The abrupt endings of italo Calvino-If on a winters night a traveller

 From the very start of the book, the narrator tells us as readers to "relax, concentrate... Best to close the door; the TV is always on in the next room." (p.1)  I thought I was reading an "ASMR" relaxation book. I found this very cool and unique way to start off a novel by the narrator breaking the third wall, this is the first time I've read a book that started off this way and it definitely captured my attention. Calvino uses second-person narration throughout the novel and refers to the reader as "you" which makes you feel like you are almost in the story, this sets the stage for the boundary-less writing style to follow. 

As the strange novel unfolds I find myself locked into the the plot. Getting immersed into the spy or a criminal, at a remote train station trying to secretly swap his suitcase with someone else’s and is afraid of being caught.. and then the story gets cut off short. Then take the book to the store and meet a girl named Ludmilla who gives you a "Polish bestseller" (P.44)  you also get her phone number. This story being about a farming family feud, suddenly ends just like the first one. At this point, I started to think to myself that this novel is just going to be like the Netflix series "Black Mirror" where each episode is a completely different storyline.  

You end up calling Ludmilla and taking a trip to the university to speak to a professor- Uzzi Tuzi about the ending stories. Prof. Tuzi starts to explain a story told from an ancient language, then ends up getting sidetracked and you don't understand what he's saying anymore. Another storyline ends, but this time in person and not in book form.

 While still at the university, you and Ludmilla attend a feminism lecture where her sister, Lotaria is taking classes from Professor Galligani. You are given a new novel by Lotaria titled "Without Fear of wind or Vertigo." During a time of revolution, the story takes place in a city where the narrator is getting ready for a battle. At the very end of the story, the narrator learns that Valerian, his close friend, is covertly carrying a death warrant bearing his name. Lotaria then stops the story and says everyone in the class should have enough to discuss for the next month. Another story ends prematurely. 

These instances continue until the end of the novel when you are reading the book "What Story Down There Awaits its End?" the book talks about marriage and then and there is when you decide to marry Ludmilla. The novel ends fairytale-like with you in bed finishing the reading "If on a Winter Night a Traveler" with your wife Ludmilla beside you. 


Question: What affect did the novel being written in 2nd person have on your reading experience?

Comments

  1. Arella Ng5 March 2024 at 11:42

    Yeah, the beginning of the novel certainly feels very reminiscent of ASMR! I actually liked the second person perspective in the novel since it's not very common and gives a sense of freshness compared to the other readings I've done. Though I know that it can instil a sense of discomfort and be stifling at times, I liked being able to experience the story as if it's my own.

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  2. Daniel Orizaga5 March 2024 at 19:48

    "The novel ends fairytale-like..." Mmm... I wouldn't be so sure that the novel ends like that. What could you comment on the parts near the end of the "book", that is, the volume we read, especially with the plots about censorship and paranoia about the subversion of literature? This part can be understood almost as a satire of certain regiments, some existing to this day.
    ​

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