Have you ever read any Italian book? How about it?

Answer 1

Alessandro Manzoni's historical novel _The Betrothed_ is fantastic. I really liked the Archibald Colquhoun translation.

Answer 2

Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities. Calvino is an unconventional author, sometimes considered an author of 'magic realism.' In this book Marco Polo tells the Chinese Emperor about the many cities he has visited, which become similar in many ways. Their descriptions, however, are rather vague. They are often described in poetic terms, nothing so specific as the landmarks we associate, except perhaps Venice.