Invisible Cities

                                     

“With cities, it is as with dreams: everything imaginable

can be dreamed, but even the most unexpected dream is a rebus that conceals a

desire or, its reverse, a fear.

Cities, like dreams, are made of desires and

fears, even if the thread of their discourse is secret, their rules are absurd,

their perspectives deceitful, and everything conceals something else.”

To cross mountains and oceans is hard, but making another soul believe you did what u did is yet another task. This task is well accomplished in “Invisible Cities” written by Italo Calvino translated by William Weaver. One could say it is a glorified travelogue, a conversation between two travelers, a confluence of thoughts, a mysterious mind-blowing description of cities. A tale of cities expressed by Marco Polo to Kubhlai Khan or an imaginary city as seen by the latter.

To bring about a connection from what is read and what is perceived ; the reader engulfs into the surreal yet real world the author has inked down. It’s not bricks and mortar but a confusing city with suspended ladders, silver domes, desires , white peacocks under the moon , signs , emblems , naked men ;               a mirage.

In the beginning Marco Polo expresses everything in gestures using objects from the travel and captures the attention of Khan and as the bond between them strengthens or the language understood ,he moves on to words, phrases and tropes. Words proved more useful to express the most important things of every province and city and his thoughts.

From city to city khan moves, there aren’t any events , but he plainly tells us what he saw and rest is left to the reader but beware the memory is so strong that it is bound to take you away to some ethereal place that is never to be forgotten. The cities are well classified and listed appropriately. Some by their function like the city of Chloe where trade dominates well some are pure desires like Zobeide, the white City.

“An hourglass could mean time passing, or time spent, or sand , or a place where hourglasses are made” very cleverly mouthed, an object sited could tell a myriad stories. The book brings a zillion images of various objects in a city indicating its location, habits , the people , their occupation , practices and much more.or it can even be misleading taking the attention of the reader to another land, whether it is done on purpose or not. In yet another case it can be an object of controversy or suffice for idle talk.

Well we rarely think about the void that filled the space in the hourglass! That too is not forgotten here, taking one to the lands unknown, what is beyond the naked eye. The author cleverly levers from one city to another evoking a sense of mystery in the reader.

Through the cities the author compels you to think of one’s own city or one’s perception of a city, nevertheless the image that one creates may or may not strike anything in common to what is read yet the search is never complete.

The attachment a soul has with its city cannot be erased nor can it be clearly expressed. The conversation between the two minds should not be missed on this note ; so are several other.

At end of the read we feel there are few places left on earth to visit or the vice versa .Leafing through it over and over again the cities shall enthrall you never dimming in any aspect. Either way it induces curiosity, a invincible desire to explore, to travel. 

SHOBITHA JACOB