Week 13 - The Distance of the Moon

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Italo Calvino's The Distance of the Moon was a very charming short story, but also a little bittersweet. I have to say, while reading this, I immediately began to imagine this story as a Studio Ghibli film, specifically Ponyo due to the amount of sea life floating about near the end.

Something I really like about this film was who magical the imagery was. Thinking of these people jumping to and from the moon feels like a fantastic experience and a lot of fun. While this story was nice to read, something I didn't really resonate with was the narrator's personality. He seems to be a little desperate, jealous, and perverted toward the Captain's wife, Mrs. Vhd. I honestly did not feel that bad for him when he lost her to the moon near the end. I even felt bad for the woman cause she was alone on the moon with this guy she didn't care about for months. The idea of this sad woman gently playing the harp on the moon brings such amazing imagery though.

Calvino's other story, The Aquatic Uncle, didn't really resonate very much with me either, but the story is a slight bit more interesting. The imagery wasn't as beautiful in this one. I noticed, however, that this story also shares this idea of a guy with a somewhat sad love story. Both stories involve the woman they love leaving them or losing them for something better. I think it's a little weird in Aquatic Uncle though, since the main character's fiancee leaves him for his uncle.

Overall, I'd like these stories more if the characters were more appealing. I like the fantasy themes involved, but I just don't resonate with them as a whole.

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