If on a Winter's Night a Traveler

By: Italo Calvino

Narrated by: Jefferson Mays

Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Italo Calvino imagines a novel capable of endless mutations in this intricately crafted story about writing and readers. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler turns out to be not one novel but 10, each with a different plot, style, ambience, and author, and each interrupted at a moment of suspense. Together they form a labyrinth of literatures, known and unknown, alive and extinct, through which two readers, a male and a female, pursue both the story lines that intrigue them and one another.

©1979 Giulio Einaudi Editore, S.p.A., Torino; 1981 Harcourt, Inc. (translation) (P)2017 Recorded Books

Personal favorite!

My all time person favorite book in spoken word! Listening to it was a whole new experience to just reading it! Loved the narration!!

Intellectual exercise

This book is more of an exploration of reading than a novel. Calvino’s examination of authors, readers and reading evolves through a strange puzzle of unfinished novels and a reader’s search for the rest of each story. The novel may be intellectually brilliant, but it does not make the best story to listen to for entertainment . Unless you are seeking a literary challenge, I recommend this only as a great book to fall asleep to.

Narrator was great

While it was amusing and funny at first, it started to get old when the same obstacle kept repeating itself. By the half way point I was getting pretty exasperated and antsy for the book to just end especially with the random and uncomfortable pornographic scenes. It was very intellectual and sharp but just a little to random and unfocused for my taste. The narrator did a great job though.

Was difficult to listen to.

My mind kept wandering. I found the book a dull. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had read the book instead of listening to it. The story skipped around and was difficult for me to follow without having visual cues.

After finishing the book, you, the reader, sit do

After finishing the book, you, the reader, sit down to try to quantify how exactly you feel about a book like this one.

Unusual, but thought-provoking

In a parallel to life, I loved some of these stories and disliked others. I felt Ludmilla disappeared in the last third. This is a book I need to listen to more than once. So complex any mysterious.

An experience hard to find! Objectively beautiful!

Here we have great naration accompanied with clean audio. There are no chips or qirks in the production. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has given me a new perspective on writing. The 4th wall is abducted to offer an intimate point of view of the novelist. The book explores the uncreated "idea" of the story. This is not a casual read and if you reader, are prepared to strain your brain, it's right here, the book that you've been looking for.

Amazing story development

I absolutely loved this book, one of the most surprising story developments in anything I’ve ever read. Just don’t try and explain the plot line to anyone who hasn’t read it.

Engage Brain into Gear Before Beginning

Don't pick this one if you need a bit of brain candy, it won't be your cup of tea. However if you love books for the sake of books and don't mind putting some investment into a non-linear story, the pay-off is worth it. The author's tongue is planted firmly in cheek, so you'll probably enjoy it if "Candide" evoked an ironic smirk from you.

Reading at all times informs our lives

A book that will entertain you, inform you, and engross you. That is correct, “you” the Reader is being addressed and part of this wonderful tour de force. I read most of the book simultaneously listening to the audio and think that it worked very well that way.