My friend recently gave me a copy of Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, which I had been meaning to read for a while. It uses the framing device of Marco Polo telling Kublai Khan for prose poems about mysterious fictional cities. It’s a very short book, but it took me longer than I was expecting to read. The sentences aren’t dense, but they’re rich with imagery and meaning that made me want to reread and savor them.
It’s very creative and masterfully crafts a dreamlike tone. The book explores themes of how we interact with the world around us, and what about it is important and memorable. It tells us that the important thing about a city is not the landmarks, the events, the politics, but how it makes us feel.
Something I was initially confused about is why all the cities have female names. But after thinking about it I think its to convey that visiting a city is sort of like a love affair. It personifies the cities with traits associated with women- mystery, beauty, etc. Its kind of a male-focused worldview especially as women are described alongside scenery as if theyre part of it, but I wouldn’t say its overtly sexist. Just a product of it being written by a man I think. Although I do think there is a definite homoeroticism to the relationship between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan. They are two men who know each other so well that imagining their conversation is the same as one. Kublai may be a powerful emperor, but he needs Marco in order to see the world through his eyes.
Another element I thought was interesting was the occasional references to modern things like airports and skyscrapers. They give it a surreal and timeless feel.
Overall I thought it was a great book. Definitely dont go in expecting a linear structure with a beginning middle and end. If youre a frequent traveller I would especially recommend it. I am not personally, but I think I would have gotten more out of it if I was.
by moss42069