A Literary Labyrinth: If on a winters night a traveler, an Annotated Biography Bloom, Harold. "Bloom on the Labyrinth as a Literary Theme.

" Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 29 Nov. 2013. Blooms article focuses on the theme of the labyrinth throughout literature, primarily in Shakespeares and Homers greatest works, both inclusively and exclusively, describing their portfolios as labyrinths themselves. He discusses other labyrinths in literature, in terms of reading itself, as well as labyrinths in life. Touching on the work of other critics, Bloom shows many ways in which the device can manifest, how it has been used throughout history, and how it still exists today. Composed in clear, elaborative diction, Blooms article gives the reader a short history of the labyrinth and how the device can be seen through the eyes of readers today. Using examples of Shakespeares Macbeth in comparison to Homers gods, Bloom discusses the mortality of the labyrinth and the ways in which one can master such a maze. He calls out the difference between personal labyrinths and labyrinths in literature, firmly stating his opinion that each person is their own compass within a novel and that leaving a reader to find their own path and draw their own conclusions is obligation of book. This gives anyone interested in the subject a new view point from which to perceive, as well as any reader, especially one interested in a work of similar subject matter, such as Calvinos novel. A new perspective allows for a whole new look on the postmodern story, filled with twists and turns, a labyrinth itself, as well as giving directions to long lost travelers, still trapped within its pages.

Diamond, Marie Josephine, ed. "Calvino, Italo." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. The article above is a brief biography about Italo Calvino, and some analysis on his various works. It focuses in on Calvinos inspirations for writing, in what ways his life molded his writing style, and what writing as an act meant to him personally. In addition, it summarizes some of Calvinos more popular works and how they affected his career, as well as how his later pieces differed from his earlier ones. For the curious reader or casual browser, this short biography allows one to see the world of literature through Calvinos eyes. By telling of his childhood inspirationsItalian folk talesit shows his affinity for fictional reality going back to his roots. It also follows him as the man behind the pen, from growing up as a child surrounded by exotic, other-worldly plants and inventions, to his involvement in World War II, to his own struggles as a writer to find the true meaning of his craft, making it especially accessible to those reading who may be asking themselves similar questions of identity. It permits readers a glimpse of what to expect from Calvinos writing side-by-side to his views and musings on the subject, his inspirations and thought processes. The article prepares potential readers for what to expect from Calvino, as well as suggesting certain markers to look out for along the way within his novels, shifting their view and allowing them to see the author himself as an integral piece of his books creations and their continued meaning. Fink, Inge. The Power behind the Pronoun: Narrative Games in Calvino's If on a Winter's Night a Traveler. Twentieth Century Literature. Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 93-104. Hofstra University, 1991. Web.

Finks criticism on Calvinos novel focuses in on his use of pronouns, as well as reading as an act of eroticism. Looking closely through several of the first chapters of If on a winter night a traveler, the article calls attention to how Calvino wields his authorial power and precisely how it is that he draws readers in and keeps them under his power throughout the entire novel, playing with the bounds of traditional realism and the limitlessness of metafiction. The piece draws a readers to attention Calvinos carefully structured usage of the relationship between reader, author, and character. It breaks down for them his choices to introduce certain pronouns at different times and the liberties he takes with changing and morphing them from page to page. Using a wide variety of textual evidence from throughout the book, it narrows in as well on Calvinos dominance as the author and god-like figure of the novel, and how he allows his power to ebb and flow in relation to his characters and the reader. The criticism explains just how it is that Calvino so strongly entices his readers with his style of the writing and with the risks he takes, walking the fine line between intriguing and outlandish. It shows the intricately crafted game he creates through the story and through his careful communication with the reader. The article allows an interested reader to examine the mechanisms of the trap they have fallen into due to Calvinos careful handiwork and their own instinctive expectations of a novel, and how it they could be shrewder next time when entering such realistic illusion.

Hawthorne, Mark D. "The Creation and Effects of Gender and Gender Roles." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 27 Nov. 2013. Hawthornes article of criticism analyzes how gender and gender roles have evolved over the centuries, focusing in on Thomas Pynchons novel, V. It shows the development of such stereotypes and stigmatisms of genders outside the general binary code. The article brings to

light as well societal pressures on men, rather than just on women, to act a certain way within the bounds of their rigid sexuality. It specifically defines the difference between a persons sex and a persons gender, and tracks these differences through historical movements, focusing on their effects on literature and characters at the time. In Italo Calvinos novel, often female characters are few and far between, and are immediately put into gender roles, being the object of desire. Hawthornes article allows the reader a different view point on how gender roles at the time of Calvinos novels creation were seen and how these views could have effected its development. The article itself explains the complexities of gender through the centuries and how the public of different time periods perceived certain attributes of characters put into gender roles of the time. The criticisms of said characters and gender roles clearly show the consequences brought upon those not keeping to the code. Whether if read for context, informative purposes, or just to better understand the intricacies of gender, the article offers an overview of the subject throughout history such that it can be used to see the change in todays literature or how it molded novels and characters of the past, such as in Calvinos questionable portrayal of women through his novel.

Lucente, Gregory L. An Interview With Italo Calvino. Contemporary Literature. Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 245253. Trans. Gregory L. Lucente. University of Washington Press, 1985. Web. This interview with the author Italo Calvino covers a variety of topics in regards to his writing and opinions on literature as a whole. Referencing several Italian authors of importance from the time period in which the interview was conducted, the interviewer questions the author on his style of writing, how he was influenced by other pieces popular at the time, and on some of

choices made in constructing his works. As well, the piece touches on Calvinos opinions on the effects of history on literature and on the social expectations of a book. Although the interview may not be relevant specifically to a reader of If on a winters night, it allows for a better look at some of Italo Calvinos philosophies and thoughts on writing. The article shows a larger picture of Calvinos inspirations in terms of other authors and their own theories on the same subject. It would be more informative to a reader already well versed in the writers and important pieces of the time, as many names and titles are spoken of with little explanation. Calvino is questioned about his usage of writing as a vital part of his works, as well as his involvement of the reader. Many of his novels are discussed, putting into context his career up until the point of the interview rather than focusing on a certain point in time or individual book. The interview as a whole is a good source to see Calvinos reflections and surmisings of what he had accomplished and of suggestions toward where he was planning to go next with his writing, keeping in mind these same past works.

Twagilimana, Aimable. "Italo Calvino's If on a Winter's a Night a Traveler and the Labyrinth." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. Twagilimanas article on Calvinos novel, If on a winters night a traveler, analyzes its underlying themes, as well as making connections between it and various theories of literary philosophy. He breaks down Calvinos disregard for average literary structure and the lines he draws between the author, book, and reader utilizing a variety of outside sources, as well as pulling evidence from within the novel itself. Touching on a wide array of motifs and psychological concepts layered beneath the novels surface, the article provides context and suggestions toward the authors underlying motives for writing the novel he did.

This in-depth article of analysis delves deep into the carefully concealed messages and critical questions within Italo Calvinos If on a winters night a traveler. Twagilimanas piece offers food for thought on the metafictional novel using highly academic diction and a large range of references, from stories of Greek mythology, to the hypotheses of post-modern Italian theorists, to Calvinos own essays on structures and expectations of literature and their connection to the reader. The article is more suited for the serious researcher or investigative reader rather than to one merely picking up the book for pleasure. The connections made in the article mirror the layout of the book, allowing for a greater understanding of why it was written the way it was, of the risks Calvino took in its formation, and of his successes and hopes for it. Just as within If on a winters night, all that is written comes back to the reader, marking them as the point of convergence for all information, and leaving what is taken away from it, to them.