Synopses & Reviews
“Everybody telephones everybody at every possible moment, and nobody can speak to anybody . . . Distance has been the warp that supports the weft of every love story.” — from
Numbers in the Dark
Written between 1943 and 1984, the stories in Numbers in the Dark span the career of one of fiction’s modern masters: from Italo Calvino’s earliest fables, to tales informed by life in World War II–era Italy, to the delightful experimentation that would define his later work. Here are speculative stories on life in the digital age, genre-bending wonders, and “impossible interviews” with the likes of Montezuma and a Neanderthal. Deftly translated by Tim Parks, Numbers in the Dark shows off Calvino’s lifelong gift for subtle humor and shimmering philosophical insight.
“Numbers in the Dark is a glorious grab-bag . . . [with] enough gems from every phase in Calvino’s career to make it feel indispensable.” — Seattle Times
Synopsis
A posthumously published collection of short stories that span the breadth of Italo Calvino's career.
Synopsis
The stories in Numbers in the Dark span the breadth of Italo Calvinos career and attest to his mastery of short fiction. Beginning with early works set in Italy during World War II, and drawing on Calvinos experiences as an antifascist partisan fighter, the collection moves into the more experimental territory that would define his later work. Here are speculative stories on life in the digital world, genre-bending wonders, and “impossible interviews” with the likes of Montezuma and a Neanderthal. For readers new to Calvinos fiction, Numbers in the Dark offers a comprehensive survey and a perfect point of departure.
Synopsis
A beautifully written and deeply personal book, a mix of memoir, jigsaw history, and the strange delights of puzzling.
Synopsis
The Pattern in the Carpet: A Personal History with Jigsaws is an original and brilliant work. Margaret Drabble weaves her own story into a history of games, in particular jigsaws, which have offered her and many others relief from melancholy and depression. Alongside curious facts and discoveries about jigsaw puzzlesdid you know that the 1929 stock market crash was followed by a boom in puzzle sales?Drabble introduces us to her beloved Auntie Phyl, and describes childhood visits to the house in Long Bennington on the Great North Road, their first trip to London together, the books they read, and the jigsaws they completed. She offers penetrating sketches of her parents, siblings, and children, and shares her thoughts on the importance of childhood play, on art and writing, and on aging and memory. And she does so with her customary intelligence, energy, and wit. This is a memoir like no other.
About the Author
ITALO CALVINO’s superb storytelling gifts earned him international renown and a reputation as “one of the world's best fabulists” (New York Times Book Review). He is the author of numerous works of fiction, as well as essays, criticism, and literary anthologies. Born in Cuba in 1923, Calvino was raised in Italy, where he lived most of his life. At the time of his death, in Siena in 1985, he was the most translated contemporary Italian writer.