This was an interesting tension I saw in this collection. The experiences of the characters resonate with human experiences, but Calvino never stops at the easy point of resonance. He always pushes it farther. That's common in most of the stories, at least. They build upon a kernel of human truth (to use your example, because it was one of my favorite stories, worrying about introducing a new girlfriend to your family), but add layer upon layer of unrelatable experiences (What must it be like to have the kind of time-spanning consciousness that can experience evolution firsthand?). Calvino's real magic trick in this collection is making the unrelatable relatable by building it upon familiar structures. Also the prose, etc.
I must say, though, that while I liked this collection a lot, it still didn't move me as much as two of Calvino's other books that I've read, Mr. Palomar and Invisible Cities. I still need to read If on a winter's night a traveler, but if it's anywhere near as good as people say it is, Italo Calvino's final three books may represent one of the most significant literary slam dunks of all time.
