Italo Calvino Boeken

Absurde verhalen over gefingeerde historische figuren.

Keuze van verhalen van buitenlandse auteurs uit het fonds van de uitgeverijen Bert Bakker en Prometheus.

This text examines the work of Jimmie Durham, the sculptor and performance artist of Cherokee descent. The book is part of a series of studies of important artists of the late-20th century. Each title offers a comprehensive survey of the artist's work, providing analyses and multiple perspectives on contemporary art and its inspiration.

Twelve enchanting and fantastical stories about the evolution of the universe from the giant of Italian literature, Italo Calvino. His characters - whether human, dinosaur or mollusc - disport themselves among galaxies, experience the solidification of planets, move from aquatic to terrestrial existence, play games with hydrogen atoms - and have time for a love life.

'Words connect the visible track to the invisible thing ...like a fragile makeshift bridge cast across the void' With imagination and wit, Italo Calvino sought to define the virtues of the great literature of the past in order to shape the values of the future. His effervescent last works, left unfinished at his death, were the Charles Eliot Norton lectures, which he was due to deliver at Harvard in 1985-86. These surviving drafts explore the literary concepts closest to his heart: Lightness, Quickness, Multiplicity, Exactitude and Visibility (Constancy was to be the sixth), in serious yet playful essays that reveal his debt to the comic strip and the folktale. This collection, now in a fluent and supple new translation, is a brilliant precis of a great writer whose legacy will endure through the millennium he addressed

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.

This illustrated edition celebrates the 50th anniversary of a beloved work, featuring an introduction by acclaimed author Anthony Doerr, known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning storytelling. The edition enhances the reading experience with visual elements that complement the narrative, inviting both new readers and longtime fans to explore the themes and characters in a fresh light.

'A subtle and beautiful meditation' Sunday Times In Invisible Cities Marco Polo conjures up cities of magical times for his host, the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan, but gradually it becomes clear that he is actually describing one city- Venice. As Gore Vidal wrote 'Of all tasks, describing the contents of a book is the most difficult and in the case of a marvellous invention like Invisible Cities, perfectly irrelevant.'

This title includes enchanting stories about the evolution of the universe, with characters that are fashioned from mathematical formulae and cellular structures. They disport themselves among galaxies, experience the solidification of planets, move from aquatic to terrestrial existence, play games with hydrogen atoms - and have time for a love life. 'Naturally, we were all there, old Qfwfq said, where else could we have been? Nobody knew then that there could be space. Or time either: what use did we have for time, packed in there like sardines?'.

Contains stories which range geographically from Corsica and Sicily to Venice and the Alps. schovat popis

A collection of stories about time, space, and the evolution of the universe in which the author blends mathematics with poetic imagination. “Calvino does what very few other writers can do: he describes imaginary worlds with the most extraordinary precision and beauty” (Gore Vidal, New York Review of Books). Translated by William Weaver. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book

"Like the nervous hero of Mr. Palomar (superbly translated by William Weaver), Italo Calvino, always had a telescope's eye for what can only be called the thingness of things. Stars and planets, birds, a loaded food counter, all take on an extra reality, as though observed for the first time in wonder by a man previously blind. Mr Calvino was a magician whose voice commanded us: listen, look, understand. His tone was wryly humorous, his style perfect, his treatment literally fabulous. Through his minute attention to the surface of things he demonstrated the universal." — The Sunday Telegraph

Calvino's anthology showcases his signature sparkling prose and witty exploration of ideas, inviting readers to reconsider conventional perspectives. With a blend of humor and open-mindedness, the collection promises to engage both long-time admirers and newcomers alike, making it a delightful read for anyone interested in thought-provoking literature.

Tales of love and loneliness in which the author blends reality and illusion. " The quirkiness and grace of the writing, the originality of the imagination at work, ...and a certain lovable nuttiness make this collection well worth reading" (Margaret Atwood). Translated by William Weaver, Peggy Wright, and Archibald Colquhoun. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book

A collection of essays, articles, interviews, correspondence, notes and other occasional pieces on writing, reading and interpreting books, this work gives us new insight into Italo Calvino's expansive, curious and generous mind

In these three witty and fantastical stories, Italo Calvino explores the sensory aptitudes of the body in taste, hearing and smell. 'Each story continues Calvino's lifelong campaign to add more territory to the empire of the imagination; each discloses marvels in regions that we presumed exhausted' Time 'In all three stories, intellectual keenness accompanies intense receptiveness to sensuous nuance' Sunday Times

Noveller. Stories that interweave scientific fact with wordplay

Beginning with an essay on the attributes that define a classic, this collection provides the author's criticism.

Italo Calvino once said that he preferred to give false details about his biography since he felt that even the genuine data of a writer's life shed no light on the creative work. But this volume of posthumously collected personal writings is the closest we will ever come to the autobiography of this most private of writers. The pieces collected here range from the early 1950s to his last interview, completed just before his sudden death in 1985. Apart from shedding light on his own formative experiences and evolution as an author, Calvino's autobiographical writings also examine the major events of twentieth-century history from a very personal viewpoint. This volume is, as ever, full of ideas on literature and other writers, all conveyed with the author's distinctive lightness and intelligence.

If on a winter's night a traveller is unquestionably the work of one of the new masters of world literature. It is a fiction about fictions, a novel about novels, a book about books. Its chief protagonists are its author and his reader. Its progress traces the reading of a novel and the consummation of a love affair. In its course a whole shelf of novels are begun and - for reasons at the time entirely reasonable - never finished. Its characters are the myriad of beings involved with the process of creation, construction and consumption of The Book. ~from the back cover

The story follows Viscount Medardo of Terralba, who is bisected by a cannonball during a battle against the Turks. His two halves embark on contrasting paths: one indulges in a life of decadence and evil, while the other embodies virtue. As both halves vie for the affection of the same woman, their rivalry leads to increasingly outrageous antics. This novella showcases Calvino's unique blend of humor and fantasy, presenting a captivating exploration of identity and morality in a whimsically macabre setting.

Marcovaldo is an unskilled worker in a drab industrial city in northern Italy. He is an irrepressible dreamer and an inveterate schemer. Much to the puzzlement of his wife, his children, his boss, and his neighbors, he chases his dreams-but the results are never the expected ones. Translated by William Weaver. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book

Alternate cover edition can be found here. In "The Watcher," a member of the Communist Party is assigned to a polling place in Turin's Hospital for Incurables, where he observes the rejects of humanity and a grotesque parody of the democratic process. "Smog" anticipates a preoccupation with pollution so lunatic that it casts a pall even over the hero's affair with a beautiful woman. "The Argentine Ant" is a piece of sustained horror with farcical undertones, illustrating man's defeat before an enemy too small to be overcome.

'When the last fire goes out, time too will be finished' Italo Calvino was one of the most joyful and imaginative writers of the twentieth century. Here he muses on what the things we leave behind ­- whether waxworks or ancient graffiti, enigmatic maps or a crumbling Roman column - tell us about the greater truths of the world, space and time.One of twenty new books in the bestselling Penguin Great Ideas series. This new selection showcases a diverse list of thinkers who have helped shape our world today, from anarchists to stoics, feminists to prophets, satirists to Zen Buddhists.

Italo Calvino was only twenty-three when he first published this bold and imaginative novel. It tells the story of Pin, a cobbler's apprentice in a town on the Ligurian coast during World War II. He lives with his sister, a prostitute, and spends as much time as he can at a seedy bar where he amuses the adult patrons. After a mishap with a Nazi soldier, Pin becomes involved with a band of partisans. Calvino's portrayal of these characters, seen through the eyes of a child, is not only a revealing commentary on the Italian resistance but an insightful coming-of-age story.Updated to include changes from Calvino's definitive Italian edition, previously censored passages, and his newly translated, unabridged preface, in which Calvino brilliantly critiques and places into historical context his own youthful work.The Path to the Spiders' Nests is animated by the formidable imagination that has made Italo Calvino one of the most respected writers of our time.

The world of Calvino is a world of fable, but he uses its mechanisms to focus with unerring precision on human reality. Nature in these stories has a magical quality in the flight of a crow, the iridescent track of a snail, the sideways leap of a stray ca

Numbers in the Dark is a collection of short stories covering the length of Italo Calvino's extraordinary writing career, from when he was a teenager to shortly before his death. They include witty allegories and wise fables; a town where everything has been forbidden apart from the game of tip-cat; a pitiable tribe watching the flight paths of guided missiles from outside their mud huts; a computer programmer considering the possible sequence of a series of brutal acts; and dialogues with Henry Ford, a Neanderthal and the gloomy, overthrown Montezuma ...

Translated by Archibald Colquhoun and revised by Martin McLaughlin 'Has the stark black-and-white quality of the classic Italian neo-realist films' The New York Times Pin is a bawdy, adolescent cobbler's assistant, both arrogant and insecure who - while the Second World War rages - sings songs and tells jokes to endear himself to the grown-ups of his town - particularly jokes about his sister, who they all know as the town's 'mattress'. Among those his sister sleeps with is a German sailor, and Pin is dared to steal his pistol, hiding it among the spiders' nests in an act of rebellion that entangles him in the adults' war. Published in 1947, Italo Calvino's first novel remains startling, and the 1964 preface is his most brilliant piece of literary self-examination. 'The crucial novel of Calvino's early years' Mail on Sunday

The first complete English-language edition of Calvino's early short story collection.These early short stories brim with the beauty of the Italian countryside and seaside, telling tales both sumptuous and unnerving. Calvino's war-torn Italy is vivid, intense, almost hyper-real. A trio of greedy burglars rob a pastry shop, a boy offers a girl presents of toads and insects fro[Bokinfo].

A collection of stories. Set in Italy in the summer of 1940, it explores the relationships between the different generations caught up in the war as well as the author's own experiences as a teenager

An excerpt of ten stories from Italian Folktales.

Calvino tells the mingled tales of The Castle of Crossed Destinies by means of tarot cards. Travellers meet in a castle - or, in a second section, a tavern - where their powers of speech are magically taken from them and a tarot card is placed at their di

'The inspector ordered that the bird be searched.One of the agents stalled saying it made him feel sick, and after some fierce pecking another withdrew sucking a bleeding finger.' In these two stories from an inventive, comic master of the form, old friends and friendly rivals Pietro and Tommasso discover a treasure lost by the side of the road, and become suspected of a using a blameless chicken for devious ends. Italo Calvino�s writing explores the fringes of these small, unusual scenes and finds incalculable wisdom and humour there. This book contains The Queen's Necklace and The Workshop Hen.

Svazek obsahuje 3 původně samostatné příběhy: Neexistující rytíř, Rozpůlený vikomt a Baron na stromě. Všechny 3 příběhy vznikaly v rozmezí let 1950–1960. Společný jmenovatel všech je jejich nepravděpodobnost a to, že celé osudy i země, kde se odehrává děj, jsou smyšlené. Autor pojal podle svých slov celou trilogii jako tři různé způsoby, jak se může realizovat lidská bytost. První (Neexistující rytíř, 1959) vypráví o bojovníku, který neexistuje a přitom jako prázdné brnění bojuje po boku paladýnů Karla Velikého. Druhá (Rozpůlený vikomt, 1952) líčí vikomta, kterého dělová koule za rakousko-turecké vojny rozdělila na část dobrou a zlou. Třetí (Baron na stromě, 1957) je o baronovi, jenž tráví celý život v korunách stromů a jedině tak je schopen podílet se na všech stránkách aktivního života. Edice: Klub čtenářů, sv. 293. Pozn. o autorovi napsal Z. Digrin.

In "Heikle Erinnerungen" präsentiert Calvino zwölf frühe Erzählungen, die seine präzise Beobachtungsgabe und feine Ironie zeigen. Die Protagonisten befinden sich in heiklen Situationen, während groteske und phantastische Elemente aufblitzen, die seinen späteren Erzählstil prägen. Ein Muss für Calvino-Fans und Neulinge.

Il primo volume nei Meridiani Collezione nel quale è raccolta in ordine cronologico l'intera produzione narrativa di Calvino, sia edita che inedita, arricchita da prefazioni d'autore presentate in un'apposita sezione. Le note e notizie sui testi forniscono preziose informazioni sulla genesi delle singole opere, sulle influenze letterarie che le hanno ispirate, sulle varianti che documentano le successive fasi di scrittura.

Es war einmal eine Stadt, in der alle Einwohner Diebe waren. Jeder bestahl jeden und so hatte immer jeder etwas. Eines Tages kam ein Ehrlicher in die Stadt und brachte das bequeme Gleichgewicht durcheinander. Das Chaos beginnt zu regieren. Wie entstanden Reichtum und Armut auf der Welt? Italo Calvino entwickelt erzählerisch seine ganz eigene Theorie.

Nel 1982, muovendo dalla constatazione che Landolfi ebbe in sommo grado «la dote di catturare l’attenzione e la meraviglia del lettore» ma accompagnata da una «fama d’impraticabilità e stranezza», Italo Calvino si cimentò nell’ardua impresa di allestire un invito alla lettura sotto forma di antologia. Dopo aver setacciato le raccolte pubblicate da Landolfi nell’arco di oltre quarant’anni, Calvino scelse da ultimo cinquantatré testi. Organizzati in sette sezioni che corrispondono ad altrettanti luminosi spunti critici – «Racconti fantastici», «Racconti ossessivi», «Racconti dell’orrido», «Tra autobiografia e invenzione», «L’amore e il nulla», «Piccoli trattati», «Le parole e lo scrivere» –, essi consentono di cogliere in tutte le sue rifrazioni un’opera sconcertante. E soprattutto di cogliere il vero Landolfi, quello che «sperpera le sue puntate d’un colpo o le ritira bruscamente dal tavolo col gesto allucinato del giocatore».

Italo Calvino je jeden z najvýznamnejších talianskych a európskych spisovateľov dvadsiateho storočia. Jeho dielo prešlo viacerými tvorivými fázami od príklonu k neorealizmu cez alegoricko – symbolické príbehy a texty inšpirované kombinatorikou, cez príklon k hnutiu OULIPO až k postmodernizmu. Tri novely (Argentínske mravce, Stavebné špekulácie a Oblak smogu) vyjdú pod spoločným názvom Neľahké životy. Kniha vychádza v preklade Miroslavy Vallovej. Italo Calvino, jeden z najvýznamnejších talianskych spisovateľov a mysliteľov dvadsiateho storočia, autor kultového románu Neviditeľné mestá, sa v zbierke troch noviel Neľahké životy zaoberá pálčivými témami, ktoré sú navýsosť aktuálne aj dnes. Bolestne naliehavou otázkou je pre neho trvalá udržateľnosť životného prostredia v atmosfére stavebného boomu povojnového Talianska. S rovnakou nástojčivosťou približuje aj dilemy a následné zlyhávanie intelektuála v tvorivom procese a zložitých výzvach neľahkého života.

Italo Calvino war nicht nur einer der phantasievollsten und beliebtesten Autoren Italiens, er war auch eine der größten Figuren im intellektuellen und literarischen Leben. Der vorliegende Band versammelt seine Briefe von 1941 bis zum seinem Tode 1985. Sie spiegeln die großen Ereignisse des 20. Jahrhunderts und dessen Persönlichkeiten wider: von der kulturellen Neugründung nach dem Faschismus bis zu den Revolutionen in Lateinamerika und dem Pariser Mai 1968, von Pier Paolo Pasolini und Franco Fortini bis zu Michelangelo Antonioni. Ein großes Buch über Italien und über das, was literarische und künstlerische Debatten bedeuten können.

Nur wenige Schriftsteller unserer Zeit haben so originell und erschöpfend über das Handwerk des Schreibens nachgedacht wie Italo Calvino. In dieser Sammlung seiner Essays zeigt sich Calvino nicht nur als Autor, sondern vor allem als Leser, dem die Beschäftigung mit der Literatur zum Überlebenstraining wird.

Welche Literatur wird dem Verschleiß standhalten und die Jahrtausendwende überleben? Welche literarischen Tugenden muss ein Werk haben, damit es über die Epochenschwelle hinaus Leser findet? In seinen für die Harvard-Universität konzipierten Vorlesungen entwirft Calvino ein handliches Vademekum der Tugenden, die ihm beim Gang durch die Jahrhunderte bedeutsam erscheinen: Leichtigkeit, Schnelligkeit, Genauigkeit, Vielschichtigkeit, Haltbarkeit. Seine Beispiele entnimmt er der bekannten Literatur: vom Volksmärchen über Dante bis hin zu Milan Kundera.

"Io credo questo: le fiabe sono vere, sono, prese tutte insieme, nella loro sempre ripetuta e sempre varia casistica di vicende umane, una spiegazione generale della vita, nata in tempi remoti e serbata nel lento ruminio delle coscienze contadine fino a noi; sono il catalogo dei destini che possono darsi a un uomo e a una donna".(Italo Calvino)Un viaggio attraverso l'Italia delle regioni in duecento favole tratte dalla tradizione orale

Souborné vydání 32 různorodých povídek známého italského autora z let 1945-1958. Jedná se o první svazek původního autorského souboru Povídky vydaného v roce 1958, zahrnuté texty jsou tematicky i stylisticky velmi různorodé. V několika povídkách autor přibližuje proces dospívání v Ligurii, kraji z jedné strany obehnaném horami a z druhé mořem. Část dalších povídek pracuje s pohádkovými motivy či na osudech prosťáčka Marcovalda zachycuje problémy objevující se v moderních velkoměstech. Povídky reflektující válečné zkušenosti a situace z odboje tematizují chladnokrevnost, zradu, odhodlání a okamžiky bezbřehého násilí. Je zde zachycen jedinečný úhel pohledu jednotlivých postav, který zpravidla vychází z jejich psychologického, sociálního a historického zakotvení.

«I temi che tocco con La giornata d'uno scrutatore, quello dell'infelicità di natura, del dolore, la responsabilità della procreazione, non avevo mai osato sfiorarli prima d'ora. Non dico ora d'aver fatto più che sfiorarli, ma già l'ammettere la loro esistenza, il sapere che si deve tenerne conto, cambia molte cose.» (Dalla presentazione scritta da Calvino nel 1963)

Kniha řazená mezi díla italského neorealismu. Calvino v ní líčí dobrodružství malého chlapce Pina, který stráví nějaký čas mezi partyzány a celou dobu sní o tom, že najde dospělého kamaráda, jemuž bude moci prozradit své tajemství: místo hluboko v lese, kde si pavouci stavějí svá hnízda. Již v této prvotině najdeme pohádkové prvky, které zůstanou konstantou v celé Calvinově tvorbě.

Um den Partisanenalltag während des Zweiten Weltkriegs und um das Leben der kleinen Leute in der Nachkriegszeit geht es in diesen frühen Erzählungen Italo Calvinos.

Nesnadné vzpomínky jsou pak tvořeny v první řadě pěti kratšími povídkami, v nichž se Calvino věnuje tématu vztahů mezi otci a syny, ale vrací se opět i k válce a partyzánskému odboji. Doplňují je tři autobiografické povídky, které prvotně tvořily svazek, v nichž Calvino popisuje vstup Itálie do války a průběh jejích prvních dnů.

Le bref retour d'un fils... La déchéance d'un " homme d'honneur "... Un bon repas apprécié tardivement... Un enfant qui se refuse à dormir... Une fille qui montre qu'elle vaut plus qu'un garçon... Un curieux personnage plus soucieux de son orthographe que la morale... La confession du fils au chevet du père mourant... Est surpris qui voulait surprendre...

Tomagra wird aufgeregt, als sich eine schöne Frau im Zug neben ihn setzt.

`I sing of knights and ladies, of love and arms, of courtly chivalry, of courageous deeds.' So begins Ariosto's Orlando Furioso (1532), the culmination of the chivalric legends of Charlemagne and the Saracen invasion of France. It is a brilliantly witty parody of the medieval romances, and a fitting monument to the court society of the Italian Renaissance which gave them birth. This unabridged prose translation faithfully captures the narrative entire and is a kaleidoscope of scenes and emotions of fact and fantasy. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Il venticinque settembre milleduecentosessentaquattro, sul far del giorno, il Duca d'Auge salí in cima al torrione del suo castello per considerare un momentino la situazione storica. La trovò poco chiara. Resti del passato alla rinfusa si trascinavano ancora qua e là. Sulle rive del vicino rivo erano accampati un Unno o due; poco distante un Gallo, forse Edueno, immergeva audacemente i piedi nella fresca corrente. Si disegnavano all'orizzonte le sagome sfatte di qualche diritto Romano, gran Saraceno, vecchio Franco, ignoto Vandalo. I Normanni bevevan calvadòs... Fantasmagoria linguistica costruita su sfolgoranti giochi di parole, calembours e citazioni erudite, I fiori blu è la piú imprevedibile e pirotecnica opera di Raymond Queneau: «Appena presi a leggere il romanzo - racconta Italo Calvino - pensai subito: "È intraducibile!"... ma il libro cercava di coinvolgermi... mi tirava per il lembo della giacca, mi chiedeva di non abbandonarlo alla sua sorte, e nello stesso tempo mi lanciava una sfida».

Autobiographisch sind alle Texte dieses Bandes, und so vielfältig wie das Leben. Gewitzte kleine »Erinnerungsstücke«, die ganz Unterschiedliches heraufbeschwören: Calvinos leidenschaftliche Liebe zum Kino der 30er Jahre, seine Hommage an Fellini, Reminiszenzen an seine Zeit bei den Partisanen, und die ebenso sachliche wie wehmütig-liebevolle Erinnerung an den Vater, einen großen Botaniker und Jäger, und an die Landschaft, in der Calvino seine Jugend verbracht hat: die ligurische Riviera mit ihren Hügeln, Weinbergen und dem Meer.

Der Held Qfwfq erzählt fesselnde Liebesgeschichten aus dem All und raffinierte Anekdoten über die Liebe zu bezaubernden Mädchen im Universum.

Kabinettstücke der italienischen Märchenliteratur Ninetta entdeckt einen geheimen Garten, in dem sich der Königssohn unsterblich in sie verliebt. Ein junges Mädchen muss ihr Elternhaus verlassen, weil sie vom Pech verfolgt wird, Pippina wird mit einem Fluch belegt und verwandelt sich, von der Sonne berührt, in eine Schlange. Caterina die Kluge überlistet ihren Ehemann, damit er bei ihr bleibt. Und eine junge Fürstin wird mithilfe ihres Dieners ihren geizigen Gatten los. Sie alle müssen sich den Herausforderungen stellen, die das Leben ihnen aufgibt, ehe sie Liebe und Lebensglück finden können. Diese fünf sizilianischen Märchen, aufgezeichnet von Italo Calvino, zeigen die Magie der mündlich überlieferten italienischen Fabeln, die reich an fantastischen Wesen und Zauber sind. dtv zweisprachig – Die Vielfalt der Sprachen auf einen Blick Die Reihe umfasst drei Sprach-Niveaus – Einsteiger, Fortgeschrittene und Könner – und mittlerweile über 130 Titel in vielen Sprachen. Landeskunde, Kulturgeschichte und Redewendungen, zeitgenössische und klassische Texte in unterschiedlichen Formen und Genres – von der Kurzgeschichte bis zum Krimi – für jeden Lesegeschmack ist etwas dabei. Einzigartig ist die konsequente Zeilengleichheit zwischen Originaltext und Übersetzung, damit man vom ersten bis zum letzten Wort in zwei Sprachwelten zuhause ist.

«Le Christ s'est arrêté à Éboli», disent les paysans de Gabliano, petit village de Lucanie, tellement ils se sentent abandonnés, misérables. L'auteur, antifasciste, a vécu là, en résidence surveillée, de 1935 à 1936. L'histoire de son séjour forcé parmi ces gens frustes et douloureux a été un des grands événements de la littérature italienne.

Questo volume raccoglie tutti i racconti brevi e lunghi di Italo Calvino: un "Novellino" dell'Italia contemporanea animato da un piglio baldanzoso e pungente. La penna di Calvino tende a trasformare tutto ciò che tocca in gioco, danza grottesca, ma sotto c'è sempre un fondo sensibile e amaro: la difficoltà a comunicare tra esseri umani, ad andare d'accordo con la natura, con la società, con se stessi.

For the first time in paperback--a volume of thirty-seven diabolically inventive stories, fables, and "impossible interviews" from one of the great fantasists of the 20th century, displaying the full breadth of his vision and wit. Written between 1943 and 1984 and masterfully translated by Tim Parks, the fictions in Numbers in the Dark display all of Calvino's dazzling gifts: whimsy and horror, exuberance of style, and a cheerful grasp of the absurdities of the human condition.

Príbeh sa odohráva na konci 17. storočia v dobe rakúsko-tureckej vojny, kedy je náš hrdina priletivejšou tureckou guľou rozpolený na časť dobrú a zlú, a tak je mu súdené zažiť opäť mnoho dobrodružstiev.

Un'antologia di fiabe «di magia», rappresentative di tutte le regioni italiane, scelte dalla raccolta che Italo Calvino compose nel 1956. Gli eroi, ragazze e giovani generosi e furbi, quasi sempre si allontanano da casa in cerca del loro destino; oppure devono liberarsi da un incantesimo. In prove rischiose, lottano contro il «Nemico», diavolo, mago, strega o forza della natura; sono destinati a vincere, anche perché vecchine, animali, corsi d'acqua spontaneamente forniscono loro un aiuto magico. Alla fine c'è il ritorno a casa, coronato dalla ricchezza, necessaria per la felicità propria e dei propri cari; a meno che l'eroe non si fermi là dove ha conquistato la mano di una principessa

"... il Furioso è un libro unico nel suo genere e può – quasi direi deve – esser letto senza far riferimento a nessun altro libro precedente o seguente; è un universo a sé in cui si può viaggiare in lungo e in largo, entrare, uscire, perdercisi. ... Ariosto sembra un poeta limpido, ilare e senza problemi, eppure resta misterioso: nella sua ostinata maestria a costruire ottave su ottave sembra occupato soprattutto a nascondere se stesso. Egli è certo lontano dalla tragica profondità che avrà Cervantes, quando un secolo dopo, nel Don Chisciotte, compirà la dissoluzione della letteratura cavalleresca. Ma tra i pochi libri che si salvano, quando il curato e il barbiere dànno alle fiamme la biblioteca che ha condotto alla follia l'hidalgo della Mancia, c'è il Furioso..." Italo Calvino

Sein Name ist unaussprechlich: Er heisst Qfwfq und ist der Erzähler der Cosmicomics. Er war in jeder Phase der Weltentwicklung dabei, in allen Gestalten, auch als Amöbe, auch als Mammut. In diesen »umgekehrten« Science-fiction-Geschichten verbindet sich der Reiz kühner Wissenschaftstheorien mit der Macht uralter kosmogonischer Mythen.

Marcovaldo is an unskilled worker in a drab industrial city in northern Italy. He is an irrepressible dreamer and an inveterate schemer. Much to the puzzlement of his wife, his children, his boss, and his neighbors, he chases his dreams-but the results are never the expected ones.

Diese Auswahl aus Calvinos Essays, Skizzen, Miniaturen und Traktaten ist das letzte Buch, das zu Lebzeiten des Autors erschien. Die Texte haben allesamt, direkt oder indirekt, mit der Erkundung der Welt durch den Blick zu tun. Der große italienische Schriftsteller zeigt auch in der kleinen Form seine unnachahmliche Meisterschaft.

Calvino gelingt es wie keinem zweiten, zugleich witzige und tiefsinnige Geschichten über die kleinen Dinge des Alltags zu verfassen. So wird beispielsweise der Müll zum Anschauungsmaterial für Gedanken zur Frage der Geschlechterrollen oder der Vergänglichkeit. Alle Texte sind autobiographisch geprägt - auch seine Hommage an Fellini und das Kino als Traumfabrik und die liebevolle Erinnerung an die ligurische Riviera, an der er seine Jugend verbrachte.

Innen hohl, besteht Ritter Agilulf nur aus Rüstung, Kampfgeist und Pflichtgefühl: Das Musterbild eines ordentlichen Soldaten. Doch ausgerechnet diesen ergebensten Kämpfer Karls des Großen trifft der Verdacht, zu Unrecht zum Ritter geschlagen worden zu sein.