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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The best way I can describe my experience with Calvino is "conflicted". There were chapters that I enjoyed and found myself wanting to chase after these snippets of fictional books-in-a-book to finish what I had started. Other chapters were a real struggle to finish. Despite all the chaos and short endings, I understand the thread that runs through it all; that it is the Reader and the experience of reading that makes all books the same--that words themselves are the common factor. I restricted myself to reading one chapter a day, which seemed to be a good pacing, otherwise I would have completely overwhelmed myself with options and unfulfilled endings. I was thrown by the second person writing style, as its something I've not be exposed to very often in my reading career. I do think that Calvino captures the divine frustration that is choosing a book when you walk through a book store. Typically I prefer a story with a more linear plot and Calvino didn't capture me. I wasn't swept up in the story or transported in anyway; I was very much aware of the physical processes of reading. I don't disagree that Calvino is a very talented writer, but I don't feel like I will be pursing another novel of his anytime soon.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
An interesting and complicated novel that tackles what it means to be a reader, a writer, and a book. Occasionally, it got just a bit too weird, and the end was confusing but I liked the meta-ness. I especially liked the bits that challenged the structure of a book as we know it.
An interesting and complicated novel that tackles what it means to be a reader, a writer, and a book. Occasionally, it got just a bit too weird, and the end was confusing but I liked the meta-ness. I especially liked the bits that challenged the structure of a book as we know it.
challenging
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read through this once and didn’t feel like I got it and actually got myself to read it again. I still don’t know that I understand the appeal of this book.
(Seems my late night review posted in some weird section of Goodreads instead of here where every other review of mine is... Copying and pasting & editing it here now):
Bought this a year ago when I saw [a:Scott Forbes|4595289|Scott Forbes|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1295552878p2/4595289.jpg]'s favorable review and finally decided to read it after the preface of [b:Seconds: A Graphic Novel|18630542|Seconds A Graphic Novel|Bryan Lee O'Malley|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1399502867s/18630542.jpg|17378014] used a quote from it.
The book is trippy. I'm reminded of the Xzibit meme:
I've described this book twice to my wife, and both times I seemed to enjoy telling her about the book way more than I enjoyed reading it.
The book has a very weird structure. All the odd chapters are written in the second person, talking directly to "You" the "Reader." The opening lines are, "You are about to begin reading [a:Italo Calvino|155517|Italo Calvino|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1403100215p2/155517.jpg]'s new novel, [b:If on a Winter's Night a Traveler|374233|If on a Winter's Night a Traveler|Italo Calvino|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355316130s/374233.jpg|1116802]. Relax." The second chapter is the beginning of a new novel IOaWNaT within the actual novel IOaWNaT. But it gets cut off and chapter three returns to the second person narrative, describing how much "You" are annoyed by this printing error and how you try to find a correct copy of the book somewhere. Chapter four returns with the beginning of a different novel and the entire novel alternates back and forth between a second person narrative of you searching through libraries, book clubs, houses, and other countries and different novel beginnings.
As I described this to my wife when I was about halfway through the novel (several weeks ago), I worried aloud that perhaps Calvino was just a struggling writer who could write a lot of great beginnings, but couldn't ever finish anything, and IOaWNaT was his attempt to do something with all that work. Perhaps it's my own fault for reading a bunch of graphic novels and YA literature this year (and still only 18 books in 2014?!), but I had so much difficulty reading this. It took me three months to get through it, when almost every other book I read this year took me a week or two. Rarely did I long to pick up my Kindle, and maybe it was because my reading was so spread out, but I just didn't love this as much as most everyone else here seems to (looking at the other reviews)
I find it hard to recommend this book since I had such difficulty getting through it, but I feel like maybe I missed something since each time I described it, I really enjoyed talking about it...
Bought this a year ago when I saw [a:Scott Forbes|4595289|Scott Forbes|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1295552878p2/4595289.jpg]'s favorable review and finally decided to read it after the preface of [b:Seconds: A Graphic Novel|18630542|Seconds A Graphic Novel|Bryan Lee O'Malley|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1399502867s/18630542.jpg|17378014] used a quote from it.
The book is trippy. I'm reminded of the Xzibit meme:
I've described this book twice to my wife, and both times I seemed to enjoy telling her about the book way more than I enjoyed reading it.
The book has a very weird structure. All the odd chapters are written in the second person, talking directly to "You" the "Reader." The opening lines are, "You are about to begin reading [a:Italo Calvino|155517|Italo Calvino|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1403100215p2/155517.jpg]'s new novel, [b:If on a Winter's Night a Traveler|374233|If on a Winter's Night a Traveler|Italo Calvino|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355316130s/374233.jpg|1116802]. Relax." The second chapter is the beginning of a new novel IOaWNaT within the actual novel IOaWNaT. But it gets cut off and chapter three returns to the second person narrative, describing how much "You" are annoyed by this printing error and how you try to find a correct copy of the book somewhere. Chapter four returns with the beginning of a different novel and the entire novel alternates back and forth between a second person narrative of you searching through libraries, book clubs, houses, and other countries and different novel beginnings.
As I described this to my wife when I was about halfway through the novel (several weeks ago), I worried aloud that perhaps Calvino was just a struggling writer who could write a lot of great beginnings, but couldn't ever finish anything, and IOaWNaT was his attempt to do something with all that work. Perhaps it's my own fault for reading a bunch of graphic novels and YA literature this year (and still only 18 books in 2014?!), but I had so much difficulty reading this. It took me three months to get through it, when almost every other book I read this year took me a week or two. Rarely did I long to pick up my Kindle, and maybe it was because my reading was so spread out, but I just didn't love this as much as most everyone else here seems to (looking at the other reviews)
I find it hard to recommend this book since I had such difficulty getting through it, but I feel like maybe I missed something since each time I described it, I really enjoyed talking about it...