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The Castle of Crossed Destinies (1973/1976) Signed First Edition Reference

Il castello dei destini incrociati (Einaudi, 1973) is Calvino’s experimental narrative constructed from tarot card sequences. Travelers who have lost the power of speech tell their stories by laying out tarot cards, which Calvino “reads” as narrative. The two sections use different decks — the Visconti tarot and the Marseille tarot — to generate different narrative textures.

First Edition Identification

Italian: Einaudi, 1973. English: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1976. Translated by William Weaver.

Signed Copy Market Values

  • Signed Italian first: $400–$1,000
  • Signed English first: $200–$500
  • Unsigned English first: $30–$75

A niche Calvino title, most appreciated by readers interested in combinatorial literature and the intersection of visual and verbal storytelling.