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Three senses-taste, hearing, and smell-dominate the lives of the characters in these witty, fantastical stories. But the senses, promising the fulfillment of desire and an exit from the self, only lead back to their source: the savoring palate, the listening ear, the smelling nose. “A sumptuous small gem of a book” (Publishers Weekly). Translated by William Weaver. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Three senses
As the author's widow explains in the epilogue, Italo Calvino once got it into his head to write a book about the five senses. He dabbled on and off in this project until he died, producing three short stories. With his usual magical delicacy, Calvino explored taste, hearing and smell with a rare skill.

The title story tells of a young couple vacationing in Mexico, where they explore ancient ruins, hear of the history of Oaxaca, and discover new erotic dimensions as they try the local food -- spicy, rich, and almost intoxicating, the food helps link them back to one another.

"A King Listens" is a more experiment story, with no real plot and a second-person narrative ("You are the king; everything you desire is already yours"). A king sits on his throne, alone in a giant hall, alienated from most of his palace and everyone in it. But he hears a woman singing, strange whispers, a prisoner scrabbling against a wall, and much more, which are his roads to the outside world.

"The Name, the Nose" is a tragic tale in the tradition of Poe, but in more lush language. A man danced with a masked lady at a ball, falling madly in love with her -- but he can only identify her by her perfume. He desperately searches a parfumerie for the right scent, thinking of the night when he met her... and is shocked when he discovers where she is, and who the masked figure with her is.

Italo Calvino was obviously a guy who liked to dabble in magical realism, and "theme books" -- tarot cards, magical cities, and the unfolding of the universe. So it's a shame that he never finished "Under the Jaguar Sun." While delightful as a collection, it makes you think of how wonderful "Sight" and "Touch" would have been.

And the way he writes is suitable to each story -- the first is hot and passionate, the second is steady and slightly dull, and the last one is ornate, gothic and blue. Calvino even drops some hints as to what the stories should be about, even when it's obvious; the king in the second story even describes his palace as "all whorls, lobes; it is a great ear." Subtle, huh?

But he can't hold back his natural flair for description in any of these stories. Even though sight isn't explored in this book, we get intricate descriptions of ballrooms, rock orgies, and "a theatre-church, all gold and bright colours, in a dancing and acrobatic baroque, crammed with swirling angels, garlands, panoplies of flowers, shells." His prose can be almost intoxicating.

Calvino's stories about three of the senses are all beautiful, each in a unique, spellbinding way. A must-read for lovers of the magical-realist maestro.

Good Calvino laced with unfulfilled potential...
In an afterword note, Esther Calvino asks the reader to think of this book as "not something Calvino started and left unfinished but simply as three stories written in different periods of his life." She gives good advice, but the sense that Calvino had something more, something bigger, planned for these stories pervades this tiny book. He definitely wanted to write a book about the five senses and interweave them in some way (as he did with other themes in previous books). In all of these stories the senses mingle sensuously with desire and sensuality (one can only imagine what he had in mind for the sense of touch). Here sense catalyzes desire, hidden desires, nameless primordial desires. But this book only contains a scratching of a surface, a deep misty lake that promises more. Unfortunately Calvino died before wrapping up the project. So here remains a sketch of what might have been. Sadly, stories published posthumously always seem to have a certain "not quite final draft" feel about them. Here sits another example.

Regardless, plenty of good Calvino exists here for ardent fans of his work. 1982's "Under The Jaguar Sun" is a great story about a couple vacationing in México. Taste awakens forbidden desires (the story begins with a very suggestive description of a "love" between a priest and a nun). The couple explore the ruins of ancient México, the local food (now an amalgam of national cuisines), and each other's bodies and psyches as they rip and tear their lusciously spiced food. But forbidden desires arise once again as they explore the history of human sacrifice and realize that eating mingles deeply with the sensual and the forbidden.

"A King Listens", dated 1984, speaks to the reader in second person (sometimes in a manner similar to "If On A Winter's Night A Traveler"). The king sits on his lonely throne trapped by necessity in his own palace. All he knows of the surroundings are sounds. They reverberate, echo, and thud all around him. Paranoid thoughts about the inevitable usurpation stew with the sounds. Suddenly a woman's voice sings out, but he can only hear her. He wants to experience her as a person, not just a voice. Which leads to one of the best lines in the story: "And so, when a desire to be fulfilled presents itself to you at last, you realize that being king is of no use for anything." The senses again awaken desire.

"The Name, the Nose", from 1972, switches contexts abruptly between a French parfumerie (where the saleswomen erotically encircle the cherished patron), the dank smoky aftermath of a rock concert, and a battle between two early humans (this episode evokes "Cosmicomics"). All of the men in the story come to know a woman only by her smell. The singular smell of each woman ignites desires. Strange ineffable and mad desires. The story itself remains a little indescribable.

So taste, hearing, and smell all get represented here as awakening desire or as a source of desire. And desire weaves through this book like a sinuous thread. It interconnects the stories and provides glimpses of a whole. That is mainly why Esther Calvino's advice remains hard to follow. Something more wants to bubble up from beneath this collection. Because of this, thinking of these stories as three disparate entities poses a stiff challenge. So we're faced with a nagging feeling of incompleteness. Here possibly sits the "lost" or "unfinished" Calvino book. Which inevitably leads to lonely abstract thinking about what Calvino had in mind. And so on...

Still, "Under The Jaguar Sun" will doubtlessly please many Calvino fans. It contains plenty of good, not outstanding, examples of Calvino's work. It also unfortunately leaves behind it a sadness of unfulfilled possibilities. Thankfully Calvino stayed around long enough to write numerous masterworks. This probably would have been another one.

Posthumous -- and it shows
A collection of 3 short stories. Each deals with one of the senses and were going to be part of a projected suite with, presumably, some kind of framing device. Calvino was one of those happy people that can write works that stretch the intellect without altogether sacrificing story, plot and characterisation. The middle tale ('A King Listens') is unsuccessful, ending up as nothing more than an experiment - who knows whether it would have improved had he time to revise it, it was the last thing he wrote before his death. But the opening and closing stories are much better, especially the latter ('The Name, The Nose'), although still not prime Calvino (try 'Adam One Afternoon', 'Invisible Cities' or 'If on a Winter's Night a Traveller' if you're new to the writer and want to know what his talents can *really* produce). 'Under the Jaguar Sun', the title story set in Mexico, deals with taste and develops the idea of human relationships as a form of canibalism in which we digest our partner to taste their thoughts, feelings, desires and wishes in order to make them part of ourselves. 'The Name, The Nose' takes three characters (a Proustian aesthete, a prehistoric apeman on the verge of walking upright and a drug-addled rock musician) that are all in love with an unknown woman identifiable only by her scent, eventually discovering that she has died since making love with them. Despite the differences in the characters, their tales are interlinked surpringly smoothly and satisfyingly. However, due to its posthumous nature, the book is very short, only 83 pages of big type, and so can only be recommended to Calvino fans.

Exquisite style, but short on substance, irony
This book collects three of Calvino's last stories, originally planned to be a set of five, each focused on one of the five senses.One of the world's most original and sensitive storytellers, he will be solely missed.

"Under the Jaguar Sun" presents a married couple whose vacation in Mexico is punctuated by the powerful flavors of the local cuisine.Before the trip is over they discover that the spicy food whets their appetite for passion as well as for dining.In "A King Listens" the proud ruler, constrained by the obligations and dangers of his office, finds his only real source of information is his hearing.The ambient sounds of his palace, and the voices inside his own head are all that he can depend on.Finally, "The Name, the Nose" shows us a collage of desperate swains trying to seek out a woman whom they can identify only by her fragrance.As in "Jaguar" Calvino touches on the relationship between the senses and sexual desire, but this tale also carries a different message - one that seems to hint darkly at the author's own coming demise.

For those unfamiliar with the work of this master of postmodern literature, these three stories are probably not the best introduction.The quiet intensity of Calvino's voice is there, and his style is as pristine as ever, almost a prose poetry; but while the stories feature at least a couple of genuine surprises, they fall short of the knockout power that distinguishes his very best work.By focusing so strongly on the senses, he underplays what are probably his greatest strengths - in-depth logical analysis and exquisitely ironic humor.Fans will surely appreciate one last opportunity to experience Calvino's skill, but others should probably start with one of his more revolutionary works if they want to see why he is so greatly admired.

A mixed bag
I'm a Calvino mark.Simply said, I love the man's writing!This, however, is a mixed bag, in my opinion.A truly interesting theme (stories about the senses) the only one I really liked was the story dealing with the sense of smell ("The Man, The Nose" I believe.)Its not that the others weren't imaginative or beautifully crafted, but I just felt as if something didn't click for me.The first two tales about the sense of taste and the sense hearing were a little too... self-indulgent, perhaps?It is somewhat difficult to articulate.All in all, this is suitable more for the true Calvino fan, rather than as an introduction or the casual reader.The one lasting impression I drew from the collection was, "What about sight and touch?"Maybe next time around. ... Read more

Product Description
At the time of his death, Italo Calvino was internationally regarded as one of Italy's greatest twentieth century writers. His approach to literature was remarkably adventurous, and he produced a thought-provoking oeuvre. It invited readers to engage themselves with radical thoughts and philosophies, an approach lamentably scarce in contemporary global culture. This book examines Calvino's works of fiction in the context of the philosophical ideas he advanced in his theoretical and critical works. His was an extraordinarily versatile mind, keen on experimenting with a dazzling variety of both fiction and nonfiction forms. ... Read more

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This is a collection of essays by the Cuban essayist and journalist. His work often seeks to confront the role of reader, author and character and question the form of each in order to explore new literary possibilities. ... Read more

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Viscount Medardo is bisected by a Turkish cannonball on the plains of Bohemia; Baron Cosimo, at the age of twelve, retires to the trees for the rest of his days; Charlemagne's knight, Agiluf, is an empty suit of armour. These three vivid images are the points of departure for Calvino's classic triptych of moral tales, now published in one volume and all displaying the exuberant talent of a master storyteller. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Our Ancestors
Calvino writes with a child's sense of wonder. Each of the stories within - and there are three, which I'll review separately in a minute - Each one has improbable story lines and magical situations, but at the same time these events can be accepted as reality easily because everyone else does. When Cosimo ascends to the trees for his entire life, people are confused as to why he would do it but the sheer ridiculousness of it all is never questioned.

He is an easy author to read, and an entertaining one. All three of the stories seemed somehow elemental, enduring, as though he did not create them so much as found them. The stories were waiting for him like a statue waits for an sculptor or a painting for a painter.

The Cloven Viscount

The shortest of the three stories, The Cloven Viscount is about a man who is split in half by a cannon ball. One half returns to his kingdom where he rules, it is the evil half and goes about terrorising the peasants. The other half wanders about for a few years doing good deeds until it comes to its kingdom of birth. Naturally the two halves dislike each other, and even more naturally they both fall in love with the same woman. The ending is predictable, but it is the writing that makes this story worth it. The peasants and everyone simply accept that their lord is half a man, and an evil one at that (He goes around halving everything he finds: Pears, trees, butterflies, mushrooms, etc), and they accept as well when the 'Good Un' shows up.

Baron in the Trees

My favourite, and the longest. At twelve, Cosimo decides in a fit of anger to climb up into the trees and never return. We follow his adventures in the branches - finding friends, surviving, reading books and even falling in love - and this is just wonderful. Every page was a joy to read and the whole thing was remarkably believable. The writing was so amazing that I myself didn't want to walk around while I read it (I was reading it on a couch) because I felt like it wouldn't be right. The book is worth buying for this story alone.

I did have a small problem with this story, though. There is a fairly large section to do with a war and rebellion that, for me, went on too long. Even though the focus remained on Cosimo throughout all this, I felt that the main thread had moved away from him too much. Either way though, this story is amazing, and the war bit really isn't that long.

The Non-Existant Knight

I liked this one, but not as much as the other two. I think I was still so much in awe of the Baron in the Trees that I didn't fully appreciate this story until ~50 pages in, but once I had gotten that far I was hooked. Agiluf, the Non-Existant Knight is an entertaining enough character, and he does get into adventures, but I did get bored in certain patches. The narrating nun I found to be tiresome and I thought she broke the story up too much. And Rimbaudt? Uninteresting until the end.

But what an ending! Everything tied up neatly, and sadly, but humorously at the same time. In retrospect, the ending was predictable, I guessed it before it was announced, but that didn't change its impact or the sense of satisfaction I felt. Interestingly, even the rambling was described to an extant that I'm comfortable with and now, twenty minutes after I finished it, I've decided I enjoyed it a lot.

In conclusion, this book is highly recommended. I haven't read anything else by Calvino, but after this I most certainly want to. ... Read more

Product Description
From one of modern literature’s most captivating and elusive masters comes a posthumous volume of thoughtful, elegant, and quick-witted autobiographical writings, all previously unpublished in English. Here is Italo Calvino paying homage to his literary influences and tracing the evolution of his signature style. Here are his reminiscences of Italy’s antifascist resistance and the frenzy of politics and ideas of the postwar era.

The longest and most delightfully revealing section of the book is Calvino’s diary of his travels in the United States in 1959 and 1960, which show him marveling at color TV, wrinkling his nose at the Beats, and reeling at the outpouring of racial hatred attending a civil rights demonstration in Alabama. Overflowing with insight and amusement, Hermit in Paris is an invaluable addition to the Calvino legacy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Italian Writer Extraordinaire
I first read "If on a Winter's Night a Traveler" by Italo Calvino and was hooked. Many years later, I had not forgotten this charming book, so when I was strolling in the bookstore and saw "A Hermit in Paris," I knew I had to get it. This is a collection of Calvino's writings collected after his death by his wife. There is some repetition among the writings, but the lyrical gems that await you in this autobiographical collection are worth wading through some similar pieces.

Most engaging are his writings from his travels to the US in 1959-60 while on a grant from the Ford Foundation. As he notes in the book, although he is Italian, and lived a long stretch in Paris to write, at heart he is a citizen of New York. His take on the US is so fresh and engaging, it's sure to be your favorite section. He's surely the 20th century Italian version of de Toqueville, showing Americans new ways to look at themselves.

However, there's a lot more there, including his tales of Resistance fighting against Mussolini in World War II, his work with an Italian publishing house, and his disenchantment with the Italian Communist Party, which he eventually left. This is a man that not only is a wonderful writer, but led a very colorful life, and these writings capture just a hint of what that life was composed of. This is a fascinating book, and not just for those of us who love Calvino's writing.

A Welcome Opportunity to Know Italo Calvino
This book is for readers who already know and appreciate Italo Calvino's major works of fiction.The center piece of this collection of interviews and memoirs is Calvino's notes on his 1959-1960 trip to the United States.The culture shock and fascination/irritation are especially absorbing to those who have been to the places Calvino visited and share Calvino's interests in literature and culture.These reminiscences are also interesting in the context of earlier Italian observers such as Ferruccio Busoni (concert tours 1892-1915) and Giorgio de Chirico (essay about New York in the 1930s).

Hermit in Paris
Calvino is a wonderful writer and a genuine original, someone I've always loved to re-read, year after year. But prepare for a shock with "Hermit in Paris": he's almost a caricature of the rude, snotty, anti-american Leftist who finds "95% of America is a country of ugliness, oppressiveness and sameness, in short of relentless monotony." He meets James Purdy and describes him as "pathetic" (why?)

"American Diary" is a tour of the USA through the lens of an Italian Communist. He describes American housing projects as "prisons built of brick" and "terrifyingly anonymous" -- and while few would disagree, they remain positively cheerful (not to mention well-made) when compared to the European model. Exhibit A: East Berlin. When it comes to sheer cement horror and ugliness, no one can outdo the communists of Europe. Painting raw cement electric pink and mint green definitely doesn't help alleviate the hideousness of it all. A more squalid region of the world would be impossible to find.

European Communists are amazing to me, they have Yugoslavia, Poland, East Germany - it's right there, right next door! You can drive there in a few hours. They never mention it. They pretend it isn't there. ... Read more

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3 TRADE SIZE BOOKS, IN A BOXED SET ... Read more

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This study of the Italian novelist and short story writer includes essays by Gore Vidal, Seamus Heaney, and Michael Wood.

This title, Italo Calvino, part of Chelsea House Publishers’ Modern Critical Views series, examines the major works of Italo Calvino through full-length critical essays by expert literary critics. In addition, this title features a short biography on Italo Calvino, a chronology of the author’s life, and an introductory essay written by Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor of the Humanities, Yale University. ... Read more

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Recojo en este volumen tres historias que escribi en la decada de los cincuenta a los sesenta y que tienen en comun el hecho de ser inverosimiles y de ocurrir en epocas remotas y en paises imaginarios. Dadas estas caracteristicas comunes, y a pesar de otras caracteristicas no homogeneas, se piensa que constituyen lo que se suele llamar un ciclo, mejor dicho, un ciclo cerrado (es decir, acabado, en cuanto no tengo intencion de escribir otras). Es una buena ocasion que se me presenta para volverlas a leer e intentar responder a preguntas que hasta ahora habia eludido cada vez que me las habia planteado: por que he escrito estas historias? que queria decir? que he dicho en realidad? que sentido tiene este tipo de narrativa en el marco de la literatura actual? [...] He querido hacer una trilogia de experiencias sobre como realizarse en cuanto seres humanos: en el caballero inexistente la conquista del ser, en el vizconde demediado la aspiracion a sentirse completo por encima de las mutilaciones impuestas por la sociedad, en el baron rampante un camino hacia una plenitud no individualista alcanzable a traves de la fidelidad a una autodeterminacion individual: tres grados de acercamiento a la libertad. Y al mismo tiempo he querido que fueran tres historias abiertas, como suele decirse, que, sobre todo, se tengan de pie como historias, por la logica del sucederse de sus imagenes, pero que comiencen su verdadera vida en el imprevisible juego de preguntas y respuestas suscitadas en el lector. Quisiera que pudieran ser vistas como un arbol genealogico de los antepasados del hombre contemporaneo, en el que cada rostro oculta algun rasgo de las personas que estan a nuestro alrededor, de vosotros, de mi mismo.Italo Calvino, junio 1960 ... Read more

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Las ciudades invisibles se presentan como una serie de relatos de viaje que Marco Polo hace a Kublai Kan, emperador de los tartaros... A este emperador melancolico que ha comprendido que su ilimitado poder poco cuenta en un mundo que marcha hacia la ruina, un viajero imaginario le habla de ciudades imposibles, por ejemplo una ciudad microscopica que va ensanchandose y termina formada por muchas ciudades concentricas en expansion, una ciudad telarana suspendida sobre un abismo, o una ciudad bidimensional como Moriana... Creo que lo que el libro evoca no es solo una idea atemporal de la ciudad, sino que desarrolla, de manera unas veces implicita y otras explicita, una discusion sobre la ciudad moderna... Creo haber escrito algo como un ultimo poema de amor a las ciudades, cuando es cada vez mas dificil vivirlas como ciudades. Italo calvino ... Read more