What I Am Reading: "If on a winter's night a traveler" by Italo Calvino
This book, a contender for the most metafictional I've read, is about a reader (addressed in the second person) who, in the course of trying to finish a book, ends up reading the first chapters of ten different books. In most cases, he (or "you," if you prefer) is presented with a book that is promised to be the continuation or replacement of the book he has already read, but this book turns out accidentally, and eventually deliberately, to be an entirely new book. “You” become engrossed in the new book and wish to pursue its continuation, but the cycle repeats. In some of the earlier books, the text includes “your” reactions to it (“The novel begins in a railway station…a cloud of smoke hides part of the first paragraph.” (p.10)) but this is eventually dispensed with. Additionally, many of the books reuse character names, themes, or specific phrases.
The story of "your" reading is interspersed with the ten opening chapters. Over the course of "your" pursuit of these books, you come across another reader, Ludmilla, or the "Second Reader." She searches out some of the same books that you do, but turns out to be more deeply entwined in the plot than first indicated. The counterfeit books are the output of a translator named Ermes Marana, who is driven by
"jealousy of the invisible rival who came constantly between him and Ludmilla, the silent voice that speaks to her through books... all the more elusive since for Ludmilla authors are never incarnated in individuals of flesh and blood, they exist for her only in published pages, the living and the dead both are there always ready to communicate with her... How is it possible to defeat not the authors but the function of the author, the idea that behind each book there is someone who guarantees a fact of having invested in it his own truth, of having identified himself with that construction of words? Always...Ermes Marana dreamed of a literature made entirely of apocrypha, of false attributions, of imitations and counterfeits and pastiches... if a systematic uncertainty as to the identity of the writer had kept the reader from abandoning himself with trust - trust not so much in what was being told him as in the silent narrating voice - perhaps externally the edifice of literature would not have changed at all, but beneath, in the foundations, where the relationship between the reader and text is established, something would have changed forever. Then Ermes Marana would no longer have felt himself abandoned by Ludmilla absorbed in her reading: between the book and her there would always be insinuated the shadow of mystification, and he, identifying himself with every mystification, would have affirmed his presence." (p.159)
As you can tell, the novel has a lot of opinions on the relationship between writer, reader, and book. In the course of his pursuit, "you," the reader, travel to meet an Irish thriller writer, Silas Flannery, whom Marana has manipulated into serving as the figurehead of some of his false works. From there, "you" travel to South America, to a banana republic (Ataguitania) riven by conflict between revolutionaries and police, with double-, triple-, and quadruple-agents implied at every turn. In the end, even a library is unable to provide satisfaction (contrary to my usual experience), though the readers there do get to expound on their relationships with texts. The most fun in the novel is following Marana’s bewildering and contradictory array of letters and appearances laying out claims of books’ authorship, translations, or plagiarism (or some mix of the above). At one point, he claims in a letter to be producing the books because of a Scheherazade situation whereby if a Sultan’s wife stops reading, she will kick off a coup in their Middle Eastern kingdom.
Since, as all the page views for my post on Neverworld Wake attest to, I specialize in fictional titles, the books, their contents, origins, and fate, are as follows (capitalization is sic):
If on a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino
A spy arriving in a railroad station to find his contact has been disposed of.
Purchased normally; discontinued due to widespread printer’s error.
Outside the town of Malbork by Tazio Bazakbal
A peasant youth prepares to study abroad, scraps with his replacement.
Store gives accidentally instead of Traveler replacement; also printer’s error. Believed to be Polish, but locations mentioned are in “Cimmeria.”
Leaning from the steep slope by Ukko Ahti
Amateur astronomer unwittingly aids in escape from seaside prison.
Believed by professor of dead Cimmerian language (Bothno-Ugaric, by the way) to be origin of Malbork; is unfinished due to author’s suicide.
Without fear of wind or vertigo by Vorts Viljandi
Polyamory and betrayal in a besieged revolutionary city.
Asserted by opposing professor to be complete version of Leaning from “Cimbrian” author, same as Ahti but having crossed ethnic divide. Divvied up by radical student reading group so each had a section to study.
Looks down in the gathering shadow by Bertrand Vandervelde
Con artist disposes of his rival’s corpse.
Provided by publisher in response to inquiries; half is lost in office’s massive clutter. Originated with Marana, accompanied by letter cache.
In a network of lines that enlace by Silas Flannery
Jogging professor haunted by telephones ringing in passing houses.
Found in Ludmilla’s house, taken by her friend the art student and turned into art piece. This is when “you” learn of Ludmilla’s knowledge of Marana.
In a network of lines that intersect by Silas Flannery
Billionaire achieves his fortune and orders his life by principles of mirrors, kaleidoscopes, and illusions.
Mistaken for prior Flannery novel; after interlude on Flannery’s writer’s block and the death of the author, is stolen from “you” by UFO cultists that Flannery directed “your” way.
On the carpet of leaves illuminated by the moon by Takakumi Ikoka
Predatory professor traps student by getting him involved in a love triangle with professor’s wife, daughter.
Japanese novel Flannery passes off to “you” as continuation of Intersect. Implied to be provided by Marana directly as part of his hoodwinking of Flannery.
Around an empty grave by Calixto Bandera
Youth returns to home estate, creates bad blood trying to determine if he is offspring of masters or servants.
First given on flight by double agent corresponding to Ludmilla’s sister (who had a computer-assisted view of reading previously, thinking word frequency explained everything about a given book). After arrest, copy provided by Ataguitanian prison library computer to run test on reader.
What story down there awaits its end? by Anatoly Anatolin
Man accidentally disappears the whole world; can’t bring it back this time.
New underground book “you” are sent by leaders of Ircania to obtain as part of censorship cartel (having been sent to Ircania as spy by Ataguitanians); author can only hand you part before he is arrested.