The Nonexistent Knight

By: Italo Calvino

Narrated by: Jefferson Mays

An empty suit of armor is the hero in this witty novella, a picaresque gem - now available in an independent volume for the first time - that brilliantly parodies medieval knighthood.

Set in the time of Charlemagne and narrated by a nun with her own secrets to keep, The Nonexistent Knight tells the story of Agilulf, a gleaming white suit of armor with nothing inside it. A challenge to his honor sends Agilulf on a search through France, England, and North Africa to confirm the chastity of a virgin he saved from rape years earlier.

In the end, after many surprising turns of plot, a closing confession draws this sparkling novella to a perfect finish.

©1959 Giulio Einaudi Editor, S.p.A. (P)2018 Recorded Books

"Depths turned round to face you." (Rilke)

Exquisite. Fantasy literature, at its best, is the opposite of escapism: It is a vehicle to your own depths. Somehow, Calvino achieves this while employing humor -- which carries its own power and import.

brilliant profound story!

found this author based on a recommendation from an editor who posts on Instagram, one of her favorite authors. well, I have never heard of this author until now and this is a work of pure genius, and the narrator is equally brilliant! dive in and you will not be disappointed.

Enchantingly humorous story, deliciously read

The reader catches so much playful soulfulness that the author's themes ring both ironic and sincere at the same time. Wonderful.