The Road to San Giovanni

In each other s presence we became mute, would walk in silence side by side along the road to San Giovanni. To my father s mind, words must serve as confirmations of things, and as signs of possession; to mine, they were foretastes of things barely glimpsed, not possessed, presumed. from "The Road t [...]
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In each other s presence we became mute, would walk in silence side by side along the road to San Giovanni. To my father s mind, words must serve as confirmations of things, and as signs of possession; to mine, they were foretastes of things barely glimpsed, not possessed, presumed. from "The Road to San Giovanni" In these autobiographical essays, published after Italo Calvino s death, the intellectually vibrant writer not only reflects on his own past, but also inquires into the very workings of memory itself. From the title essay s lyrical evocation of the author s relationship with his father, and a charming account of teenage years spent in the glow of the cinema screen, to Calvino s reminiscences of his experiences in the Italian Resistance during World War II and of his years in Paris, to his declaration of purpose as a writer in the final essay s visionary fragments, these five memory exercises are heartfelt, affecting, and wise. Brimming with Calvino s beautifully crafted prose, dry humor, and continual questioning ... Calvino has been very well served by his translator, Tim Parks. "Observer""