section contained some of the best writings of Calvino I've read so far. However the comments regarding the lives and practices of the East betray a narrow Western consciousness. Calvino interprets his experiences in Japan and Iran through a very Eurocentric philosophical disposition, which made me feel that he missed the real point when analysing the traditions and religious rites of the East.