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A review by nuts246
Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
5.0
I struggle to find words to describe this book.
The book which is framed as a conversation between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan, where he describes various cities that he encountered on his travels. Each of the 55 cities is virtually a prose poem, and in reading them, you end up reflecting on death, time, and human experiences. One tiny excerpt will explain better than words ever could.
Marco Polo describes a bridge, stone by stone.
“But which is the stone that supports the bridge?” Kubla Khan asks.
“The bridge is not supported by one stone or another”, Marco answers, “but by the line of the arch that they form.”
Kulba khan remains silent, reflecting. Then he adds: “Why do you speak to me of the stones? It is only the arch that matters to me.”
Polo answers: “Without stones, there is no arch."
What was not immediately apparent was the structure of the book. The 55 cities are divided into 11 thematic groups of 5 cities each, which are arranged in a strict mathematical structure. When you notice the pattern of repetitions and figure out the pattern, the book lifts itself to the sublime.
A book unlike any other I have read. And one that will stay with me for a long long time.
The book which is framed as a conversation between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan, where he describes various cities that he encountered on his travels. Each of the 55 cities is virtually a prose poem, and in reading them, you end up reflecting on death, time, and human experiences. One tiny excerpt will explain better than words ever could.
Marco Polo describes a bridge, stone by stone.
“But which is the stone that supports the bridge?” Kubla Khan asks.
“The bridge is not supported by one stone or another”, Marco answers, “but by the line of the arch that they form.”
Kulba khan remains silent, reflecting. Then he adds: “Why do you speak to me of the stones? It is only the arch that matters to me.”
Polo answers: “Without stones, there is no arch."
What was not immediately apparent was the structure of the book. The 55 cities are divided into 11 thematic groups of 5 cities each, which are arranged in a strict mathematical structure. When you notice the pattern of repetitions and figure out the pattern, the book lifts itself to the sublime.
A book unlike any other I have read. And one that will stay with me for a long long time.