Our Ancestors by Italo Calvino

“Our Ancestors” is a collection of three novellas written by the Italian author Italo Calvino and originally published between 1952 and 1959. The novellas – “The Cloven Viscount,” “The Baron in the Trees,” and “The Nonexistent Knight” – are distinct stories, but they share a common theme of exploring the human condition through allegory and fantasy.

“The Cloven Viscount” is a story of a nobleman who is split in two by a cannonball during a battle and becomes both good and evil, resulting in a conflict between the two sides of his personality.

“The Baron in the Trees” is about a young boy who climbs a tree and decides to never come down, living his entire life in the branches and experiencing various adventures from his elevated perspective.

“The Nonexistent Knight” features a knight named Agilulf who is made entirely of armor, but lacks a physical body. He is joined on his quest by a young woman named Bradamante, who falls in love with him despite his lack of corporeal form.

Throughout the novellas, Calvino explores themes such as identity, morality, love, and the human condition, all through his signature use of imaginative and fantastical storytelling. The collection has been praised for its originality, humor, and thought-provoking themes, cementing Calvino’s place as one of the most important writers of 20th-century Italian literature.