Cosmicomics by Italo CalvinoMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Oh, the wacky world of Calvino, for whom history and science are playthings. Here in Cosmicomics Calvino takes on origins of the universe, manifesting in twelve creation myths of a sort. Most of the stories feature a narrative told by Qfwfq, and aged something-or-other that seems to have born witness to origins ranging from the universe itself to the development of the conch shell. This latter narrative is "The Spiral" and was the story I enjoyed the most. Each story begins with a italicized blurb of real science, which is then the springboard for Qfwfq's fanciful narratives. One of the most clever aspects is the anthropomorphizing of pre-anthro existence, and Calvino occasionally meditates on the value of "signs" before there were, "signs." This reflects, no doubt, the influence of Saussure, the Swiss semiotician who, along with Roland Barthes, had a significant impact on Calvino's literature. Calvino's imagination is boundless, and the stories are as much of love, unrequited and not, and microexistence, as they are of the actual devices that serve as the foci of each story.
I'm not sure this book will land well with everyone. I had started it almost sixteen years ago, and put it aside. I picked it up again because I knew I could start again and it is a digestible 153 pages. I'm glad I did, especially for the dry and quirky humor that is a trademark of Calvino. It must be noted that William Weaver's gifts as a translator are on full display (if you find yourself under-appreciating translation, I strongly recommend the wonderful Experiences in translation by Umberto Eco). Calvino asks for some investment, but if you walk through the door he opens, you'll likely be glad that you did.
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