Marcovaldo

Marcovaldo, a collection of short stories by Italo Calvino, follows the misadventures of a poor worker and his family in an industrial city of northern Italy. With a childlike eye for nature and wonder, Marcovaldo constantly discovers traces of the natural world hidden among streets, factories, and advertisements. Each tale blends humor and melancholy as his small hopes—whether mushrooms growing by a tram stop, dreams of sleeping under chestnut trees, or improvised cures for rheumatism—collide with the harsh reality of poverty, bureaucracy, and urban life. The stories capture, with lightness and irony, the struggle to find beauty and meaning amid the grayness of modern existence.