It's November which means it is novella month. Like all books, all novellas are not created equal. These two left me feeling flummoxed. I'm not saying I didn't like them. I just didn't understand them. They both contain a puzzle, leaving me puzzled. Have you read either/both of them? What did you think?
Audiobook version: Tantor Audio, 2013. 2 hours, 52 minutes.
The book was originally published in Italian in 1972. The first English version was printed by Harcourt in 1974. 165 pages.
A few months ago I came across a list of the 29 Timeless Novels Everyone Should Read created by a news source (no longer available.) Among the titles on the list was one book I'd never heard of before: Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino. I read Calvino's On a Winter's Night a Traveler, and found its surrealism perplexing but also fun. I assumed that this book, Invisible Cities, would also fall into the post modern style with a touch of magical realism, like the other. This is how the book was described: "Invisible Cities is a mesmerizing journey through the imagined cities Marco Polo describes to Kublai Khan. Each city, unique in its essence, unfolds like a delicate poem, revealing glimpses of human nature and the intricacies of civilizations."
As I listened to the audiobook I was aware that there was structure to the book. There were 55 different cities described by Marco Polo to Kublai Khan as each chapter had a title that seemed to have a repeating pattern. But audiobooks don't allow the eyes to play with patterns that need eyes to understand. When I looked on Wikipedia I finally realized why I was so confused by the plot. It wasn't a plot. It was a form. Follow the link I've provided and scroll down a bit and you will see that matrix to see what Calvino was doing with his 55 stories about invisible cities.
Invisible Cities is an example of Calvino's use of combinatory literature [this type of writing which challenges conventional structures]...In the novel, the reader finds themself playing a game with the author, wherein they must find the patterns hidden in the book. The book has nine chapters, but there are also hidden divisions within the book: each of the 55 cities belongs to one of eleven thematic groups. The reader can therefore play with the book's structure, and choose to follow one group or another, rather than reading the book in chronological chapters. In 1983 Calvino stated that there is no definite end to Invisible Cities because "this book was made as a polyhedron, and it has conclusions everywhere, written along all of its edges." Wikipedia
Think of those kid books where the reader gets to choose-your-own-story, making decisions along the way which alter the outcome. This book is just quite a bit more complex than those. The puzzle and the form are just as important as the stories in this one. It is very mathematical and a genius work. However, its genius was lost on me, an audiobook listener. I did appreciate the beauty of the prose and at some point I told myself to quit trying to figure out what was going on and just let the words flow over me. Clearly I do not recommend this book in the audio format. If you like challenges and puzzles, choose the print version.
Rating: 3.25 stars
Audition by Katie Kitamura
Riverhead Books, 2025. 197 pages.
Two people meet for a lunch. She is an accomplished actress. He is young man, young enough to be her son. Who are they to each other? Audition is a story in two parts and those two parts don't seem to be connected. They are just confusingly next to each other but they both can't be true can they?
My head swam as I read Audition, trying to make sense of the puzzle I was presented. Confusion reigned and then the book ended. I was desperate to talk in person to anyone else who had read the book but had to rely on Goodreads. Examples:
Emily, 2 stars: A frustrating, high-concept piece of writing. It was beautifully-written and I appreciate it was clever, but it was not my cup of tea.
Emma, 5 stars: Everybody needs to read this book immediately. i don't want to talk about anything else.
Not helpful. Emily and Emma both said pretty much what I said.
Today I found this interview with the author which was helpful. Kitamura talks about her inspiration for the novel and how she intentionally tried to create a puzzle that cannot be solved. She also compared the story to the ambiguous duck-rabbit image. If you look at the from one angle it is duck, another angle it is a rabbit. Not really helpful in understanding the story, but it is a cool visual. Listen to the video. It is only 9 minutes long and there are no spoilers. I wish I'd listened to it before I read the book. I think it would have saved my brain from being blown.
My rating: 3.5 stars
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