Novel: Invisible Cities

Title: Invisible Cities
Author: Italo Calvino
Year of Publication: 1972

Introduction
" Invisible Cities" is a novel composed by the Italian author Italo Calvino in 1972. The book is a meditative expedition of the nature of cities and human imagination. Through a series of poetic and allegorical conversations between the explorer Marco Polo and the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan, the novel provides a series of descriptions of 55 fictional cities.

Structure and Narrative Style
" Invisible Cities" is structured as a series of interconnected prose poems, each describing a various imaginary city. These prose poems are interconnected through the typical theme of city life and human civilization and are sprinkled with dialogues between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan. The narratives frequently move between imaginative dream and historical truth.

The book is divided into nine areas, with each area separated by a conversation in between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan. These discussions serve as a framing device for the descriptions of the cities, as Marco Polo shares his experiences and impressions of the fantastical locations he has actually allegedly gone to throughout his travels.

Instead of following a direct plot, "Invisible Cities" is a series of evocative and symbolic explorations of metropolitan life and human creativity. The book is composed in a poetic and lyrical design, often stressing the sensory, psychological, and visual aspects of city life.

Styles
" Invisible Cities" checks out various themes, some of which include the following:

1. The Nature of Cities: The novel is an expedition of the nature of cities- what they are, how they are knowledgeable, and how they affect those who live in them. Each fictional city offers a different viewpoint on metropolitan life, reflecting the infinite variety of human experience and the effect of cities on our lives.

2. Creativity and Reality: "Invisible Cities" blurs the line in between imagination and truth, as the fantastical cities described by Marco Polo are a blend of the genuine and the thought of. In this method, the unique prompts readers to question the nature of reality and the function of our imagination in shaping our understandings of the world around us.

3. Human Desire and Memory: Many of the cities explained in the novel are shaped by human desires, longings, and memories, highlighting the effective role of these forces in affecting our experiences and perceptions of the world.

4. Language and Storytelling: The dialogues in between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan highlight the power of language and storytelling in forming our understanding of the world and our place within it. Through Marco Polo's vibrant descriptions, the cities come to life in the reader's mind, highlighting the transformative power of storytelling.

5. Time and Change: Many of the cities presented in the book are in a constant state of change, showing the impermanence and transience of all human productions. "Invisible Cities" invites the reader to consider the passage of time and the inevitability of modification in our own lives and the cities that surround us.

Picked Cities
While there are various cities explained throughout the novel, a couple of notable examples include:

1. Isidora: A city of tremendous staircases and symbols of unattainable desires.
2. Armilla: A city without walls or windows that consists just of water pipes and the people residing in them.
3. Eudoxia: A city where the pattern of a rug exposes the order of the cosmos.
4. Zobeide: A city constructed by its homeowners to recreate a dream they all shared.
5. Baucis: A city developed on stilts above the ground, unnoticeable from below.

Conclusion
"Invisible Cities" is a thought-provoking and creative exploration of the nature of city life, human desire, and the power of storytelling. Through its poetic and allegorical story, the unique invites the reader to think about the intricacies of the cities and the human experiences that shape them. As a meditation on the human creativity, it stays a powerful and enduring work of literature.