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Italo Calvino is both the real author of If on a winter’s night a traveler, as well as a character within that novel who has written a novel called If on a winter’s night a traveler, which the Reader only sees a small portion of (if he sees it at all due to a printer error). In addition to being a playful joke, Calvino’s inclusion of himself in the novel shows how an author’s persona can affect the reading experience, suggesting that all authors characters in their novels to some extent.
Italo Calvino Quotes in If on a winter’s night a traveler
The If on a winter’s night a traveler quotes below are all either spoken by Italo Calvino or refer to Italo Calvino. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 1 Quotes
You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino’s new novel, If on a winter’s night a traveler. Relax. Concentrate. Dispel every other thought. Let the world around you fade.
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You prepare to recognize the unmistakable tone of the author. No. You don’t recognize it at all. But now that you think about it, who ever said this author had an unmistakable tone? On the contrary, he is known as an author who changes greatly from one book to the next. And in these very changes you recognize him as himself.
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Chapter 5 Quotes
You realize at once that Mr. Cavedagna is that person indispensable to every firm’s staff, on whose shoulders his colleagues tend instinctively to unload all the most complex and tricky jobs.
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Chapter 12 Quotes
And you say, “Just a moment, I’ve almost finished If on a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino.”
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Italo Calvino Character Timeline in If on a winter’s night a traveler
The timeline below shows where the character Italo Calvino appears in If on a winter’s night a traveler. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
The narrator tells you that you’re about to start Italo Calvino’s new novel, If on a winter’s night a traveler. The narrator suggests finding a comfortable...
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The narrator wonders if you’ll recognize the style of the author, Italo Calvino, who has a reputation for changing his style a lot from one book to the...
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If on a winter’s night a traveler
...the train station exists in the past, present, or future—perhaps the author (seemingly referring to Calvino) hasn’t even decided yet. Speaking in the first-person as the nameless man, the narrator speculates...
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...wonders what lies outside the train station, if there’s a city or if the author (Calvino) choose to leave it blank. The narrator supposes he must be some sort of subordinate,...
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Chapter 2
...letter from the publisher claiming that due to a printing error, some copies of Italo Calvino’s If on a winter’s night a traveler have gotten mixed together with Outside the town...
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Upon hearing this, you (the Reader) decide you’d rather read the Polish novel than Calvino’s. The bookseller says that’s fine. In fact, a young lady just asked to do the...
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...at the possibility that maybe the Bazakbhal book you’re about to buy will actually contain Calvino’s book. In case that happens, you and the Other Reader exchange phone numbers. You are...
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Chapter 12
...just about to finish your book, If on a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino.
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