Chapter 5–the numbered chapters being the story of the 2nd person narrator who along with the Other Reader (Ludmilla) each purchased the book "If on a winter’s night a traveler" only to find that it is a series of unrelated story beginnings (which are here, in the REAL Calvino book, as every other section). I had just noted that two of the "stories" out of the four were unrelated, though two others were related–if only to each other. Yet here, in Chapter 5, I read this:
Seated at a cafe table, you sum up the situation, you and Ludmilla. "To recapitulate: Without fear of wind or vertigo is not Leaning from the steep slope, which, in turn, is not Outside the town of Malbork, which is quite different from If on a winter’s night a traveler. The only thing we can do is go to the source of all this confusion." (p. 91)
But that’s not true! The second story, Outside the town of Malbork, has the first person narrator about to leave his home in Kudgiwa to exchange places with another young man and with any luck, he will also find out more about a girl whose picture the young man carries, a lady by the name of Zwida Ozkart. There is also mention of Mr. Kauderer, and of his estate at Petkwo.
In the third story, Leaning from the steep slope, it appears that this same character is now at his destination, and he does meet up with Mr. Kauderer as well as the young Zwida.
So what gives? Is it possible that Calvino has thrown a curve here, perhaps the introduction of an unreliable narrator in the chapters of the one path of story that admittedly continues unbroken?
Ludilla appears to agree, however. So is it me?
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology
The reader realises that the book is different immediately, for although ‘Leaning from a steep slope’ and ‘Outside the town of Malbork’ have the same names such as Zwinda and Kauderer, ‘Outside…’ is a Polish novel by Tazio Bazakbal where are ‘Leaning…’ is by the Cimmerian poet Ukko Ahti. In the last paragraph of Chapter three the male reader immediately recognises that the two stories have nothing in common except some of the character’s names.
So does this mean that ‘Leaning…’ and ‘Outside…’ are not the same?
Within a few chapters I recognized Calvino as a genius and what I brought up in this post was brought about by my editing mind that needed a more complete break in the two stories. It is a truly fascinating book and any doubts in my mind of Calvino’s attention to detail have been completely forgotten.