Calvino’s Mr Palomar (written 30 years ago)

In Mr. Palomar, Calvino applies his deep ability to uncover and describe patterns and kinships between phenomena. Once observed and described by Calvino the reader is immersed in a new panorama: erudite, gentle, comic and connected – in a sense Calvino’s great gift is to have shown us a multiplicity of connections not yet considered.

In Palomar we have man and cosmos in perhaps Calvino’s most intimate drawing out of patterns pertaining to an individual not unlike you or me or indeed Italo Calvino.

Comparing the book to his other novels, Calvino noted Mr. Palomar is “a completely different work” in which he sought to respond to “the problem of non linguistic phenomena. . . . That is, how can one read something that is not written.”

A history of oil: its impact on global affairs

Seven Sisters Documentary

 

Well worth seeing if you have about four hours and want a good history of the impact the oil business has had on global politics over the last ninety years. May be a little skewed to Qatari interests but still a good place to learn some twentieth century history that is still happening. The link is above and also here> HISTORY