March 12 - "The Man Who Shouted Teresa"

“The Man Who Shouted Teresa”
by Italo Calvino
Numbers in the Dark (1995)

* * * * (Great) Realistic

A man shouts for Teresa from the middle of the street as a crowd gathers and joins in on the call.

Huge fan of Calvino from my introduction to him by way of Invisible Cities. This brief humorous tale was a gentle reminder of his descriptive prowess. There is not a lot of action in the story, but the image of this man, surrounded by an expanding crowd, shouting in unison, freely forms out of the flowing words. Even translated from the original Italian, the rhythm of the sentences is retained. The obvious twist is readily apparent, but is easily forgiven due to the shortness of the tale and the wonderful imagery provided in the limited prose. Where else can you find a sentence as simple – yet descriptive – as: “My shadow took fright at the moon and huddled between my feet.”