

#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.
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
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as a starting point for those unfamiliar with magical realism.


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as a beautiful meditation on cities and Venice.


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in the context of alternate lives and choices.

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as a favorite book of fiction.


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when discussing books for a future podcast episode.


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and ![undefined]()

as a slim novella containing riches and multitudes, focusing on its unique structure and fantastical cities.


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Mentioned by ![undefined]()

as another book by the same author, Italo Calvino.

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as one of the authors whose works were discussed in previous podcast episodes.


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as a book he enjoys.

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in relation to the concept of place and its connection to home.

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's mother as a source of comfort and reflection during a time of crisis.


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in the context of philosophical exercises in perspectivism.

Andrea Hiott

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Mentioned by 

as an Italian author of inventive, bedazzling stories.


Melvyn Bragg

Italo Calvino