Italo Calvino Quotes

“A human being becomes human not through the casual convergence of certain biological conditions, but through an act of will and love on the part of other people. If this is not the case, then humanity becomes — as it is already to a large extent — no more than a rabbit-warren. But this is no longer a “free-range” warren but a “battery” one, in the conditions of artificiality in which it lives, with artificial light and chemical feed.”
― Italo Calvino, Italo Calvino: Letters, 1941-1985 - Updated Edition

“I sense a hint of bitterness in this letter of yours and in a previous one. Excellent: we are living in a dark period, there is absolutely nothing going right, and the only consolation we have is to think about the brevity of life. I have to say that in this situation I am absolutely fine, and I am giving myself up finally to total misanthropy, which I now discover corresponds fully to my true nature. But you seem to be still anxious about something or other. Ha, ha! Don’t worry, it will just get worse and worse.”
― Italo Calvino, Italo Calvino: Letters, 1941-1985 - Updated Edition

“Forgive me if I have a kind of allergic reaction to all words that hint of nationalism...”
― Italo Calvino, Italo Calvino: Letters, 1941-1985 - Updated Edition

“...only by having a clear idea what virtue is can I practice evil with a light heart.”
― Italo Calvino, Italo Calvino: Letters, 1941-1985 - Updated Edition