Literary · Magical realism
Invisible Cities
Marco Polo describes dozens of imaginary cities to the ageing emperor Kublai Khan. Each short piece is a poetic fable about memory, desire, time and how we see places.
Facts last checked 2026-10-17
- First published
- 1972
- Pace
- Slow
- Length
- Short
- Pages
- 174
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you like short, lyrical, imaginative books you can dip into and ponder.
Skip this if you need plot and characters, since this is a series of prose-poem sketches.
The feel
Content warnings
None noted yet.
Quick answers about Invisible Cities
- What is Invisible Cities about?
- Marco Polo describes dozens of imaginary cities to the ageing emperor Kublai Khan. Each short piece is a poetic fable about memory, desire, time and how we see places.
- Who should read Invisible Cities?
- Read it if you like short, lyrical, imaginative books you can dip into and ponder. Skip it if you need plot and characters, since this is a series of prose-poem sketches.
- How long and how fast is Invisible Cities?
- It is a slow-paced, short read of about 174 pages, first published in 1972.
- Does Invisible Cities have content warnings?
- We have not noted any content warnings for this book yet.
- Can I borrow Invisible Cities for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends Invisible Cities; the borrow button above searches it for you.
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|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
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