Elisabeth Jeremko If on a winter's...up to pg 90

For these chapters, I share many of the opinions expressed by others. I do not understand the significance of characters yet. Like Victoria, I wonder what role Ludmilla will play. In terms of Calvino's vision, I think the work is quite impressive. However, at this point in my reading, I am having trouble grasping finding a definitive placement for me, the reader, the narrator, and the characters into a logical, cohesive construction. We had talked about in class how Calvino likes to view literature in a deconstructed (right word?) fashion, where age-old, universal elements are elegantly put into combination to create works distinguishable from one another. For now, the novel is disconnected and hard to put together. I wonder if this is the kind of novel that can only be fully appreciated at its conclusion and/or with multiple readings.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1) Does Calvino have any intention to allow the reader to have an active role? Or is the reader always going to be subordinate to the direction of the writer?

2) When will the suitcase story reappear?

3) Do the worded (not numbered) chapters' titles have significance, beyond their mention in the plot? Maybe process of reading itself...?