Chain Reading

You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino's new novel, If on a winter's night a traveler.

The concept behind this book - that it's a book about you, the reader; that it's a book about novel beginnings; that it's a fountain of creativity - is interesting and yes, I'll admit, intrigued me.

However, throughout the book, I kept getting the feeling that Calvino was standing behind me, pointing and laughing and nudging me, saying, "Yeah, yeah, get it? See what I'm doing now? I tricked you again! No, I'm pulling you this direction, not that. You're the reader, but I'm still the author and I have you under my thumb the entire time."

The book is set up in the second person, with You, the Reader, having just heard of Italo Calvino's new novel. Going into it, I understood that it would be different and would not read like a novel. However, now I know that I want a novel that reads like a novel, instead of a novel that teases me with ten novel openings, just to pull each away as soon as they get going. I also don't like the second person in that I am nothing like the You in the book, and I wouldn't have done half the things Calvino claims I am doing as I read the book. I didn't like the attitude behing the book.

Of course, this doesn't mean you won't like the book. In fact, this book might be exactly what you are looking for. After all, Calvino thinks it must be, for he addresses You all the time.