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St. John's Way
Literature圣约翰之路
(italy) Italo Calvino
In this autobiographical meditation, Calvino turned to his past: the awkward childhood of traveling with his father, the lifelong love affair with the cinema, the memories of the anti-fascist war, the reflections on language, the perception of kitchen trash cans, and even the shape of the entire world. His reflections on the nature of memory are intelligent, fascinating, and brimming with a unique alchemical brilliance. The first "Road to St. John" is Calvino's detailed memories and descriptions of his hometown city of San Remo, showing the natural and cultural scenes of San Remo, as well as his early life experiences. "Autobiography of a Spectator" is actually about the author himself, mainly about his experience of secretly running away from home to watch movies in the years from 1936 to the outbreak of the war. It records the memories left in his mind by the movies from various countries screened in Italy at that time, as well as the impact of movies, mainly American movies, on the lives of Italians at that time. The second half of this article mainly writes about the perception of the works of the outstanding Italian director Fellini. You can explore the influence of film on his creations in this article. "Memories of a War" is Calvino's recollection of a war he participated in as a guerrilla after the war. The article didn't talk much about the details of the war, only the little things that the war left in his memory. This kind of memory actually has the nature of creative practice. "The Lovely Trash Can" starts from the trash can in the kitchen when the author lived in Paris, covering its use, location, emptying time, etc. It actually describes his life in Paris and can be regarded as Calvino's memories of that period of life. "In the Dark" is a possibly unfinished note. If asked about his understanding of the world and the universe, the author's understanding of concepts such as elements, matter, breadth, and thickness of the world is more like a worldview within the scope of philosophy. This article is of some help in understanding Calvino's cosmology and "The Curiosities of the Universe".
In this autobiographical meditation, Calvino turned to his past: the awkward childhood of traveling with his father, the lifelong love affair with the cinema, the memories of the anti-fascist war, the reflections on language, the perception of kitchen trash cans, and even the shape of the entire world. His reflections on the nature of memory are intelligent, fascinating, and brimming with a unique alchemical brilliance. The first "Road to St. John" is Calvino's detailed memories and descriptions of his hometown city of San Remo, showing the natural and cultural scenes of San Remo, as well as his early life experiences. "Autobiography of a Spectator" is actually about the author himself, mainly about his experience of secretly running away from home to watch movies in the years from 1936 to the outbreak of the war. It records the memories left in his mind by the movies from various countries screened in Italy at that time, as well as the impact of movies, mainly American movies, on the lives of Italians at that time. The second half of this article mainly writes about the perception of the works of the outstanding Italian director Fellini. You can explore the influence of film on his creations in this article. "Memories of a War" is Calvino's recollection of a war he participated in as a guerrilla after the war. The article didn't talk much about the details of the war, only the little things that the war left in his memory. This kind of memory actually has the nature of creative practice. "The Lovely Trash Can" starts from the trash can in the kitchen when the author lived in Paris, covering its use, location, emptying time, etc. It actually describes his life in Paris and can be regarded as Calvino's memories of that period of life. "In the Dark" is a possibly unfinished note. If asked about his understanding of the world and the universe, the author's understanding of concepts such as elements, matter, breadth, and thickness of the world is more like a worldview within the scope of philosophy. This article is of some help in understanding Calvino's cosmology and "The Curiosities of the Universe".

Traveler Who Collects Sand
Literature收藏沙子的旅人
(italy) Italo Calvino
Want Calvino to take you to see an exhibition at the Center Pompidou, pick out new books at Shakespeare and Company, or travel to Japan, Mexico and Iran? Let's read "The Traveler Who Collected Sand". "The Traveler Who Collects Sand" is a collection of essays by Calvino about visiting exhibitions, reading, and traveling. In a imaginative way, he tells us how to hold our breath while watching an exhibition, how to be attentive and wandering, how to draw from other sources while reading, and how to follow the local customs while being aloof from the world. Calvino used his endless imagination to transcend the original limitations of these articles. He not only saw the world traveled by travelers from the sand collection, but also saw the core of existence of millions of phenomena in reading and traveling.
Want Calvino to take you to see an exhibition at the Center Pompidou, pick out new books at Shakespeare and Company, or travel to Japan, Mexico and Iran? Let's read "The Traveler Who Collected Sand". "The Traveler Who Collects Sand" is a collection of essays by Calvino about visiting exhibitions, reading, and traveling. In a imaginative way, he tells us how to hold our breath while watching an exhibition, how to be attentive and wandering, how to draw from other sources while reading, and how to follow the local customs while being aloof from the world. Calvino used his endless imagination to transcend the original limitations of these articles. He not only saw the world traveled by travelers from the sand collection, but also saw the core of existence of millions of phenomena in reading and traveling.

If on a Winter Night, a Traveler
Literature如果在冬夜,一个旅人
(italy) Italo Calvino
If on a winter night, a traveler leans out from the steep cliff on the outskirts of Malbork, not afraid of the cold wind or dizziness, and looks at the dark bottom. In the intertwined web of lines, in the fallen leaves illuminated by the moonlight, and around the empty tomb, what is the final outcome? Calvino's masterpiece. He uses novels to build a maze and plays games with words and thoughts with you, the reader. Just as lust opens up the time and space of men and women, reading also allows readers, authors and works to shatter into glass in a kaleidoscope, freely changing the world. Among the bustling mirrors, have you seen Calvino's cunningness?
If on a winter night, a traveler leans out from the steep cliff on the outskirts of Malbork, not afraid of the cold wind or dizziness, and looks at the dark bottom. In the intertwined web of lines, in the fallen leaves illuminated by the moonlight, and around the empty tomb, what is the final outcome? Calvino's masterpiece. He uses novels to build a maze and plays games with words and thoughts with you, the reader. Just as lust opens up the time and space of men and women, reading also allows readers, authors and works to shatter into glass in a kaleidoscope, freely changing the world. Among the bustling mirrors, have you seen Calvino's cunningness?

一个乐观主义者在美国:1959—1960(卡尔维诺经典)
(italy) Italo Calvino
As has been his habit for a long time, Calvino always strives to deeply understand the connotation of things, observing from the perspective of anthropologists and cybernetics, such as the operation of the American social system; but during his sojourn, he also completed the task of Aeginaudi Publishing House and introduced the works of American writers such as J. D. Salinger, Bernard Malamud, and Saul Bellow to Italy. He turned his travels into long letters written to Turin. These letters were somewhere between diary and reportage, and some of them also became a series of articles published in weekly magazines. "An Optimist in America" is a compilation of these materials. Following Calvino's footsteps, we discover a different and more "simple" America than we imagined. ...
As has been his habit for a long time, Calvino always strives to deeply understand the connotation of things, observing from the perspective of anthropologists and cybernetics, such as the operation of the American social system; but during his sojourn, he also completed the task of Aeginaudi Publishing House and introduced the works of American writers such as J. D. Salinger, Bernard Malamud, and Saul Bellow to Italy. He turned his travels into long letters written to Turin. These letters were somewhere between diary and reportage, and some of them also became a series of articles published in weekly magazines. "An Optimist in America" is a compilation of these materials. Following Calvino's footsteps, we discover a different and more "simple" America than we imagined. ...

Path Leading to Spider Nest
Literature通向蜘蛛巢的小径
(italy) Italo Calvino
In the turbulent year of 1947, 23-year-old Calvino published his first novel: "The Path to the Spider's Nest". Everything that happens in the book is described through the eyes of the naughty boy Pien: war, sex, heroism, history... The author writes in the preface: "This is a story written on the edge of guerrilla war. It has nothing to do with heroism and sacrifice, but it conveys its color, rhythm and bitter taste."
In the turbulent year of 1947, 23-year-old Calvino published his first novel: "The Path to the Spider's Nest". Everything that happens in the book is described through the eyes of the naughty boy Pien: war, sex, heroism, history... The author writes in the preface: "This is a story written on the edge of guerrilla war. It has nothing to do with heroism and sacrifice, but it conveys its color, rhythm and bitter taste."

The Non-existent Knight
Literature不存在的骑士
(italy) Italo Calvino
"The Non-Existent Knight" is one of Calvino's "Our Ancestors" trilogy. The "Our Ancestors" trilogy includes: "The Non-Existent Knight", "The Viscount Split in Two" and "The Baron in the Trees". These three stories represent the three stages leading to freedom, and are about the experience of how people realize themselves: strive for in "The Non-Existent Knight" Survival, the pursuit of a complete life that is not ravaged by society in "The Viscount in Two", and a path to wholeness in "The Baron in the Trees" - a non-individualistic wholeness achieved through unswerving efforts towards personal self-determination. Agilulfo, a model soldier, exists in an empty armor, but he is the embodiment of a perfect knight. He is the only one who makes the armor meaningful. When his world-famous achievements are challenged, questioned, and about to be obliterated, can his existence still be established?
"The Non-Existent Knight" is one of Calvino's "Our Ancestors" trilogy. The "Our Ancestors" trilogy includes: "The Non-Existent Knight", "The Viscount Split in Two" and "The Baron in the Trees". These three stories represent the three stages leading to freedom, and are about the experience of how people realize themselves: strive for in "The Non-Existent Knight" Survival, the pursuit of a complete life that is not ravaged by society in "The Viscount in Two", and a path to wholeness in "The Baron in the Trees" - a non-individualistic wholeness achieved through unswerving efforts towards personal self-determination. Agilulfo, a model soldier, exists in an empty armor, but he is the embodiment of a perfect knight. He is the only one who makes the armor meaningful. When his world-famous achievements are challenged, questioned, and about to be obliterated, can his existence still be established?

Calvino's Classic World (26 Volumes in Total)
General Fiction卡尔维诺的经典世界(共26册)
(italy) Italo Calvino
"Calvino's Classic World" includes the following 26 works: "The Baron in the Trees", "The Viscount in Two", "The Non-Existent Knight", "The Invisible City", "Why Read Classics", "If on a Winter Night, a Traveler", "American Lectures", "The Complete Collection of Universe Curiosities", "Italian Fairy Tales (Set of 3 Volumes)", "The Hermit in Paris", "Short Story Collection", "Crazy Orlando", "Destiny" "The Crossing Castle", "Palomar", "The Path to the Spider's Nest", "Smoke of Argentine Ants", "Before You Say Hello", "Under the Jaguar Sun", "The Way of Saint John", "The Traveler Who Collected Sand", "Words and Non-Words", "The Literary Machine", "On Fairy Tales", "Marco Valdo", "Difficult Love", "An Optimist in America: 1959-1960".
"Calvino's Classic World" includes the following 26 works: "The Baron in the Trees", "The Viscount in Two", "The Non-Existent Knight", "The Invisible City", "Why Read Classics", "If on a Winter Night, a Traveler", "American Lectures", "The Complete Collection of Universe Curiosities", "Italian Fairy Tales (Set of 3 Volumes)", "The Hermit in Paris", "Short Story Collection", "Crazy Orlando", "Destiny" "The Crossing Castle", "Palomar", "The Path to the Spider's Nest", "Smoke of Argentine Ants", "Before You Say Hello", "Under the Jaguar Sun", "The Way of Saint John", "The Traveler Who Collected Sand", "Words and Non-Words", "The Literary Machine", "On Fairy Tales", "Marco Valdo", "Difficult Love", "An Optimist in America: 1959-1960".

Baron in the Tree
Literature树上的男爵
(italy) Italo Calvino
"The Baron in the Trees" is one of Calvino's "Our Ancestors" trilogy. The "Our Ancestors" trilogy includes: "The Non-Existent Knight", "The Viscount Split in Two" and "The Baron in the Trees". These three stories represent the three stages leading to freedom, and are about the experience of how people realize themselves: strive for in "The Non-Existent Knight" Survival, the pursuit of a complete life that is not ravaged by society in "The Viscount in Two", and a path to wholeness in "The Baron in the Trees" - a non-individualistic wholeness achieved through unswerving efforts towards personal self-determination. A stubborn resistance made Cosimo decide never to leave a tree since he was twelve years old. From then on, he lived in trees all his life, but connected his life more closely with the earth. Is it true that you have to distance yourself from others before you can finally be with them?
"The Baron in the Trees" is one of Calvino's "Our Ancestors" trilogy. The "Our Ancestors" trilogy includes: "The Non-Existent Knight", "The Viscount Split in Two" and "The Baron in the Trees". These three stories represent the three stages leading to freedom, and are about the experience of how people realize themselves: strive for in "The Non-Existent Knight" Survival, the pursuit of a complete life that is not ravaged by society in "The Viscount in Two", and a path to wholeness in "The Baron in the Trees" - a non-individualistic wholeness achieved through unswerving efforts towards personal self-determination. A stubborn resistance made Cosimo decide never to leave a tree since he was twelve years old. From then on, he lived in trees all his life, but connected his life more closely with the earth. Is it true that you have to distance yourself from others before you can finally be with them?

Invisible City
Literature看不见的城市
(italy) Italo Calvino
The first edition of "Invisible Cities" was published in November 1972 by Einaudi Verlag in Turin. At the time of the book's publication, from late 1972 to early 1973, Calvino had spoken about it in several newspaper articles and interviews. The following is an introduction to this new edition of the "Oscar" series using words from a lecture given by Calvino in a master's class in writing at Columbia University in New York on March 29, 1983. The lecture was originally in English, but the Italian text is used here. It is based on two interviews conducted in 1972 and 1973 and has mostly not been published in Italy. There is no recognizable city in "Invisible Cities". All the cities are fictitious; I gave each of them a woman's name. The book is organized into short chapters, each of which should provide an opportunity to reflect on a particular city, or cities in general.
The first edition of "Invisible Cities" was published in November 1972 by Einaudi Verlag in Turin. At the time of the book's publication, from late 1972 to early 1973, Calvino had spoken about it in several newspaper articles and interviews. The following is an introduction to this new edition of the "Oscar" series using words from a lecture given by Calvino in a master's class in writing at Columbia University in New York on March 29, 1983. The lecture was originally in English, but the Italian text is used here. It is based on two interviews conducted in 1972 and 1973 and has mostly not been published in Italy. There is no recognizable city in "Invisible Cities". All the cities are fictitious; I gave each of them a woman's name. The book is organized into short chapters, each of which should provide an opportunity to reflect on a particular city, or cities in general.

American Lecture Notes
Literature美国讲稿
(italy) Italo Calvino
Calvino unfortunately died of a cerebral hemorrhage on the eve of his departure to Harvard University to deliver the "Norton Lecture". Therefore, this book is regarded as the legacy given to the world by the master of novels. The literary values he carefully outlines in the book can serve as a yardstick for evaluating general works and a guide for understanding Calvino. Calvino has accessed ancient and modern classics and quoted extensively. His reading taste and intellectual insights are amazing. This memorandum is specially written for experts and readers who are familiar with and love the art of novels. It is known as the most eloquent defense of literature in the twentieth century and the best gift left to readers of this century.
Calvino unfortunately died of a cerebral hemorrhage on the eve of his departure to Harvard University to deliver the "Norton Lecture". Therefore, this book is regarded as the legacy given to the world by the master of novels. The literary values he carefully outlines in the book can serve as a yardstick for evaluating general works and a guide for understanding Calvino. Calvino has accessed ancient and modern classics and quoted extensively. His reading taste and intellectual insights are amazing. This memorandum is specially written for experts and readers who are familiar with and love the art of novels. It is known as the most eloquent defense of literature in the twentieth century and the best gift left to readers of this century.