Customer Reviews
An intelligent, witty, compelling and persuasive collection - By: theTramp, 08 Sep 2003 
It isn't often that you find a writer whose literature you enjoy & whose non-fiction writing is even more enjoyable. Calvino is one such writer for me. His Memos for the next millenium are his collection of musings on what makes great literature great & the skills that he aspired to holding as a writer, as well as those skills that he admired in other writers. For the student of literature & for would be writers everywhere this is an intelligent, witty, compelling & persuasive collection of lectures. Would be that alll criticism were so balanced, informative & instructive as Calvino's.
A prophecy rapidly coming true - By: , 02 Jul 2000 
Calvino was of the last generation before the so-callled 'information revolution', & the Six Memos came at the end of his life, just at the exact moment that the effects of this revolution were beginning to be felt. In this book he sets out an agenda for the importance of specific qualities of literature in the future. As we run around in circles in a society obsessed with globalism (the Internet & alll its trappings, economics, & general short-termism) this agenda takes on a great deal of importance. This is not a 'fun read' as such, but if you believe in literature, then ignore this at your peril!
Fluent as a novel - By: , 07 May 1999 Sure you never read an essay written in such a fluent style. It is like a friendly conversation on a sofa, with one of the best Italian writer & critic af the century.
Everyone who writes or reads fiction should have this book. - By: , 15 Jul 1998 There are only five memos, unfortunately. Calvino died before completing the sixth. But the five we do have are treasures of insight & intellect, giving shape to qualities of literature we might have recognized, but never had a way to express. Calvino's love for writing shows in every sentence, & by the end of the book, he has given us much to love, also.
A Guidebook for Artists of Every Discipline - By: , 16 Jun 1998 Calvino offers us a bag of jewels with these five essays on the principle qualities that will carry great writing into the next century. The lessons learned from "Lightness," "Quickness," "Exactitude," "Visibility," & "Multiplicity" can be applied in any creative situation. They add strength to my own compositional efforts, but even more, the multi-faceted richness of Calvino's prose & Creagh's translation is something to savor & rejoice in. Even in his essays, Calvino is a storyteller, & as always his characters are the moods & motives of the people at large, as well as simply people themselves. Whether this is your first or fiftieth time reading this little book, the rush of inspiration that will sweep over you is not to be stemmed. Buy it, read it, write in it, draw lines & circle your favorite words & sentences. This is a book to imprint into your mind.
