If on a Winter's Night a Traveler

De: Italo Calvino

Narrado por: Jefferson Mays

Italo Calvino imagines a novel capable of endless mutations in this intricately crafted story about writing and readers. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler turns out to be not one novel but 10, each with a different plot, style, ambience, and author, and each interrupted at a moment of suspense. Together they form a labyrinth of literatures, known and unknown, alive and extinct, through which two readers, a male and a female, pursue both the story lines that intrigue them and one another.

©1979 Giulio Einaudi Editore, S.p.A., Torino; 1981 Harcourt, Inc. (translation) (P)2017 Recorded Books

Personal favorite!

My all time person favorite book in spoken word! Listening to it was a whole new experience to just reading it! Loved the narration!!

Intellectual exercise

This book is more of an exploration of reading than a novel. Calvino’s examination of authors, readers and reading evolves through a strange puzzle of unfinished novels and a reader’s search for the rest of each story. The novel may be intellectually brilliant, but it does not make the best story to listen to for entertainment . Unless you are seeking a literary challenge, I recommend this only as a great book to fall asleep to.

Narrator was great

While it was amusing and funny at first, it started to get old when the same obstacle kept repeating itself. By the half way point I was getting pretty exasperated and antsy for the book to just end especially with the random and uncomfortable pornographic scenes. It was very intellectual and sharp but just a little to random and unfocused for my taste. The narrator did a great job though.

Was difficult to listen to.

My mind kept wandering. I found the book a dull. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had read the book instead of listening to it. The story skipped around and was difficult for me to follow without having visual cues.

After finishing the book, you, the reader, sit do

After finishing the book, you, the reader, sit down to try to quantify how exactly you feel about a book like this one.

Unusual, but thought-provoking

In a parallel to life, I loved some of these stories and disliked others. I felt Ludmilla disappeared in the last third. This is a book I need to listen to more than once. So complex any mysterious.

Like falling down a Rabbit Hole

What made the experience of listening to If on a Winter's Night a Traveler the most enjoyable?

This book is a one of a kind experience. The author sets out to upset the readers equilibrium and destroy any initial expectations of how this novel might play out. Intriguing!
At some point you also realize you are the main character. This adds a whole layer to the experience. This is not the kind of book where you can just take it easy and expect a normal plot to unfold.

What other book might you compare If on a Winter's Night a Traveler to and why?

The only book I've read that I can compare to "If on a Winter's Night a Traveler" is "Steppenwolf" by Herman Hesse. Not because the literary styles are the same, but because it was also a very different reading experience that I found sometimes frustrating and sometimes difficult to understand and had to read more then once. Other than that they are very different novels.

Which character – as performed by Jefferson Mays – was your favorite?

Ermes Marana "The bad guy". What makes him so villainous is everything he does is meant to destroy the usual benefits we expect from our reading experience. Who can be any meaner than that?

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The first Chapter of "If On a Winters Night a Traveler" Not only did I find the writing lovely initially, but on reflection it was the first hint of the readers real role in the book.
It follows:

"The novel begins in a railway station, a locomotive huffs, steam from a piston covers the opening of the hapter, a cloud of smoke hides part of the first paragraph. In the odor of the station there is a passing whiff of station café odor. There is someone looking through the befogged class, he opens the glass door of the bar, everything is misty, inside, too, as if seen by nearsighted eyes, or eyes irritated by coal dust. The pages of the book are clouded like the windows of an old train, the cloud of smoke rests on the sentences."

This is the passage that puts the reader in the book.

Any additional comments?

This was one audio book that I wish I had the hard copy as a reference, it would make it easier to understand what's going on. I know this is a book I will be listening to again and again.

hu?

fortunately the narrator is mesmerizing. I think that was both a benefit, as I enjoyed listening, and might have been partly why I kept letting my attention wander. I found though that I did not care enough to go back to the last part I remembered. it is written in a very disjointed style. I have not yet finished listening but find it hard to believe that the ending can wrap up this mess satisfactorily. I finished it. do you believe every book should have a beginning and an ending? if so, skip this one. it doesn't.

Wonderful

This narration was brilliant. I’m a fan of Calvino and find this to my favorite of his works.

Odd Ball Classic

"...as long as I know there is a woman who loves reading for reading’s sake, I can convince myself that the world continues...."

A completely unique book about books written for book people. How can that not make you smile?

Though, ironically, there’s no way I would have finished the paperback, lol. This was a necessary and well done work of Audible.

The novel is not one story but many stories. It’s meta and funny, politically damning and irreverent, frivolous and philosophical.

But what does it all mean?!?!

Darlings, meaning isn’t something you take, it’s something you give.

Just find a comfy spot, open your heart, and listen.

Tell me another one Calvino...