

#3681
Mentioned in 13 episodes
Invisible Cities
Book • 1972
Invisible Cities is a novel by Italo Calvino that defies traditional narrative structures.
The book revolves around the conversations between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan, where Polo describes 55 imaginary cities he encountered during his travels.
These cities are not just physical places but also metaphors for human experiences, desires, and the passage of time.
The novel explores themes of memory, place, and the subjective nature of experience, highlighting how our perceptions of cities and the world are shaped by our personal histories and biases.
The cities described by Polo are often reflections of his home city, Venice, and serve as vehicles for Calvino's commentary on human nature, culture, and the limits of communication.
The book revolves around the conversations between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan, where Polo describes 55 imaginary cities he encountered during his travels.
These cities are not just physical places but also metaphors for human experiences, desires, and the passage of time.
The novel explores themes of memory, place, and the subjective nature of experience, highlighting how our perceptions of cities and the world are shaped by our personal histories and biases.
The cities described by Polo are often reflections of his home city, Venice, and serve as vehicles for Calvino's commentary on human nature, culture, and the limits of communication.
Mentioned by














Mentioned in 13 episodes
Recommended by 

as a starting point for those unfamiliar with magical realism.


David Eagleman

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Mentioned by 

as a beautiful meditation on cities and Venice.


Sam Schillace

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Recommended by 

as a favorite book of fiction.


David Eagleman

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in the context of alternate lives and choices.


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Mentioned by 

when discussing books for a future podcast episode.


Tamler Sommers

30 snips
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Suggested by Tamler as a novel he'd love the hosts to cover in the listener-selected episode.

17 snips
Episode 328: Weapons Free
Mentioned by 

as a luminous book by Italo Calvino, transformed the real-life travel account of Marco Polo.


David Damrosch

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Episode 311: The Way to Dusty Death (Shakespeare's "Macbeth")
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12 snips
Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes
Mentioned by 

and 

as a slim novella containing riches and multitudes, focusing on its unique structure and fantastical cities.


Marina Warner


Anna Della Subin

Fiction and the Fantastic: ‘Invisible Cities’ by Italo Calvino



