books 2007: If on a winter's night a traveler, by Italo Calvino

[supercheesegirl]

Whew. Thank goodness I'm done!

Not that it wasn't a good book. It was a fairly excellent book. I always like books about reading, and this book really reflected on what it means to be a reader. There were also some extremely sexy sections, which I wasn't expecting. That was fun (and also a little disturbing--there are things I try not to think about when I'm wedged in next to a fat man on the train!).

I thought the conceit of the book was really interesting. Every other chapter is the first chapter of a different novel. You, the Reader, are reading a novel, but then something happens--the rest of the pages are blank due to a printer's error, or your book was stolen, etc.--and you are desperately trying to find the rest of the book. Then you find a book that you think is the one you were reading, and as you read the first chapter you discover that it's not the same book at all but by then you're hooked, but after the first chapter something happens.... and it goes on like that. Kind of fascinating. I liked the different first chapters, and overall it was a really interesting book. But it's definitely a book that makes you think, and it's the holidays and I've been reading it for like two weeks and I'm kind of sick of thinking right now, so I'm glad to have finished it.

Comments

[jennallen.livejournal.com]

So far, I am really enjoying Calvino....my friend just got me into it. Haven't read this one (most of them, really) but it sounds good for when I have some brain energy to spare.

Is your reading icon from never ending story? :)

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

This is the first Calvino I've read--it's one of F's favorite books, so I wanted to check it out. Definitely an interesting read, and Calvino seems to have had a lot of fun with writing it, too. :)

Yup yup!