Michael Lampasona

From the introduction, I could tell this novel was unique. The description about all the different types of books available, as well as the ideal reading position showed that this book is not your everyday novel. I found the beginning particularly interesting, because at home I go to the bookstore fairly often, and I can relate to the description of each type of book.

As far as the plot goes, there does appear to be two separate plots. Each plot also goes off into side tangents. For example, the former Madame Marne was mentioned on page 20 in the first chapter. Obviously, the reader becomes curious about Madame Marne. Instead of simply telling us about her, Calvino goes off into a tangent about how the reader is now curious about the character. This style of writing is very interesting.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is the alternating story the one being read by the main character?
2. Are the two stories intertwined in any other way?