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introvertisa's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
ideia genial. execução me cansou um pouco. como são contos, acho que seria melhor se eu tivesse lido mais espaçado e não tudo de uma vez
boxcar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
3.75
I love the premise. Like I really do. It is so Calvino it hurts. I admit I got lost in the work itself. The tarot cards were cool, parts of the book stuck out like gems, others felt like wading through a swamp that you knew could flash to a pristine beach were you a more suitable traveler.
ninacarrara's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
corprew's review against another edition
5.0
A great book for insight into how the human mind makes and interprets symbols.
grayjay's review against another edition
It was okay. I appreciate Calvino's obsession with writing stories based on random sets of tarot cards, but I didn't find the stories very interesting or nuanced.
theesotericcamel's review against another edition
4.0
Already known for his inventive writing style, Italo Calvino decides to rely on the Tarot as the creative fuel for the collection of stories that occupy this book. In fact, the book is divided into two parts: "The Castle of Crossed Destinies" and "The Tavern of Crossed Destinies." In either part though, the premise remains the same. It is a place where many travellers meet, however their power of speech has been magically taken away. Instead they must rely on a pack of Tarot cards to tell their stories to each other. What is also interesting is that each part uses a different Tarot deck, with the "Castle" using a deck of The Italian Visconti Tarot, and the "Tavern" using the French Mariseilles Tarot. The cards themselves have already been infused with a lot of meaning over the centuries that people have used them. However, Italo Calvino decides to use them in a purely visual manner. That is, ignoring any popular associations the cards have, and simply relying on the images on the cards themselves to propel and inspire the stories. The cards are then laid into patterns and sequences of cards to tell the stories. I think this is especially well done in the "Castle" part of the book. Where the stories interlock into a big spread, and the stories of all the characters can be read by going upwards, downwards, backwards, or forwards along the big spread. This creates a tapestry of stories of sorts, and it is fascinating to see how the stories interweve in a clear pattern. In the second "Tavern" part, he throws away this scheme and opts to jump around the grand spread with less reagard to their placement. The pattern is less rigorous, and so I found the effect to be less impressive. All the same, the collection of stories in this book reminded me a lot of the Canterbury Tales. Perhaps because of the medeival feeling setting, and the similar premise of various travellers telling their stories. However, the use of Tarot cards means that the story is mediated through the cards themselves. Or rather the Narrator's understanding of the meaning of the cards. Although the cards are illustrated in the margins of the book as the story unfolds, it is the Narrator who observes and contextualizes their significance in the story of the traveller laying the cards down. Its a decidedly odd literary effect. Which makes for a unique read!