Editing Invisible Cities

{{short description|1972 novel by Italo Calvino}}
{{About|the novel by Italo Calvino|the album of the same name|Invisible Cities (album)}}
{{multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=October 2011}}
{{Essay-like|date=October 2011}}

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{{infobox book | 
| name          = Invisible Cities
| title_orig    = Le città invisibili
| translator    = [[William Weaver]]
| image         = Image:InvisibleCities.jpg
| caption       = First edition
| author        = [[Italo Calvino]]
| illustrator   = 
| cover_artist  = [[René Magritte]], ''The Castle in the Pyrenees'', 1959
| country       = Italy
| language      = [[Italian (language)|Italian]]
| series        = 
| genre         = [[Postmodern novel]]<ref>Panigrahi, Sambit. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/44504640.pdf </ref><br>[[Magic realism]]
| publisher     = [[Giulio Einaudi]] 
| release_date  = 1972 
| english_release_date = 1974
| media_type    = Print ([[hardcover]] & [[paperback]])
| pages         = 165 pp (first English edition)
| isbn = 0-15-145290-3
| isbn_note = (first English edition)
| dewey= 853/.9/14
| congress= PZ3.C13956 In PQ4809.A45
| oclc= 914835
}} 
'''''Invisible Cities''''' ({{langx|it|'''Le città invisibili'''}}) is a [[postmodern novel]] by Italian writer [[Italo Calvino]]. It was published in Italy in 1972 by [[Giulio Einaudi]] Editore.

==Description==
The book is framed as a conversation between the [[Mongol Empire|Mongol emperor]] [[Kublai Khan]], and [[Marco Polo]]. The majority of the book consists of brief [[prose poetry|prose poems]] describing 55 fictitious cities that are narrated by Polo, many of which can be read as commentary on [[culture]], [[language]], [[time]], [[memory]], [[death]], or [[Human condition|human experience]] generally.

Short dialogues between Kublai and Polo are interspersed every five to ten cities discussing the same topics. These interludes between the two characters are no less poetically constructed than the cities, and form a [[framing device]] that plays with the natural complexity of language and stories. In the middle of the book, Kublai asks about a city Polo never mentioned, his hometown of [[Venice]]. Polo replied, "Every time I describe a city I am saying something about Venice."

==Historical background==

''Invisible Cities'' deconstructs an archetypal example of the [[travel literature]] genre, ''[[The Travels of Marco Polo]],'' which depicts the eponymous Venetian merchant's journey across [[Asia]] and in [[Yuan dynasty|Yuan China]] ([[Mongol Empire]]). The original 13th-century travelogue shares with Calvino's novel the brief, often fantastic accounts of the cities Polo claimed to have visited, along with descriptions of the city's inhabitants, notable [[international trade|imports and exports]], and stories by Polo about the region.

''Invisible Cities'' is an example of Calvino's use of [[combinatory literature]], and shows influences of [[semiotics]] and [[Structural linguistics|structuralism]]. In the novel, the reader finds themselves playing a game with the author, wherein they must find the patterns hidden in the book. The book has nine chapters, but there are also hidden divisions within the book: each of the 55 cities belongs to one of eleven thematic groups (explained below). The reader can therefore play with the book's structure, and choose to follow one group or another, rather than reading the book in chronological chapters. At a 1983 conference held at Columbia University, Calvino himself stated that there is no definite end to ''Invisible Cities'' because "this book was made as a [[polyhedron]], and it has conclusions everywhere, written along all of its edges."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Elpis|first=Bruno|date=2016|title=Le Città Invisibili di Italo Calvino|url=https://www.brunoelpis.it/recensioni/770-le-citta-invisibili-di-italo-calvino-qlibri|website=Bruno Elpis}}</ref>

==Structure==

Over the nine chapters, Marco describes a total of fifty-five cities, all women's names. The cities are divided into eleven thematic groups of five each:
# Cities & Memory
# Cities & Desire
# Cities & Signs
# Thin Cities
# Trading Cities
# Cities & Eyes
# Cities & Names
# Cities & the Dead
# Cities & the Sky
# Continuous Cities
# Hidden Cities

He moves back and forth between the groups, while moving down the list, in a rigorous mathematical structure. The table below lists the cities in order of appearance, along with the group they belong to:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Chapter no. !! Memory !! Desire !! Signs !! Thin !! Trading !! Eyes !! Names !! Dead !! Sky !! Continuous !! Hidden
|-
| rowspan="10" | 1 || Diomira ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
| Isidora ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  || Dorothea ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
| Zaira ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  || Anastasia ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  || Tamara||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
| Zora ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  || Despina ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  || Zirma ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  || Isaura ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
| rowspan="5" | 2 || Maurilia ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  || Fedora ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  || Zoe ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  || Zenobia ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  || Euphemia ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
| rowspan="5" | 3 ||  || Zobeide||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  || Hypatia ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  || Armilla ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  || Chloe||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Valdrada||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
| rowspan="5" | 4 ||  ||  || Olivia ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  || Sophronia ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  || Eutropia ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Zemrude ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Aglaura ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
| rowspan="5" | 5 ||  ||  ||  || Octavia ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  || Ersilia ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Baucis ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Leandra ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Melania ||  ||  || 
|-
| rowspan="5" | 6 ||  ||  ||  ||  || Esmeralda ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Phyllis ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Pyrrha ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Adelma ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Eudoxia ||  || 
|-
| rowspan="5" | 7 ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Moriana ||  ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Clarice ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Eusapia ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Beersheba ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Leonia || 
|-
| rowspan="5" | 8 ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Irene ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Argia ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Thekla ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Trude || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Olinda
|-
| rowspan="10" | 9 ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Laudomia ||  ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Perinthia ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Procopia || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Raissa
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Andria ||  || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Cecilia || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Marozia
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Penthesilea || 
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Theodora
|-
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || Berenice 
|}

In each of the nine chapters, there is an opening section and a closing section, narrating dialogues between the Khan and Marco. The descriptions of the cities lie between these two sections.

The matrix of eleven column themes and fifty-five subchapters (ten rows in chapters 1 and 9, five in all others) shows some interesting properties. Each column has five entries, rows only one, so there are fifty-five cities in all. The matrix of cities has a central element (Baucis). The pattern of cities is symmetric with respect to inversion about that center. Equivalently, it is symmetric against 180 degree rotations about Baucis. Inner chapters (2-8 inclusive) have diagonal cascades of five cities (e.g. Maurila through Euphemia in chapter 2). These five-city cascades are displaced by one theme column to the right as one proceeds to the next chapter. In order that the cascade sequence terminate (the book of cities is not infinite) Calvino, in chapter 9, truncates the diagonal cascades in steps: Laudomia through Raissa is a cascade of four cities, followed by cascades of three, two, and one, necessitating ten cities in the final chapter. The same pattern is used in reverse in chapter 1 as the diagonal cascade of cities is born. This strict adherence to a mathematical pattern is characteristic of the [[Oulipo]] literary group to which Calvino belonged.

==Awards==

The book was nominated for the [[Nebula Award for Best Novel]] in 1975.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://nebulas.sfwa.org/award-year/1975/ | title=1975 }}</ref>

==Opera==
''Invisible Cities'' (and in particular the chapters about Isidora, Armilla, and Adelma) is the basis for an opera by composer [[Christopher Cerrone]], first produced by The Industry<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theindustryla.org/|title=The Industry|website=theindustryla.org}}</ref> in October 2013 as an experimental production at [[Union Station (Los Angeles)|Union Station]] in [[Los Angeles]]. In this [[Site-specific theatre|site-specific]] production directed by [[Yuval Sharon]], the performers, including eleven musicians, eight singers, and eight dancers, were located in (or moved through) different parts of the train station, while the station remained open and operating as usual. The performance could be heard by about 200 audience members, who wore wireless [[headphones]] and were allowed to move through the station at will.<ref>Reed Johnson, [https://web.archive.org/web/20131030125552/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-invisible-cities-union-station,0,7320707,full.story#axzz2j1rdABKv "Union Station the platform for the opera 'Invisible Cities': The Industry opera company and L.A. Dance Project are presenting 'Invisible Cities' on a unique platform — Union Station train terminal — and beaming it through headphones."] ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', October 19, 2013.</ref><ref>Mark Swed, [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-invisible-cities-review-20131022,0,1096665.story#axzz2j1rdABKv "Review: An inward tour through 'Invisible Cities'"], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', October 21, 2013.</ref><ref>Jeffrey Marlow, [https://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/10/is-this-the-opera-of-the-future/ "Is This the Opera of the Future?"], ''[[Wired (website)|Wired]]'', October 22, 2013.</ref> An audio recording of the opera was released in November 2014.<ref>Jessica Gelt, [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-the-industry-starts-label-free-concert-20141001-story.html "The Industry starts label, to hold free concert at Union Station"], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', October 2, 2014.</ref><ref>Sandra Barrera, [http://www.dailynews.com/arts-and-entertainment/20141024/invisible-cities-is-first-release-for-the-industrys-new-record-label "'Invisible Cities' is first release for The Industry’s new record label"], ''[[Los Angeles Daily News]]'', October 24, 2014.</ref><ref>Julie Baumgardner, [http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/29/invisible-cities-opera-yuval-sharon-the-industry/?_r=0 "In a Busy Train Station, a Postmodern Opera Takes Shape"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', October 29, 2014.</ref> The opera was named a finalist for the [[2014 Pulitzer Prize]] for [[Pulitzer Prize for Music|Music]].<ref>[http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2014-Music The 2014 Pulitzer Prize Winners: Music], Pulitzer.org, April 14, 2014.</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Novels}}
{{wikiquote|Italo Calvino}}
* [[Roland Barthes]]
* ''[[The Decameron]]''
* [[Aarati Kanekar]]
* [[Oulipo]]
* [[Structuralism]]
* [[Surrealism]]
* [[Atlas des Géographes d'Orbæ|The Atlas des Géographes d'Orbæ]], a French young adult fiction series by François Place, blending storytelling with richly illustrated maps to depict an imaginative world.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/00/pwillen1/lit/citysum.htm Excerpts from ''Invisible Cities'']
* [http://www.jeanettewinterson.com/journalism/invisible-cities/ Review by Jeannette Winterson] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107045100/http://www.jeanettewinterson.com/journalism/invisible-cities/ |date=2015-01-07 }}
* [http://www.metafilter.com/42164/Italo-Calvino-sparks-obsessions Italo Calvino sparks obsessions]
* [http://workingpapers.wordpress.com/2007/06/07/welsh-coletta-erasing-invisible/ ''Erasing the Invisible Cities'' - essay by John Welsh, University of Virginia]
* [http://www.nybooks.com/articles/article-preview?article_id=9491 ''Fabulous Calvino'' by Gore Vidal in ''The New York Review of Books'' (Subscription Required)]
* [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9404E7DA1138F931A15752C0A962948260&scp=4&sq=Invisible+Cities+Calvino&st=nyt ''Calvino's Urban Allegories'' by Franco Ferrucci in ''The New York Times'']
* [http://rodcorp.typepad.com/rodcorp/2003/09/illustrated_inv.html ''Invisible Cities'' Illustrated]
* [http://www.fallt.com/invisiblecities Fällt - ''Invisible Cities'' - Portraits of the world's cities painted with sound]
* Silvestri, Paolo, "After-word. 'Invisible cities': which (good-bad) man? For which (good-bad) polity?", in P. Heritier, P. Silvestri (eds.), Good government, Governance and Human Complexity. Luigi Einaudi’s Legacy and Contemporary Society, Leo Olschki, Firenze, 2012, pp.&nbsp;313–332. [https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/59535.html After-word. 'Invisible cities': which (good-bad) man? For which (good-bad) polity?]

{{Italo Calvino}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1972 Italian novels]]
[[Category:Novels by Italo Calvino]]
[[Category:Postmodern novels]]
[[Category:Magic realism novels]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Kublai Khan]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Marco Polo]]
[[Category:Novels set in the 13th century]]
[[Category:Italian novels adapted into plays]]
[[Category:Novels about cities]]
[[Category:Italian historical novels]]
[[Category:Italian novels adapted into operas]]
[[Category:Site-specific theatre]]
[[Category:Oulipian works]]
[[Category:Giulio Einaudi Editore books]]