My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an adorable little book that my daughter was going to get rid of. Before donating it, I wanted to give it a go. And as soon as I started the first story, I was enthralled.
THE DISTANCE OF THE MOON is a charming & whimsical tale about a time when the moon was close enough to get to via a ladder, and it was possible to harvest moon milk.
This is the story of a particular group of people who go out every month to get on the moon, and the hidden desires they have. For there is one woman married to a man, wanted by another, and she has eyes for neither.
The wicked twist made the tale.
WITHOUT COLOURS is such a surreal story about the time when our planet was colourless & what happens when colour appears, but it isn't what everyone wants.
But at the heart of this tale is the unrequited love one man has for a woman who doesn't want change. And what can happen if you try to trick your heart's desire.
It's very peculiar.
AS LONG AS THE SUN LASTS is a little story that made me laugh! It's all about surviving in a constantly-changing universe. A family moving and adapting to new stars in order to survive.
But that's not what made me laugh. The funniest thing about this tale is the way the married couple relates to each other and seem to provide a blazing fire hotter than the sun.
Very clever.
IMPLOSION is an iteresting take on black holes. On time and space and everything in between. How things relate to each other, and the way things move.
Another nice little tale with a cool ending.
I REALLY enjoyed this collection of short stories. Every single one of them begins with a scientific fact about astronomy, and ends on a very human note.
The way these stories are written gives every story a whimsical, almost dreamy feel that swept me away and kept me intrigued, very much interested.
There are so many quirky features about the way Italo Calvino writes. And I especially liked the bizarre names, like Vhd Vhd and Xlthlx, or Qfwfq. Not to mention the humour. I giggled quite a few times. Or the wicked streak that caught me by surprise. But nothing is better than the human quality added to such SciFi-ish tales of wonder and wisdom.
I didn't expect to love these little stories as much as I did, but these little gems, combining scientific fact with fiction, are keepers. And enough to make me look into more of this author's mystical writing.
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