Student Blogs

There are books that tell a story, and then there are books that look you in the eye, point at you, and say: you. Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler is the second kind. From literally the first sentence, you’re being instructed: “You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino’s new novel… Relax. […] read full post >>

When I read The Hour of the Star, I wasn’t expecting to feel this uncomfortable. Not because of what happens, but because of how it’s told. Before we even really get to Macabéa, we’re stuck with Rodrigo S. M. spiraling about writing, about beginnings and endings, about whether he even has the right to tell this […] read full post >>

This book turned out to be so different, honestly. I don’t know what I was expecting, perhaps something similar to the books we have read. This book didn’t give us one story like we are used to: a start, middle and end. However, in fact, we got several beginnings of different stories and each time […] read full post >>

In If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino, I honestly didn’t know what I was getting into at first. The novel immediately addresses “you” as the reader, which felt strange but also kind of cool. It made me feel involved in the story in a way that most books don’t. Instead of […] read full post >>

11/10 rage bait— got me feeling like y/n. (but gimme more)! read full post >>

If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler is one of those books that’s interesting because of how strange it is, rather than because it’s enjoyable to read. The whole book is basically ten different novels cut off mid-story, tied together by a weird frame narrative where “you,” the Reader, keep trying to find the missing […] read full post >>

First thought on this book was omg it’s only 100 pages. Two pages in… these are going to be the longest 100 pages of writing I’ve ever read. But I made my roommate read a page and she said she liked it so maybe I’m uncultured. It’s making my head hurt. Wow, I just finished […] read full post >>

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like The Hour of the Star. It’s not just the story itself that feels different, it’s the way it’s told. Half the time I forgot about the plot because Rodrigo, the narrator, keeps interrupting to talk about writing, about poverty, about whether he even has the […] read full post >>

I have to say that this has been my favourite book so far. I loved everything about it, from the engaging writing style to the mysterious nature of the author, and each page left me more eager to go on. It really seems like the overarching theme of this novel is the “unknown,” since there […] read full post >>

In the dedication by the author (actually Clarice Lispector), she wrote: “And—and don’t forget that the structure of the atom cannot be seen but is nonetheless known.” This poetic sentence seems to demonstrate a theme of the book where the narrator attempts to capture the unseen and unexperienced. “And my duty, however artlessly, to reveal […] read full post >>

I absolutely loved this book. I was captured immediately from the beginning and it was such a fun and enjoyable read. It felt like such a great escape from my life and it was like living in an alternate universe. At first I thought of the character ‘you’ as just that, a character. But the more I read, the more... read full post >>

Reading If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler felt disorienting right from the start. Instead of easing me into a story, Calvino throws you straight into the act of reading itself. He even addresses “you” as if he is watching you open the book and read the first few pages. At first I found it […] read full post >>

I’ve never felt so acknowledged by an author, because we (a reader)are not meant to contribute to the story, because the story’s already been told. There’s not much we can do except observe, and hope the ending is favourable. I guess that’s still the same even with this book. No matter how involved the readers […] read full post >>

I feel this book is very unique: it is quite different from other books I have read. From the very beginning, it is clearly written that the narrative itself is part of the subject. While the narrator, Rodrigo, introduces himself and even explains that the story will contain several characters, including himself as an important […] read full post >>

If on a Winter’s Night a Traveller by Calvino, Italo was definitely an interesting read. From the beginning it right away captured my attention and the way it started got me hooked and interested right away. This is because of how Calvino, Italo addresses the reader as you and how we are the one who […] read full post >>