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Our Ancestors Series

This trilogy delves into absurdity and reflections on identity through fantastical narratives. Each novel features a unique character whose peculiar situation examines human nature and societal norms. The series is celebrated for its playful irony, philosophical depth, and timeless resonance.

Our Ancestors
Der Ritter, den es nicht gab
Invisible Cities
The Cloven Viscount

Recommended Reading Order

  1. The Cloven Viscount

    • 128 pages
    • 5 hours of reading

    The story follows Viscount Medardo of Terralba, who is bisected by a cannonball during a battle against the Turks. His two halves embark on contrasting paths: one indulges in a life of decadence and evil, while the other embodies virtue. As both halves vie for the affection of the same woman, their rivalry leads to increasingly outrageous antics. This novella showcases Calvino's unique blend of humor and fantasy, presenting a captivating exploration of identity and morality in a whimsically macabre setting.

    The Cloven Viscount1
    3.9

  2. Invisible Cities

    • 150 pages
    • 6 hours of reading

    "Kublai Khan does not necessarily believe everything Marco Polo says when he describes the cities visited on his expeditions, but the emperor of the Tartars does continue listening to the young Venetian with greater attention and curiosity than he shows any other messenger or explorer of his." So begins Italo Calvino's compilation of fragmentary urban images. As Marco tells the khan about Armilla, which "has nothing that makes it seem a city, except the water pipes that rise vertically where the houses should be and spread out horizontally where the floors should be," the spider-web city of Octavia, and other marvelous burgs, it may be that he is creating them all out of his imagination, or perhaps he is recreating details of his native Venice over and over again, or perhaps he is simply recounting some of the myriad possible forms a city might take.

    Invisible Cities2
    4.2

  3. Der Ritter, den es nicht gab

    Innen hohl, besteht Ritter Agilulf nur aus Rüstung, Kampfgeist und Pflichtgefühl: Das Musterbild eines ordentlichen Soldaten. Doch ausgerechnet diesen ergebensten Kämpfer Karls des Großen trifft der Verdacht, zu Unrecht zum Ritter geschlagen worden zu sein.

    Der Ritter, den es nicht gab3
    3.9

Related books

  • Our Ancestors

    • 388 pages
    • 14 hours of reading

    Viscount Medardo is bisected by a Turkish cannonball on the plains of Bohemia; Baron Cosimo, at the age of twelve, retires to the trees for the rest of his days; Charlemagne's knight, Agiluf, is an empty suit of armour. These three vivid images are the points of departure for Calvino's classic triptych of moral tales, now published in one volume and all displaying the exuberant talent of a master storyteller.

    Our Ancestors
    4.3