Italo Calvino
1979
3/5 stars
This sometimes playful, sometimes pretentious novel is a study of readers and reading. The protagonist, a second person male "you" (sometimes referred to as "Reader"), buys the new novel by Italo Calvino, reads the first chapter, then finds that the printers have made a mistake, and the rest of the book is not there. His later choices of reading material also cut off at crucial points, making him seek out the publisher and attempt to uncover a conspiracy.
In this postmodern classic, Calvino adopts a different style for each of the ten interrupted novels, and for the most part is quite successful. His general style of prose (when talking to "you") is engaging. Sadly, If on a winter's night a traveler is an uneven work, with parts that are brilliant and parts one has to push oneself to read. I'm glad to have experienced it, but equally glad to be finished.
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