Customer Reviews

Marcovaldo

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's hard not to admire the people who enjoy simple things... as long as they don't get out of touch with the reality. That seems to be the idea behind Italo Calvino's "Marcovaldo: Or the Seasons in the City," a warm little novel that shows the joys of life -- and the weird truths behind them.

Marcovaldo is an unskilled laborer in a rather dreary Italian city, with a stressed wife and a bunch of somewhat dopey kids. He also has an eye for beauty and an idealistic love of natural bounty. A stray rabbit, a blanket of snow, a peaceful park bench, a hidden stash of mushrooms, a trip to the countryside with his children, and a bus on a foggy night.

Marcovaldo revels in the natural beauty and good fortune that come to him on these occasions. Unfortunately, they aren't quite as wonderful as he thinks -- every time, something bizarre and unlucky happens to him, whether it's the noises of urban nighttime, the realities of farm work, diseased rabbits, a plane to Bombay, a minor avalanche, or a bad case of food poisoning.

Popping little idealistic dreams seems like a pretty mean-spirited thing to do. Yes, even to a fictional character like Marcovaldo. But somehow Italo Calvino's charming little book manages to be mocking and funny without being nasty about it. He's an airhead, and somewhat selfish, but amusingly and likably so.

The book is made up of little short stories, each focusing on one "season in the city," and a new problem for Marcovaldo. In a way, each amusing little story feels like a joke, with the punchline only coming at the end. For example, a walk in the fog and boarding a bus becomes a disaster, when Marcovaldo discovers that the "bus" is actually a plane heading for Bombay.

Here and there, Calvino also adds a bit of magical realism to the otherwise prosaic stories, such as one scene where Marcovaldo sneezes away every flake of snow in a large area. Even if this could never happen in the real world, his lush, almost conversational writing makes it come alive and seem plausible.

Its simple stories keep it from being among Calvino's best, but "Marcovaldo: Or the Seasons In the City" is a charming, offbeat book that takes a slightly more cynical look at idealists.

We have all come to expect one thing from Calvino, an imaginative collection of short stories that come together to create an original novel full of intelligent humor, allusions to real life, and, most importantly, beautiful prose.
And this book does not disappoint.
We are presented with Marcovaldo--a down on his luck (constantly obvious) just above poverty working class man with a family he can't support. While this story may seem old, Calvino approaches it in a unique way. As the book progresses we see Marcovaldo hatch many, seemingly brilliant, plans to get rich only to have them fail miserably a few pages later. And all the while Marcovaldo, although down, catches glimpses of the subtle beauties of life, something that seems to be a trademark of Calvino.
All in all this is a very good book and definately worth the read (can probably be done in one sitting). If you only read one book by Calvino Invisible Cities is the way to go, but if you are looking to expand your library of Italian literature you won't be sorry with Marcovaldo.

I read this book when I was very sad, and it gave me back the world.

What more could you expect of Calvino? Marcovoldo is the ultimate satire that deals with the frustrations of a marginal worker who can barely survive the trials and tribulations of a post industrial society that has forgotten how it's human to laugh. And laugh you will if you read this very ironic book of related short stories ... A must read for all Italo Calvino fans!

Calvino truly has an imaginative pen! I love his work because he has the ability to create fantastic and magical worlds, even in seemingly the most mundane of places. That being said, this isn't my favorite calvino piece, but it is very entertaining. It follows Marcovaldo, a common laborer, through his misadventures in the city. Marcovaldo, like Calvino, has an eye for the unusual, and doesn't always stick to the conventional path. At times the humor seems a bit dated, but that is understandable, as it was written in the '60s (I believe) Perfect for a light read, or an introduction to Calvino, and all in all, a wonderful escape from the drab.

This is a delightful masterpiece and the perfect introduction to the world of Calvino. It's episodic structure makes it easy to digest and the humor and irony are contagious. Whether it is guarding a "secret" stash of delectible mushrooms (with some regretful digestive consequences), trying to take a quick sunbath on a river barge at lunch hour, or suffering the endless glow of a nighttime neon sign, this book will never fail to satisfy. I was introduced to Calvino via this book - dive right in and take a swim, you'll get hooked too!

This is one of the very fine books I have ever read. I strongly recommend it to anybody who likes to view the world from a cynical yet humorous point of view.

I've read this book as a child. These surreal stories are a
marvel: poetic, tender, still realistic in telling the lives of simple, even poor people, pathethically struggling in the difficulties in a cold city, and yet humorous, cheerful of the scant victories and joys they can attain. These stories are filled whit a great love for humanity, and of a subtle sense of the surreality of life. A must read!

Marcovaldo is Superfudge
Marcovaldo is Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing (in Italian)
Marcovaldo is Gulliver's Travels
Marcovaldo is The Stranger
Marcovaldo is Cirque de Soleil
Marcovaldo is the music of Phish
Marcovaldo is Miles Davis' "Salt Peanuts"
Marcovaldo is Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, but funny
Marcovaldo is the book that makes you cry

If you had ever thought that you were creative
that you might be creative
that you will be creative
that you are really creative
think again.

This is a work that is simply magical to read. A collection of stories dealing with the imaginative dreamer, Marcovaldo, the book weaves a dreamscape around the protagonist's city life. Sometimes surreal, often funny, and sometimes poignant, Marcovaldo is a book that can work its way into your heart and remain with you. In the words of another reviewer who summed it up quite nicely: "There is a little Marcovaldo in all of us."