This is the blog -- the electronic home -- for Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition for the class of two-thousand eleven at Gloucester (MA) High School.
You are the main character in If On A Winter’s Night a Traveler. It is not your average novel to say the least. The narration differs from section to section, the characters are scattered, and it can often be confusing. But above all, my intrigue has furthered as the reading has progressed.
Tori and Adrian, I wonder if you also noticed that there is a connection between Calvino’s narcissim that is indicated through you (the reader) and Ludmilla, as well as the connection between the chapters narrated as the reader and stories that follow each chapter. I’m start to thinking that Calvino was of a narcissistic nature.
Calvino exercises his creative abilities as the “stories in between sroies” differe greatly from one to the next. Though the book is creatively versatile, the narcissism is becoming avidly more present because of the amount of shape shifting the book does. Calvino’s “stories in between the stories” progress in analytical difficulty but also make connections to what is happening to the reader. Through all this, I cannot help but think, “How great does this guy think he is with his abilities to shape shift like this?”
Or maybe I’m just crazy and jealous, who’s to say either way?
Further into my reading, I tried to focus less on the narcissism of Calvino, and more on what he’s trying to say. As this is in author study, I tried to link the themes and motifs from Invisible Cities with If on a winter’s night a traveler.
Existentialism is a 20th century philosophy concerned with human existence, finding self, and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. The belief that people are searching to find out who and what they are throughout life as they make choices based on their experiences, beliefs, and outlook without the help of laws, ethnic rules, or traditions.
Invisible Cities focuses on the idea of existence and idealism, but there are also aspects of existentialism, in reference to existence and what realms of existence there are. Not to mention what Kublai is anticipating throughout the novel since it takes place during the collapse of his empire.
Since Ludmilla, the Other Reader, was introduced into the story, the Reader has struggled to figure what truly drives her. You, the Other Reader, wrap your mind around the very idea of Ludmilla, and out of all the happenings and stories and the novel chase from one to the next, why is she the only constant? And for that matter, why is the only constant the one you cannot fully interpret?
As the plot thickens as the Reader, Ludmilla, the Other Reader, have an affair. Well, YOU or I have an affair with Ludmilla and there are references to being able to unravel a human in the same sense as analyzing a good book.
“Lovers’ reading of each other’s bodies (of that concentrate of mind and body which lovers use to go to bed together) differs from the reading of written pages in that it is not linear. It starts at any point, skips, repeats itself, goes back ward, insists, ramifies in simultaneous and divergent messages, converges again, has moments of irritation, turns the page, finds its place, gets lost. A direction can be recognized in it, a route to an end, since it tends toward a climax, and with this end in view it arranges rhythmic phases, metrical scansions, recurrence of motives. But is the climax really the end? Or is the race toward that end opposed by another drive that works in the opposite direction, swimming against the moments, recovering time?” (Calvino 156)
Furthermore, Calvino is not so much focusing on the idea of existence but on the interpretation of one human to another and what they make of it. The “lover’s reading of each other’s bodies” holds values of existentialism through the idea that there are two juxtaposing forces in an intimate fair. One is pulling away from the idea of developing feels for the other. The other force is doing just the opposite of that, “swimming against the moments”, and trying to pull one another close into a closer analysis of the other.
An affair can be what you make of it; it can end gloriously or go up in flames and “get lost” so to speak. Existentialism exists in the realm of affection and the skewing of it that can take place through the analogy of two lovers.
When it comes to literature, Ludmilla knows what she likes and know her boundaries between that of the reader of a book and the writer of a book. She just gets it, and the reader is interested that he has found somebody that is just as passionate about literature as he is.
I don’t really see narcissism, but I do think that Calvino tried a little too hard with the general plot line. He wanted to create this one story that had multiple stories in it that all have links to each other. At the beginning, the uniqueness of the way the story is set up was interesting, but after a couple chapters, it becomes predictable. Main character reads book, story comes to a sudden halt because of some unfortunate misprinting, etc, character goes to find the rest of the book, is given a book that has nothing to do with the original book in question. Repeat that about 10 times.
I agree that the books are all very different from each other, especially “In a network of lines that intersect”, “On the carpet of leaves illuminated by the moon” and “Around an empty grave.” What is going on in these stories? I don’t understand how they connect, the other stories all seem to have some similar flow of ideas and themes.
I agree that the book as a whole gets progressively more difficult to interpret. I also tried to link this book to Invisible Cities but couldn’t really link it except for the last story, “What story down there awaits its end?” I think that chapter deals with existence the most because the character is erasing things from existence. I think Calvino intentionally wanted to go in a completely different direction with If on a winter’s night a traveler, I just don't really understand what that direction is.
This book is like an episode of Lost, I have so many questions.
The relationship between Ludmilla and Lotaria: What’s going on here? Why does Lotaria dislike her sister so much, I feel like there’s something deeper going on there than the book describes.
Crazy characters: Examples… - Guy at the train station in “If on a winter’s night a traveler” is paranoid that he missed something in the plan of action. - Main character in “Leaning from a steep slope” is clinically crazy which is why he is Petkwo in the first place. - Professor in “In a network of lines that enlace” is paranoid because he thinks that every time a telephone rings it is for him to answer, even if it his not ringing in his own house. My question is, why so many crazy and/or paranoid people in your stories, Calvino? What does that say about the author himself?
Death Almost every story has something to do with death. Death of a family member, murder, etc. Just another connecting theme I noticed. Again, Calvino, why so much death? What does that say about the author? From what I'm gathering, Calvino is crazy and a little bit depressed.
Ermes Marana: WHAT IS HIS DEAL? I don’t understand him or the apocrypha, but I know that he plays an important role in the story concerning the Reader and Ludmilla. I was wondering/hoping that my fellow group members could help me grasp the concept.
I think my favorite story is “Leaning from the steep slope.” My least favorite is “On the carpet of leaves an illuminating moon.” What is your favorite, least favorite?
I liked Chapter 7 a lot because it gives the reader (myself) a bit of insight on to who Ludmilla is based upon her apartment and her material things. The Reader and Ludmilla have an affair, but it also describes them on an intimate level. Chapter 7 has a lot to do with the development of the relationship between Ludmilla and the Reader.
I also enjoyed Chapter 8, “From the diary of Silas Flannery.” I feel like it brings together all the characters in the continuous story. It helped me get a better understanding of what the apocrpyta was all about and who Marana is in relation to the Reader and Ludmilla.
I like the ending a lot. I’m glad that Ludmilla and the Reader end up married and that the Reader gets to finish reading “If on a winter’s night a traveler.” The story ended really abruptly, which I was not expecting at all. I was kind of expecting a cliffhanger, considering the fact that the entire book is filled with them. However, Chapter 12 brought a little bit of closure for me.
Adrian, where are you!? I’ve heard Ellie’s thoughts, but I’d like to hear yours :)
Okay Tori to conclude, towards the end of the book, there is an obvious significance of death in the stories and also life (He marries Ludmilla). But also SEX!
About halfway through the stories there is some kind of sexual act or perverse thought that takes place and it started to become incredibly prevalent and almost kind of annoying and uncomfortable perverse. After he sleeps with Ludmilla, the element of sex is introduced and it takes its side with Ludmilla because it is a natural act. And we well know, Ludmilla believes in the natural world of reading.
Furthermore, to conclude my blog posting, I think we should hear Adrian's views on the matter.
I used 156 too, the significance and sense of connectivity is way too obvious to go ignored or to be left in the mere text of the book, that's why it's going in the text of my quotation response journal.
Sorry I was late to post this up here guys, I’ve been sick and I got home from practice last night and had to finish some other homework and then I passed out. In any case, I just wanted to start off this blog post by saying that I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Honestly, there wasn’t a moment that I wanted to put it down (not that I had an option anyway because I started reading a bit later than I should have). Regardless, the book from the very start was like nothing I had ever read before. You are throw into a world in which the reader (you) is/are trying to read a book titled “If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler” and from that set up the book takes off. One small thing that I noticed is that in every odd chapter the book is adumbrating what you (the readers) are doing in preparation for reading the book itself and the even chapters give the plot of “If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler”. I’d have to say that the height of this novel (for me anyway) is the point at which (you or I…THE READER!) has an affair with the other reader, Ludmilla. “Lovers’ reading of each other’s bodies (of that concentrate of mind and body which lovers use to go to bed together) differs from the reading of written pages in that it is not linear.” (Calvino, 156). The quote above shows that Calvino is trying to bring to light the relationship between two individuals and show that it takes time to develop and that it is what the beholder makes of it. (To be continued…)
You are the main character in If On A Winter’s Night a Traveler. It is not your average novel to say the least. The narration differs from section to section, the characters are scattered, and it can often be confusing. But above all, my intrigue has furthered as the reading has progressed.
ReplyDeleteTori and Adrian, I wonder if you also noticed that there is a connection between Calvino’s narcissim that is indicated through you (the reader) and Ludmilla, as well as the connection between the chapters narrated as the reader and stories that follow each chapter. I’m start to thinking that Calvino was of a narcissistic nature.
Calvino exercises his creative abilities as the “stories in between sroies” differe greatly from one to the next. Though the book is creatively versatile, the narcissism is becoming avidly more present because of the amount of shape shifting the book does. Calvino’s “stories in between the stories” progress in analytical difficulty but also make connections to what is happening to the reader. Through all this, I cannot help but think, “How great does this guy think he is with his abilities to shape shift like this?”
Or maybe I’m just crazy and jealous, who’s to say either way?
Further into my reading, I tried to focus less on the narcissism of Calvino, and more on what he’s trying to say. As this is in author study, I tried to link the themes and motifs from Invisible Cities with If on a winter’s night a traveler.
ReplyDeleteExistentialism is a 20th century philosophy concerned with human existence, finding self, and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. The belief that people are searching to find out who and what they are throughout life as they make choices based on their experiences, beliefs, and outlook without the help of laws, ethnic rules, or traditions.
Invisible Cities focuses on the idea of existence and idealism, but there are also aspects of existentialism, in reference to existence and what realms of existence there are. Not to mention what Kublai is anticipating throughout the novel since it takes place during the collapse of his empire.
Since Ludmilla, the Other Reader, was introduced into the story, the Reader has struggled to figure what truly drives her. You, the Other Reader, wrap your mind around the very idea of Ludmilla, and out of all the happenings and stories and the novel chase from one to the next, why is she the only constant? And for that matter, why is the only constant the one you cannot fully interpret?
As the plot thickens as the Reader, Ludmilla, the Other Reader, have an affair. Well, YOU or I have an affair with Ludmilla and there are references to being able to unravel a human in the same sense as analyzing a good book.
ReplyDelete“Lovers’ reading of each other’s bodies (of that concentrate of mind and body which lovers use to go to bed together) differs from the reading of written pages in that it is not linear. It starts at any point, skips, repeats itself, goes back ward, insists, ramifies in simultaneous and divergent messages, converges again, has moments of irritation, turns the page, finds its place, gets lost. A direction can be recognized in it, a route to an end, since it tends toward a climax, and with this end in view it arranges rhythmic phases, metrical scansions, recurrence of motives. But is the climax really the end? Or is the race toward that end opposed by another drive that works in the opposite direction, swimming against the moments, recovering time?” (Calvino 156)
Furthermore, Calvino is not so much focusing on the idea of existence but on the interpretation of one human to another and what they make of it. The “lover’s reading of each other’s bodies” holds values of existentialism through the idea that there are two juxtaposing forces in an intimate fair. One is pulling away from the idea of developing feels for the other. The other force is doing just the opposite of that, “swimming against the moments”, and trying to pull one another close into a closer analysis of the other.
An affair can be what you make of it; it can end gloriously or go up in flames and “get lost” so to speak. Existentialism exists in the realm of affection and the skewing of it that can take place through the analogy of two lovers.
My thoughts on Ellie's posts...
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to literature, Ludmilla knows what she likes and know her boundaries between that of the reader of a book and the writer of a book. She just gets it, and the reader is interested that he has found somebody that is just as passionate about literature as he is.
I don’t really see narcissism, but I do think that Calvino tried a little too hard with the general plot line. He wanted to create this one story that had multiple stories in it that all have links to each other. At the beginning, the uniqueness of the way the story is set up was interesting, but after a couple chapters, it becomes predictable. Main character reads book, story comes to a sudden halt because of some unfortunate misprinting, etc, character goes to find the rest of the book, is given a book that has nothing to do with the original book in question. Repeat that about 10 times.
More thoughts on Ellie's posts...
ReplyDeleteI agree that the books are all very different from each other, especially “In a network of lines that intersect”, “On the carpet of leaves illuminated by the moon” and “Around an empty grave.” What is going on in these stories? I don’t understand how they connect, the other stories all seem to have some similar flow of ideas and themes.
I agree that the book as a whole gets progressively more difficult to interpret.
I also tried to link this book to Invisible Cities but couldn’t really link it except for the last story, “What story down there awaits its end?” I think that chapter deals with existence the most because the character is erasing things from existence. I think Calvino intentionally wanted to go in a completely different direction with If on a winter’s night a traveler, I just don't really understand what that direction is.
I used (Calvino 156) in my journal :)
This book is like an episode of Lost, I have so many questions.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between Ludmilla and Lotaria: What’s going on here? Why does Lotaria dislike her sister so much, I feel like there’s something deeper going on there than the book describes.
Crazy characters: Examples…
- Guy at the train station in “If on a winter’s night a traveler” is paranoid that he missed something in the plan of action.
- Main character in “Leaning from a steep slope” is clinically crazy which is why he is Petkwo in the first place.
- Professor in “In a network of lines that enlace” is paranoid because he thinks that every time a telephone rings it is for him to answer, even if it his not ringing in his own house.
My question is, why so many crazy and/or paranoid people in your stories, Calvino? What does that say about the author himself?
Death
Almost every story has something to do with death. Death of a family member, murder, etc. Just another connecting theme I noticed. Again, Calvino, why so much death? What does that say about the author? From what I'm gathering, Calvino is crazy and a little bit depressed.
Ermes Marana: WHAT IS HIS DEAL? I don’t understand him or the apocrypha, but I know that he plays an important role in the story concerning the Reader and Ludmilla. I was wondering/hoping that my fellow group members could help me grasp the concept.
Here’s what I liked…
ReplyDeleteI think my favorite story is “Leaning from the steep slope.” My least favorite is “On the carpet of leaves an illuminating moon.” What is your favorite, least favorite?
I liked Chapter 7 a lot because it gives the reader (myself) a bit of insight on to who Ludmilla is based upon her apartment and her material things. The Reader and Ludmilla have an affair, but it also describes them on an intimate level. Chapter 7 has a lot to do with the development of the relationship between Ludmilla and the Reader.
I also enjoyed Chapter 8, “From the diary of Silas Flannery.” I feel like it brings together all the characters in the continuous story. It helped me get a better understanding of what the apocrpyta was all about and who Marana is in relation to the Reader and Ludmilla.
I like the ending a lot. I’m glad that Ludmilla and the Reader end up married and that the Reader gets to finish reading “If on a winter’s night a traveler.” The story ended really abruptly, which I was not expecting at all. I was kind of expecting a cliffhanger, considering the fact that the entire book is filled with them. However, Chapter 12 brought a little bit of closure for me.
Adrian, where are you!? I’ve heard Ellie’s thoughts, but I’d like to hear yours :)
Okay Tori to conclude, towards the end of the book, there is an obvious significance of death in the stories and also life (He marries Ludmilla). But also SEX!
ReplyDeleteAbout halfway through the stories there is some kind of sexual act or perverse thought that takes place and it started to become incredibly prevalent and almost kind of annoying and uncomfortable perverse. After he sleeps with Ludmilla, the element of sex is introduced and it takes its side with Ludmilla because it is a natural act. And we well know, Ludmilla believes in the natural world of reading.
Furthermore, to conclude my blog posting, I think we should hear Adrian's views on the matter.
I used 156 too, the significance and sense of connectivity is way too obvious to go ignored or to be left in the mere text of the book, that's why it's going in the text of my quotation response journal.
Adrian where are youuuuu? :)
ReplyDeleteSorry I was late to post this up here guys, I’ve been sick and I got home from practice last night and had to finish some other homework and then I passed out. In any case, I just wanted to start off this blog post by saying that I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Honestly, there wasn’t a moment that I wanted to put it down (not that I had an option anyway because I started reading a bit later than I should have). Regardless, the book from the very start was like nothing I had ever read before. You are throw into a world in which the reader (you) is/are trying to read a book titled “If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler” and from that set up the book takes off. One small thing that I noticed is that in every odd chapter the book is adumbrating what you (the readers) are doing in preparation for reading the book itself and the even chapters give the plot of “If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler”. I’d have to say that the height of this novel (for me anyway) is the point at which (you or I…THE READER!) has an affair with the other reader, Ludmilla. “Lovers’ reading of each other’s bodies (of that concentrate of mind and body which lovers use to go to bed together) differs from the reading of written pages in that it is not linear.” (Calvino, 156). The quote above shows that Calvino is trying to bring to light the relationship between two individuals and show that it takes time to develop and that it is what the beholder makes of it. (To be continued…)
ReplyDelete