#2299
Mentioned in 8 episodes
Invisible Cities
Book • 1972
Invisible Cities is a novel by Italo Calvino that defies traditional narrative structures.
The book revolves around the conversations between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan, where Polo describes 55 imaginary cities he encountered during his travels.
These cities are not just physical places but also metaphors for human experiences, desires, and the passage of time.
The novel explores themes of memory, place, and the subjective nature of experience, highlighting how our perceptions of cities and the world are shaped by our personal histories and biases.
The cities described by Polo are often reflections of his home city, Venice, and serve as vehicles for Calvino's commentary on human nature, culture, and the limits of communication.
The book revolves around the conversations between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan, where Polo describes 55 imaginary cities he encountered during his travels.
These cities are not just physical places but also metaphors for human experiences, desires, and the passage of time.
The novel explores themes of memory, place, and the subjective nature of experience, highlighting how our perceptions of cities and the world are shaped by our personal histories and biases.
The cities described by Polo are often reflections of his home city, Venice, and serve as vehicles for Calvino's commentary on human nature, culture, and the limits of communication.
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Mentioned in 8 episodes
Suggested by listeners for discussion on the podcast.
12 snips
Episode 311: The Way to Dusty Death (Shakespeare's "Macbeth")
Mentioned by 
Marina Warner and Anna Della Subin as a slim novella containing riches and multitudes, focusing on its unique structure and fantastical cities.
Marina Warner and Anna Della Subin as a slim novella containing riches and multitudes, focusing on its unique structure and fantastical cities.
Fiction and the Fantastic: ‘Invisible Cities’ by Italo Calvino
Mentioned by Marina Warner as one of the authors whose works were discussed in previous podcast episodes.
Marina Warner as one of the authors whose works were discussed in previous podcast episodes.
Fiction and the Fantastic: Stories by Franz Kafka
