B&B Special Set : Calvino's Tales
The Nonexistent Knight
An empty suit of armor is the hero in this witty novella, a picaresque gem--now available in an independent volume for the first time--that brilliantly parodies medieval knighthood. Set in the time of Charlemagne and narrated by a nun with her own secrets to keep, The Nonexistent Knight tells the story of Agilulf, a gleaming white suit of armor with nothing inside it. A challenge to his honor sends Agilulf on a search through France, England, and North Africa to confirm the chastity of a virgin he saved from rape years earlier. In the end, after many surprising turns of plot, a closing confession draws this sparkling novella to a perfect finish.
Physical Info: 1.0 x 13.2 x 19.8 cm | 144 pages
The Baron in the Trees
Cosimo di Rondó, a young Italian nobleman of the eighteenth century, rebels against his parents by climbing into the trees and remaining there for the rest of his life. He adapts efficiently to an existence in the forest canopy--he hunts, sows crops, plays games with earth-bound friends, fights forest fires, solves engineering problems, and even manages to have love affairs. From his perch in the trees, Cosimo sees the Age of Enlightenment pass by and a new century dawn.
The Baron in the Trees exemplifies Calvino's peerless ability to weave tales that sparkle with enchantment. This new English rendering by acclaimed translator Ann Goldstein breathes new life into one of Calvino's most beloved works.
Physical Info: 2 x 20.3 x 13.5 cm | 320 pages
The Castle of Crossed Destinies
The Castle of Crossed Destinies (Italian: Il castello dei destini incrociati) is a 1973 novel by the Italian writer Italo Calvino. Its narrative details a meeting among travelers who are inexplicably unable to speak after traveling through a forest.
Physical Info: 1.09 x 23.64 x 15.39 cm | 144 pages