#3546
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.

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 8 episodes

Mentioned by
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Sam Schillace
as a beautiful meditation on cities and Venice.
220 snips
How to be more innovative | Sam Schillace (Microsoft deputy CTO, creator of Google Docs)
Mentioned by
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Jamie Metzl
in the context of alternate lives and choices.
34 snips
#247 – Jamie Metzl: Lab Leak Theory
Recommended by
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David Eagleman
as a favorite book of fiction.
33 snips
#119 – David Eagleman: Neuroplasticity and the Livewired Brain
Mentioned by
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Tamler Sommers
when discussing books for a future podcast episode.
28 snips
Episode 298: Pass the Peace Pipe
Suggested by listeners for discussion on the podcast.
12 snips
Episode 311: The Way to Dusty Death (Shakespeare's "Macbeth")
Mentioned by
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Marina Warner
and
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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
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Matt Webb
as another book by the same author, Italo Calvino.
AI and Other Strange Design Materials with Matt Webb
Mentioned by
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Marina Warner
as one of the authors whose works were discussed in previous podcast episodes.
Fiction and the Fantastic: Stories by Franz Kafka
Mentioned by
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Leilani Farha
in relation to the concept of place and its connection to home.
There's No Place Like Home: Humanity and the Housing Crisis
Mentioned by
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Mounia Akl
's mother as a source of comfort and reflection during a time of crisis.
How film created hope after the Beirut port explosion | Mounia Akl
Mentioned by
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Andrea Hiott
in the context of philosophical exercises in perspectivism.
#39: The Real World and its Many Models with philosopher Michela Massimi
Mentioned by
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Melvyn Bragg
as an Italian author of inventive, bedazzling stories.
Italo Calvino

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