<DIV>For Italo Calvino, classics are works of enduring cultural value, yes, but also something much more personal: talismans, touchstones, books through which we understand our world and ourselves. In <I>Why Read the Classics?,</I> Calvino shares thirty-six of his classics in essays of warmth, humor, and striking insight. He ranges from Homer to Borges, from the Persian folklorist Nezami to Dickens, and offers surprising insights along the way. Whether tracing the links between Ovid’s <I>Metamorphoses</I> and Alain Robbe-Grillet’s objectivity, discovering the origins of science fiction in the writings of Cyrano de Bergerac, or convincing us that the Italian novelist Carlo Emilio Gadda’s works are like artichokes, Calvino offers a new perspective on beloved favorites and introduces us to hidden gems.</DIV>