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Last Comes the Raven

By Italo Calvino
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Last Comes the Raven is a collection of short stories by Italo Calvino that captures the essence of post-war Italian life. Each tale explores profound themes through everyday characters and situations, infused with Calvino's unique blend of realism and imaginative storytelling. The collection provides a glimpse into the human condition during a time of cultural and social transformation.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this collection of stories if you're intrigued by vividly crafted narratives set against the backdrop of a conflict in post-World War II Italy. It offers sharp observations and poetic language that delve into the human condition, capturing both the bleakness and the resilience of the time. Fans of nuanced storytelling and explorations of existential themes might find this book particularly appealing.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A captivating, realist collection of Calvino's early stories.

These early short stories brim with the beauty of the Italian countryside and seaside, telling tales both sumptuous and unnerving.

Calvino's war-torn Italy is vivid, intense, almost hyper-real. A trio of greedy burglars rob a pastry shop, a boy offers a girl presents of toads and insects from the garden, a wealthy family invites a rustic goatherd to lunch, only to mock him. In every story, he reveals the hidden meaning beneath the surface of everyday life, and the ludicrousness of war.

Some stories from Last Comes the Raven have been previously available in the collection Adam, One Afternoon. This new expanded collection includes several stories newly translated by Ann Goldstein and is an important addition to Calvino's legacy.

In Last Comes the Raven, a collection of early stories, we find the man behind the magician - New Yorker

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Last Comes the Raven by Italo Calvino is celebrated for its beautifully translated stories, showcasing the author's inventive writing. Critics note Calvino's ability to merge physical immediacy with timeless allegory, providing tales that are both enchanting and thought-provoking. With a style reminiscent of the Brothers Grimm, his stories convey wonder, mystery, and life's terror through subtlety and economy. Readers will find a blend of irony, wit, and touches of surrealism, prompting feelings of sympathy and curiosity.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781784878214

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 August 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by Ann Goldstein
  • Translated by William Weaver
  • Translated by Archibald Colquhoun
  • Translated by Peggy Wright
  • Translated by Ben Johnson
  • Translated by William Weaver
  • Translated by William Weaver
  • Translated by Ann Goldstein
  • Translated by Archibald Colquhoun
  • Translated by Peggy Wright

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 184g

Pages: 256

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Fiction General Fiction Italo Calvino Literary Fiction Penguin Books

About the Author

Italo Calvino was born in Cuba in 1923 and grew up in Italy. He was an essayist and journalist and a member of the editorial staff of Einaudi in Turin. One of the most respected writers of the twentieth century, his best-known works of fiction include Invisible Cities, If on a Winter's Night a Traveller, Marcovaldo and Mr Palomar. In 1973 he won the prestigious Premio Feltrinelli. He died in 1985. A collection of Calvino's posthumous personal writings, The Hermit in Paris, was published in 2003.

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