Italo Calvino's stories are told by Qfwfq, a being who has existed since before the universe took shape. Each one begins from a scientific notion, such as the Moon's distance, the Big Bang, the dinosaurs' extinction, or the expanding cosmos, and presents it as personal memory. In one, everyone is gathered in a single point before space exists, and a woman named Mrs Ph(i)Nko makes a remark about making pasta. Another follows a rivalry across billions of years. Humour, nostalgia, and lyrical description sit side by side.
Readers who enjoy science with literary imagination, or who liked Le città invisibili, will find a playful way in. It is also good for anyone who wants to feel cosmology through character rather than formulas.
Deep, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Literary Connoisseur. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1993
- Publisher
- A. Mondadori
- Language
- IT
