Why Read the Classics? by Italo Calvino
Why Read the Classics? is an elegant defence of the value of great literature by one of the finest authors of the last century. Beginning with an essay on the attributes that define a classic (number one - classics are those books that people always say they are 'rereading', not 'reading'), this is an absorbing collection of Italo Calvino's witty and passionate criticism.
Enthusiasm and intelligence: these are the essential qualities of the criticCalvino, himself a novelist of rare quality, possessed both generously. This is a book to read for itself, and also because it will send you back to other books to read, either again in a new way, or for the first time... Superb * Daily Telegraph *
This volume itself is a classic book at bedtime, a seductive invitation to forgotten opportunities or rereading * The Times *
A master’s guidance on everything from the ancient Greeks to Ernest Hemingway, proving that “a classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.” This timeless description applies to Calvino’s own books too -- John Self
This volume itself is a classic book at bedtime, a seductive invitation to forgotten opportunities or rereading * The Times *
A master’s guidance on everything from the ancient Greeks to Ernest Hemingway, proving that “a classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.” This timeless description applies to Calvino’s own books too -- John Self
Italo Calvino, one of Italy's finest postwar writers, has delighted readers around the world with his deceptively simple, fable-like stories. He was born in Cuba in 1923 and raised in San Remo, Italy; he fought for the Italian Resistance from 1943-45. His major works include Cosmicomics (1968), Invisible Cities (1972), and If on a winter's night a traveler (1979). He died in Siena in 1985.
Martin L. McLaughlin is Professor of Italian and Fiat-Serena Professor of Italian Studies at the University of Oxford where he is a Fellow of Magdalen College. In addition to his published academic works he is the English translator of Umberto Eco and Italo Calvino among many others.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780141189703 |
| ISBN 10 | 0141189703 |
| Title | Why Read the Classics? |
| Author | Italo Calvino |
| Series | Penguin Modern Classics |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Year published | 2009-05-28 |
| Number of pages | 288 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |