"One listens alone, even in another's presence"
September 30, 2023 1:33 AM Subscribe
A BBC audio drama adaptation of Italo Calvino's If on a winter's night a traveler featuring Toby Jones, Indira Varma & Tim Crouch. (NB: it says it's only available for 24 days)
I tried reading the book but I kept losing my place
I don't know how far you ever got, but that's in a way kind of the point?
posted by juv3nal at 3:53 AM on September 30, 2023 [11 favorites]
I don't know how far you ever got, but that's in a way kind of the point?
posted by juv3nal at 3:53 AM on September 30, 2023 [11 favorites]
(Sorry, actually it's one of my favorite books and I've read it a couple of times. It'll be fun to listen to though - thanks for the post!)
posted by Umami Dearest at 6:08 AM on September 30, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Umami Dearest at 6:08 AM on September 30, 2023 [4 favorites]
This is one of my favorites! Excited to find this. Thank you, juv3nal!
posted by mochapickle at 8:10 AM on September 30, 2023
posted by mochapickle at 8:10 AM on September 30, 2023
Loved the book! Not sure how audio would work for it, interesting...
posted by blue shadows at 12:12 PM on September 30, 2023
posted by blue shadows at 12:12 PM on September 30, 2023
Flopping around trying to figure out how to download this to keep it. Failing, sadly.
posted by hippybear at 1:50 PM on September 30, 2023
posted by hippybear at 1:50 PM on September 30, 2023
Also, if you haven't seen the series The Detectorists, it's a delightfully quiet and entirely non-consequential but entirely engaging series about people with metal detectors as a hobby that was also created by Toby Jones. I can't recommend it highly enough if you want something that is very personal, personable, and doesn't involve saving the world in any way. It's on all manner of streaming services.
posted by hippybear at 2:17 PM on September 30, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 2:17 PM on September 30, 2023 [5 favorites]
Oh. What a fantastic book-reading-memory this brought to my mind.
I pulled this from a shelf at our library, when I was probably too young, but an eager reader. I immediately started reading, standing between the metal-shelves - as I did back then - and the opening words took my attention. The rhythm, the descriptions, the events - almost folding in on themselves.
After chapter one (or the Authors's introduction) I remember thinking to myself: I have to read this book, and figure out what the story it is about.
Later that weekend, when I closed the book - thoroughly read through - I thought to myself, again, "I have to figure out what this story is about."
posted by Rabarberofficer at 6:02 PM on September 30, 2023 [3 favorites]
I pulled this from a shelf at our library, when I was probably too young, but an eager reader. I immediately started reading, standing between the metal-shelves - as I did back then - and the opening words took my attention. The rhythm, the descriptions, the events - almost folding in on themselves.
After chapter one (or the Authors's introduction) I remember thinking to myself: I have to read this book, and figure out what the story it is about.
Later that weekend, when I closed the book - thoroughly read through - I thought to myself, again, "I have to figure out what this story is about."
posted by Rabarberofficer at 6:02 PM on September 30, 2023 [3 favorites]
I'm delighted to have the opportunity for a reread (relisten?), thank you!
Every so often I still occasionally try to remember what some snippet of a plot is from and end up remembering it's one of the unfinished stories here.
posted by eponym at 6:14 PM on September 30, 2023
Every so often I still occasionally try to remember what some snippet of a plot is from and end up remembering it's one of the unfinished stories here.
posted by eponym at 6:14 PM on September 30, 2023
The only other book I can think of that has as its plot "reading a book" is The Neverending Story.
They're very very different reading experiences.
This novel was my first encounter with Calvino, right during a time I was discovering a lot of experimental novels, and I fell entirely in love and devoured much of his other works soon after this. I've obviously only ever read him in translation, but even as such he weaves a magic that is not often found in books, but is often longed for. That sense of utter wonder and mystification and discovery.
And if there is any novel that embodies that more, it is this book that is a book about trying to read a book. It's an endless tease, beckoning one into a doorway and then finding it to be merely an abandoned statuary alcove, and then again and it is just a janitor's closet, and again and again... ever frustrating but always alluring.
I haven't listened to this yet, but wow, just thinking about this novel makes me feel like my pupils are dilating with excitement. It's probably been too long since I picked up the book. Maybe this will suffice for a while until I have the time to take the time it really needs.
posted by hippybear at 6:21 PM on September 30, 2023
They're very very different reading experiences.
This novel was my first encounter with Calvino, right during a time I was discovering a lot of experimental novels, and I fell entirely in love and devoured much of his other works soon after this. I've obviously only ever read him in translation, but even as such he weaves a magic that is not often found in books, but is often longed for. That sense of utter wonder and mystification and discovery.
And if there is any novel that embodies that more, it is this book that is a book about trying to read a book. It's an endless tease, beckoning one into a doorway and then finding it to be merely an abandoned statuary alcove, and then again and it is just a janitor's closet, and again and again... ever frustrating but always alluring.
I haven't listened to this yet, but wow, just thinking about this novel makes me feel like my pupils are dilating with excitement. It's probably been too long since I picked up the book. Maybe this will suffice for a while until I have the time to take the time it really needs.
posted by hippybear at 6:21 PM on September 30, 2023
And now that I'm finally listening can I just say... it's a major crime we don't do audio drama in the US much anymore.
CBS Mystery Theater is a thing that was still active when I was growing up, and NPR Radio Theater produced a lot of things the most famous of which are the Star Wars adaptations, but so much more.
But I don't think we have much of this kind of thing being created in the US anymore. And bless the BBC for continuing this practice. It's a brilliant art, and can extend storytelling far beyond any other medium. I spent hours and hours listening to "old time radio" episodes of The Shadow when I was young, not broadcast live obviously, but that's a story that ONLY works in that format. You can see the failed attempts to bring The Shadow to any kind of visual media as evidence for that.
Anyway, this is really great. I'm so glad you posted it!
posted by hippybear at 7:29 PM on September 30, 2023 [3 favorites]
CBS Mystery Theater is a thing that was still active when I was growing up, and NPR Radio Theater produced a lot of things the most famous of which are the Star Wars adaptations, but so much more.
But I don't think we have much of this kind of thing being created in the US anymore. And bless the BBC for continuing this practice. It's a brilliant art, and can extend storytelling far beyond any other medium. I spent hours and hours listening to "old time radio" episodes of The Shadow when I was young, not broadcast live obviously, but that's a story that ONLY works in that format. You can see the failed attempts to bring The Shadow to any kind of visual media as evidence for that.
Anyway, this is really great. I'm so glad you posted it!
posted by hippybear at 7:29 PM on September 30, 2023 [3 favorites]
In running the Discworld Book Club over on Fanfare, I've discovered how great Indira Varma's narration is (she handles the Witch books in that series, one of which I'm listening to right now.)
posted by Navelgazer at 8:55 PM on September 30, 2023
posted by Navelgazer at 8:55 PM on September 30, 2023
> I tried reading the book but I kept losing my place
My lovely wife likes the sound of my voice. I read "If on a winter's night a traveler" to her, random pages, because with a surreal story it doesn't make much difference :-D
Also recommended: "Street of Crocodiles" by Bruno Schulz.
posted by shavenwarthog at 9:18 AM on October 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
My lovely wife likes the sound of my voice. I read "If on a winter's night a traveler" to her, random pages, because with a surreal story it doesn't make much difference :-D
Also recommended: "Street of Crocodiles" by Bruno Schulz.
posted by shavenwarthog at 9:18 AM on October 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
Thanks for posting this, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I was intrigued how they might adapt it to radio, since the original is so much about physical books... they have all been replaced with various audio recordings.
posted by Horselover Fat at 3:55 PM on October 1, 2023
posted by Horselover Fat at 3:55 PM on October 1, 2023
(sorry, just need to point out that The Detectorists, a very wonderful show, was created, written, and directed by Mackenzie Crook. Toby Jones is in it and does a fine job.)
posted by sineater at 9:14 PM on October 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by sineater at 9:14 PM on October 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
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posted by Umami Dearest at 3:47 AM on September 30, 2023 [1 favorite]