The Castle of Crossed Destinies

Calvino's writing is magical. Labyrinthine. I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I finished it.

I liked the idea of this more than the actual product. It's the kind of experimental novel you've come to expect from Calvino. A short but interesting read.

I've always said that a pack of tarot cards can be used for more things than just fortunes. Calvino's book proves this theory. In it, he descibes a Castle and an Inn, where things aren't always what they seem. People who stay at these places... lose their voices and cannot speak. Instead, after meals...they spend their time crafting their stories using only a pack of tarot cards and wild gestures. The narrator of these two entertwined, yet separate tales, helps us decipher the meanings of each person's story as it unfolds out on the table. The book even uses the images from two Marcelles decks to help tell the tales. I found this book oddly intriguing and as each story was told, I found myself trying to follow along with the pictures of the tarot. This particular edition of the book, included Notes about how these stories and a pack of tarot cards haunted his writing life for years. He was constantly trying to refine stories and the patterns utilizing all 78 cards. All in all, I'm glad I discovered this writer and will definitely try and read more Calvino in the future. This fits into my goals by giving me another work of fiction under my belt.