Marcovaldo: or the Seasons in the City

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Summary: A wonderful piece of work
Review: Calvino truly has an imaginative pen! I love his work because he has the ability to create fantastic and magical worlds, even in seemingly the most mundane of places. That being said, this isn't my favorite calvino piece, but it is very entertaining. It follows Marcovaldo, a common laborer, through his misadventures in the city. Marcovaldo, like Calvino, has an eye for the unusual, and doesn't always stick to the conventional path. At times the humor seems a bit dated, but that is understandable, as it was written in the '60s (I believe) Perfect for a light read, or an introduction to Calvino, and all in all, a wonderful escape from the drab.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I love so much this book. Calvino shows us the dignity of marginal people with humour and love. You can read the book as an enjoyment, a reflexion, a comic, etc. Wonderful!!!!

Rating:
Summary: I loved this book
Review: I loved this book because funny and ironical things always happen to poor Marcovaldo. He always just wants to relax and enjoy life for what it is, but things get in his way. It is a short and very clever little book. It is funny in some parts, ironical and sad in other parts. I recommend this to a mature audience because I think you have to be older in order to appreciate it.

Rating:
Summary: I loved this book
Review: I loved this book because funny and ironical things always happen to poor Marcovaldo. He always just wants to relax and enjoy life for what it is, but things get in his way. It is a short and very clever little book. It is funny in some parts, ironical and sad in other parts. I recommend this to a mature audience because I think you have to be older in order to appreciate it.

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Summary: thank you italio calvino
Review: I read this book when I was very sad, and it gave me back the world.

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Summary: Touching and surreal
Review: I've read this book as a child. These surreal stories are a
marvel: poetic, tender, still realistic in telling the lives of simple, even poor people, pathethically struggling in the difficulties in a cold city, and yet humorous, cheerful of the scant victories and joys they can attain. These stories are filled whit a great love for humanity, and of a subtle sense of the surreality of life. A must read!

Rating:
Summary: OK, I am italian and proud of it, but...
Review: It is a nice book BUT my opinion is that it has been overrated, both in Italy and abroad.
Calvino wrote something much better, like "Il Barone rampante", etc.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: Read the book. It will keep your attention the whole time. There is a little Marcovaldo in all of us.

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Summary: Start your adventure with Calvino here
Review: this collection of stories makes me want to sit out on a sunny day and wonder at the world around me. enough said.

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Summary: Not his best...but still captivating
Review: We have all come to expect one thing from Calvino, an imaginative collection of short stories that come together to create an original novel full of intelligent humor, allusions to real life, and, most importantly, beautiful prose.
And this book does not disappoint.
We are presented with Marcovaldo--a down on his luck (constantly obvious) just above poverty working class man with a family he can't support. While this story may seem old, Calvino approaches it in a unique way. As the book progresses we see Marcovaldo hatch many, seemingly brilliant, plans to get rich only to have them fail miserably a few pages later. And all the while Marcovaldo, although down, catches glimpses of the subtle beauties of life, something that seems to be a trademark of Calvino.
All in all this is a very good book and definately worth the read (can probably be done in one sitting). If you only read one book by Calvino Invisible Cities is the way to go, but if you are looking to expand your library of Italian literature you won't be sorry with Marcovaldo.