Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Acknowledgments ix
4. Introduction 3
5. Chapter One. Italy at the Crossroads, 1943-1963 12
6. Chapter Two. Italo Calvino: From Neorealism to the Fantastic 47
7. Chapter Three. The Baron in the Trees: The Utopian Moment in Calvino's Fantastic Trilogy 81
8. Chapter Four. The Non-existent Knight: Obstinacy without Illusions 131
9. Chapter Five. The Watcher: The Intellectual in the Labyrinth 161
10. Conclusion: Literature as an Ethical Project 191
11. Notes 197
12. Bibliography 221
13. Index 235