''The Crow Comes Last'' ( it, Ultimo viene il corvo) is a short story collection by

Italo Calvino Italo Calvino (, also , ;. RAI (circa 1970), retrieved 25 October 2012. 15 October 1923 – 19 September 1985) was an Italian writer and journalist. His best known works include the '' Our Ancestors'' trilogy (1952–1959), the ''Cosmicomi ...

published in 1949. It consists of thirty stories inspired by the novelist's own experiences fighting with the Communist ''Garibaldi Brigades'' in the Maritime Alps during the final phases of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. The stories also include sharp observations on the panorama of postwar Italy. Although written largely in the neorealist style, many scenes are infused with visionary, fable-like elements characteristic of Calvino's later fantasy period. Cf. Daros, Philippe,

, Paris: Hachette, 1995. A wide selection of these short stories comprised the following English collections by the author: ''Adam, One Afternoon, and Other Stories'' (1957), ''The Watcher and Other Stories'' (1975), and ''Difficult Loves'' (1984).

Footnotes

1949 short story collections Italian resistance movement Short story collections by Italo Calvino Giulio Einaudi Editore books {{1940s-story-collection-stub