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29th out of 87 books
—
114 voters
The Nonexistent Knight & The Cloven Viscount
Two novellas: the first, a parody of medieval knighthood told by a nun; the second, a fantasy about a nobleman bisected into his good and evil halves. “Bravura pieces... executed with brilliance and brio”(Chicago Tribune). Translated by Archibald Colquhoun. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book
Originally published as two distint volumes: 'Il visconte dimezzato' (1952) and 'Il cavali...more
Paperback, 264 pages
Published
March 28th 1977
by Mariner Books
(first published 1952)
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This is the third time I've read *The Cloven Viscount* -- one of the very few books I've read three times. This short novel is the first in a loose trilogy of madly inventive tales called OUR ANCESTORS and is a fitting start to one of the most amazing story cycles in literary history!
*The Cloven Viscount* tells the bizarre tale of Medardo, Viscount of Terralba, who is bisected by a cannonball during the wars against the Turks. Both halves of him survive independently: in one side is gathered all...more
*The Cloven Viscount* tells the bizarre tale of Medardo, Viscount of Terralba, who is bisected by a cannonball during the wars against the Turks. Both halves of him survive independently: in one side is gathered all...more
these novellas were written early in calvino's career, yet are colored with many of the literary elements for which he'd come to be known and loved. a fabulist of the highest order, italo's tales are gently conveyed, with nary a smidgen of sanctimoniousness to be found. with unassuming literary prowess and ample humor, calvino (whose snubbing by the swedish academy is unpardonable) possessed one of the most unique imaginations (to say nothing of styles) in all of modern literature.
both the nonex...more
both the nonex...more
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Last night, I finished the first novella in this book, Calvino's The Nonexistent Night, and as Calvino stands among my favorite novelists, I can't say a bad word about it.
The story revolves around a suit of armor with nothing inside except the nonexistent knight of Charlemagne's army, Agilulf, who (dis)embodies chivalric perfection. With tender wit and subtle humor, Cavlino traces the adventures of Agilulf as he travels throughout Europe and North Africa to prove the chastity of a virgin he'd s...more
The story revolves around a suit of armor with nothing inside except the nonexistent knight of Charlemagne's army, Agilulf, who (dis)embodies chivalric perfection. With tender wit and subtle humor, Cavlino traces the adventures of Agilulf as he travels throughout Europe and North Africa to prove the chastity of a virgin he'd s...more
Italo Calvino is a brilliant comic writer, and I love reading his tales, which seem plucked from the Italian countryside. He's not afraid to be bizarre, too, as in the first story, which recounts the exploits of an animate suit of armor in Charlemagne's army--so dignified and courteous, yet ambivalent of his own nonexistence. His love scenes, creaking in full, hollow armor, are quite funny. The second story involves a viscount who gets torn in half by a cannonball while fighting the Ottoman Turk...more
Calvino, Italo. “THE NONEXISTENT KNIGHT” and “THE CLOVEN VISCOUNT.” (1959, 1951). ***.
Calvino, born in Cuba but raised in Italy, was a prolific writer of stories, novels, and poems. He is best known for his short “fables” based on both Italian folklore and on legends of the knights of medieval fame. The two fables in this book are Calvino’s take-offs on the themes of knights and their honor. “The Nonexistent Knight” tells of Sir Agilulf, a knight who has all the appurtenances of knighthood, but...more
Calvino, born in Cuba but raised in Italy, was a prolific writer of stories, novels, and poems. He is best known for his short “fables” based on both Italian folklore and on legends of the knights of medieval fame. The two fables in this book are Calvino’s take-offs on the themes of knights and their honor. “The Nonexistent Knight” tells of Sir Agilulf, a knight who has all the appurtenances of knighthood, but...more
Calvino is my master. There is no better writer of tales. I really have to give credit to this Archibald Colquhoun, who translated most of what I've read by the man.
'The Nonexistent Knight' is Calvino's funniest story. A perfectionist knight, an empty suit of armor, can only retain being from constant organization and thoughtfulness. Just thinking of this character's precision makes me smile. He sits at table with other knights, mincing his food into neat rows that he stacks and reorganizes, shi...more
'The Nonexistent Knight' is Calvino's funniest story. A perfectionist knight, an empty suit of armor, can only retain being from constant organization and thoughtfulness. Just thinking of this character's precision makes me smile. He sits at table with other knights, mincing his food into neat rows that he stacks and reorganizes, shi...more
I've long meant to give Calvino a try as his name is always mentioned in the company of other magic realists and fabulists that I like. I decided on this one simply because I found a nice copy used. Unfortunately, I didn't like it very much and I wonder if I just got the wrong book to give Calvino a fair try.
This is two novellas that showcase why he's considered a magic realist, and they do meet at least my definition of that term. In "The Nonexistent Knight," the titular character Agilulf is in...more
This is two novellas that showcase why he's considered a magic realist, and they do meet at least my definition of that term. In "The Nonexistent Knight," the titular character Agilulf is in...more
Except, my book only contained The Nonexistent Knight. I was kind of disapointed at first, as I thought that one exceptional (as in out of the oridnary) character was enough for such a novel. I think one approach could be, as they say, a critic view of the medieval times from a nun point of view, but I do not think this is the primary level. The time is chosen to be medieval as then there were times that allow people to have ideals different from those of our days. The ideal (the nonexistent kni...more
Calvino's Cavaliere inesistente and Visconte dimezzato are both parts of his trilogy "Our Ancestors" (along with Barone rampante). These three works are, in my opinion, his most "modern" works. They deal with fantastical characters that are thrust into reality and shows the ways that they become part of society.
In the case of the knight, who is a 'perfect' knight who lacks only the body inside his armor, this turns out to be impossible, since his existence is predicated on something that is not...more
In the case of the knight, who is a 'perfect' knight who lacks only the body inside his armor, this turns out to be impossible, since his existence is predicated on something that is not...more
The Cloven Viscount is a novella by the famed Italian writer Italo Calvino. Together with The Baron in the Trees, and the Nonexistent Knight, it forms Calvino’s popular Our Ancestors Trilogy.
The Cloven Viscount
The Cloven Viscount is a fantastic novella about a Viscount who is exactly as the name implies – cloven. At the start of the novel, an unfortunate accident befalls Viscount Medardo on the battlefield in a war between Christians and Turks.
Miserable upon finding himself split in half, Medard...more
The Cloven Viscount
The Cloven Viscount is a fantastic novella about a Viscount who is exactly as the name implies – cloven. At the start of the novel, an unfortunate accident befalls Viscount Medardo on the battlefield in a war between Christians and Turks.
Miserable upon finding himself split in half, Medard...more
I had tried to read another book by Calvino before, and could not get through the first ten pages. This time I was determined; I heard these two tales were his best, etc. Well, I struggled through them and made it, but I am not sure if I will ever read Calvino again. The writing did seem clunky, and I also wondered if this is due to translation, early career, or just simply a stylistic choice on Calvino's part. When the language is not there, it is hard to find the motivation to continue for me,...more
Translated by Archibald Colquhoun.
"The Cloven Viscount." In the late Middle Ages, a viscount off fighting the Turks is split down the middle by a cannonball. When he returns, half a man, he is pure evil --— but then his other half comes, beatifically good. This is part of the trilogy containing The Baron In the Trees which I read over a decade ago. Almost cheerfully told, at times very much like one of Grimm’s fables, the book might be interpreted as an allegory for the good and evil in man, or...more
"The Cloven Viscount." In the late Middle Ages, a viscount off fighting the Turks is split down the middle by a cannonball. When he returns, half a man, he is pure evil --— but then his other half comes, beatifically good. This is part of the trilogy containing The Baron In the Trees which I read over a decade ago. Almost cheerfully told, at times very much like one of Grimm’s fables, the book might be interpreted as an allegory for the good and evil in man, or...more
In “The Nonexistent Knight and the Cloven Viscount,” Italo Calvino offers two novellas that dazzle and amuse. As delightfully far-fetched as these fables are, there’s always a touching humanity about the characters, even those who aren’t exactly human.
Inhuman but Humane
“The Nonexistent Knight” is none other than Agilulf Emo Bertrandin of the Guildivern and of the Others of Corbentraz and Sura, Knight of Selimpia Citeriore and Fez: an empty suit of white armor that speaks with a metallic voice...more
Inhuman but Humane
“The Nonexistent Knight” is none other than Agilulf Emo Bertrandin of the Guildivern and of the Others of Corbentraz and Sura, Knight of Selimpia Citeriore and Fez: an empty suit of white armor that speaks with a metallic voice...more
None of the dreamy quality of Invisible Cities or the off-kilterness of Mr. Palomar. It's a pretty good parody of knights-in-armor tales, but I just couldn't get into it.
I also wonder how much translation comes into it. This one was translated by Archibald Colquhoun, whereas the other two I've read were translated by William Weaver. The writing in The Nonexistant Knight was much more clunky than in the others, and I'm not sure how much is because it was early in Calvino's career, and how much is...more
I also wonder how much translation comes into it. This one was translated by Archibald Colquhoun, whereas the other two I've read were translated by William Weaver. The writing in The Nonexistant Knight was much more clunky than in the others, and I'm not sure how much is because it was early in Calvino's career, and how much is...more
Two wonderful tales, though they lack the mind-blowing thought processes of Calvino's later works, owing more to Italian Folktales than the postmodern experimentalism of Cosmicomics or If on a winter's night a traveler. You can see here the beginnings of his explorations into the nature of existence, and The Cloven Viscount is an almost over-simplified study of duality, with the hint of a moral, an endorsement of moderation that would seem to more properly belong in an Asian setting than a Europ...more
Delightful and diverting...exactly what one might expect from Calvino. These two stories (parables?) speak to the struggles we each face to develop our identities. In "The Nonexistent Knight," we explore questions about the possibility of virtue. How much can we--fleshy beings with all of our marvelous and variegated human carnal weaknesses--truly espouse the intangible ideals of virtue and honor? Or are we limited to merely donning "honor" like a shell, or a suit of armor? How do our actions an...more
Ligt het aan mij, of is het echt zo dat weinig mensen Italo Calvino kennen? Ik leerde deze schrijver kennen omdat iemand mij De baron in de bomen tipte. Geheel terecht. Straf, want ik hou niet bepaald van magisch realisme en laat Calvino een exponent van dit genre zijn.
Daarom stortte ik mij een tijdje geleden op De gespleten burggraaf, een boek dat dat duidelijk van dezelfde hand als als De baron in de bomen. Opnieuw een adellijke type, opnieuw een verhaal dat zich goeddeels in de natuur afspeel...more
Daarom stortte ik mij een tijdje geleden op De gespleten burggraaf, een boek dat dat duidelijk van dezelfde hand als als De baron in de bomen. Opnieuw een adellijke type, opnieuw een verhaal dat zich goeddeels in de natuur afspeel...more
What a fun and interesting way to work with themes like "identity" or "the duality of man". Maybe the themes are played with a bit of a heavy hand, but they're so lighthearted and funny.
Nonexistent Knight:
Farcical and delightful. Agilulf is a great character. Tragic and flawless other than the fact that he doesn't exist. His "love" scene is ridiculous. As you find out who is narrating the story there's some ambiguity around the truth of it. Agilulf could be symbolic and not actually be a real ch...more
Nonexistent Knight:
Farcical and delightful. Agilulf is a great character. Tragic and flawless other than the fact that he doesn't exist. His "love" scene is ridiculous. As you find out who is narrating the story there's some ambiguity around the truth of it. Agilulf could be symbolic and not actually be a real ch...more
Calvino just has magic. This book really consists of two long stories or novellas. The first one, The Nonexistent Knight is the somewhat amusing story of a suit of armor without a body inside that is serving in Charlemagne's army and of a girl in love with the knight she imagines inside.
But it is in the second story, The Cloven Viscount, that Calvino really lets loose. This is the story of a man cut in half by a canon ball whose two halves return home, one evil and the other good, and the advent...more
But it is in the second story, The Cloven Viscount, that Calvino really lets loose. This is the story of a man cut in half by a canon ball whose two halves return home, one evil and the other good, and the advent...more
These two novellas are fairly slight but still manage to be entertaining. They fall into the category of "magic realism" or perhaps historical fantasy. In the first, we meet a knight fighting for the Christian King Charlemagne against the Muslims. The only problem is the knight doesn't exist. His armor is empty. It functions like a knight would but there's nobody there.
We learn that war must be fought according to arcane rules invented by bureaucrats, that knights bring interpreters on to the ba...more
We learn that war must be fought according to arcane rules invented by bureaucrats, that knights bring interpreters on to the ba...more
Sir Agilulf Emo Bertrandin of the Guildivern is a nonexistent knight; however, as Charlemagne puts it, 'for someone who does not exist,' he 'seems in [irksomely] fine form.' The story sounds nutty as so many crazy things are happening as if everything is just fine but once you keep your disbelief at the background and delve into what is really going on, the logic of the story begins to grandiosely emerge.
Sir Agiluf is the envy of the ambitious Raimbaut, is ever-seductive to Bradamante, and is th...more
Sir Agiluf is the envy of the ambitious Raimbaut, is ever-seductive to Bradamante, and is th...more
I read this because "The Cloven Viscount" was mentioned by the keynote speaker at a philosophy conference last year in relation to me and a certain friend of mine. He said that we reminded him of the cloven viscount of the story. I don't know what to make of that comparison--in the story, the bad half of the Viscount causes all kinds of unnecessary havoc. Maybe the speaker was making a point about the fact that we were being rowdy and disrespectful. I'm not sure.
Also, there's a Bas van Fraassen...more
Also, there's a Bas van Fraassen...more
Entertaining early Calvino. The first story of the two, "The Non-Existent Knight" was actually written second was by far the better. A brisk, funny satire portraying Charlemagne's knights engaged in interminable, bureaucracy-riddled war, the story also features an absurdly twisty plot and a good early use of a nested narrative. The second story was a less layered fable, but mostly suffered from the back blurb giving its entire plot away, unfortunately stripping the story of momentum. Thanks so m...more
My first, and still my favorite. The two novellas housed in this tome are phenomenal examples of Calvino's craft, beautifully mixing the historical and the fantastical, the literal and the symbolic. Not as daring as If On a Winter's Night a Traveler and not quite as charming as The Baron in the Trees, The Nonexistent Knight and (particularly)The Cloven Viscount embodies everything I adore about his writing and writing in general.
These two novellas are early magic from Calvino, a pair of stories about the nature of identity set in medieval and early modern adventures. There is no attempt at realism here and the noble non-existent knight and the evil cloven viscount each act in the world though missing their corporeality. The other characters in the stories are left to react to them - their heroism and their horror. Engaging, if not complete fables.
Calvino's blend of fantastic whimsy bordering on absurdism is always entertaining but then you're taken a bit by surprise as a fairly thought-provoking philosophical or moral critique emerges. "The Cloven Viscount" opposes excessive badness with excessive goodness, "The Nonexistent Knight" parodies Renaissance tales of courtly conduct (Quixote-style) as it actually discusses the nature of being and non-being.
In The Nonexistent Knight Italo Calvino has a lot of fun interpreting the heroes of both the Arthurian and Carolingian knightly tales. I found it a very swift read, and I loved the portrayals of the different paladins and especially the auto-stupefied, hypocritical, self-important Knights of the Round Table. Calvino clearly knows his chivalric legends inside and out, and he takes pleasure in portraying Christendom's heroes as flawed humans caught up in, and blinded by, their personal mythologies...more
These stories are short and easier to read than a lot of Calvino's stories. They still manage to go all over the place, from the battle fields of Charlemagne to the Knights of the Holy Grail to Egypt and back (and that's just in the first one!). I was immediately enchanted with the nonexistent knight, the cloven viscount was more chilling but it came together in the end (lol).
I give this 5 stars because I think Calvino can do no wrong, though other works of his have pushed me harder to deeper enjoyment, especially Invisible Cities. Two short novels combined into one book, with a similar setting and interesting twists for the main characters. I read them both aloud which is why this took me so long to finish as I wanted to savor every audible turn and twist and really feel the stories. Of the two, I enjoyed the Nonexistent Knight more as I was inside that empty set of...more
I dont give 5's easily (my books chosen so far may not make this seem so - but they are some of my favourites) and I enjoyed these more then
The Baron in the Trees.
Whilst, fairy tales/fables and Allegory like Baron, somehow, the tone is less whimsical, more telling..
Anyway, loved and identified with both!
The Baron in the Trees.
Whilst, fairy tales/fables and Allegory like Baron, somehow, the tone is less whimsical, more telling..
Anyway, loved and identified with both!
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Italo Calvino was born in Cuba and grew up in Italy. He was a journalist and writer of short stories and novels. His best known works include the Our Ancestors trilogy (1952-1959), the Cosmicomics collection of short stories (1965), and the novels Invisible Cities (1972) and If On a Winter's Night a Traveler (1979).
His style is not easily classified; much of his writing has an air of the fantastic...more
More about Italo Calvino...
His style is not easily classified; much of his writing has an air of the fantastic...more
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“If a lover is wretched who invokes kisses of which he knows not the flavor, a thousand times more wretched is he who has had a taste of the flavor and then had it denied him.”
—
9 people liked it
“thế là cuối cùng, phải chăng chiến tranh chính là cái cuộc chuyền từ tay người này sang tay người kia các món đồ, mỗi lúc lại méo mó thêm một chút?”
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Sep 15, 2008 12:51pm