I also would hesitate to recommend IOAWNAT to your average reader, despite thoroughly enjoying it myself. You have to have a certain patience for literary tricks to really enjoy it.

I, also, love Invisible Cities and would recommend it ...

I also believe Invisible Cities to be way more approachable than "if on a winter's night..".

I absolutely loved both, but I think the latter might out off some folks.

But given the HN audience, I feel that "Cosmicomiche" might be a very good choice too!

Came to this thread to also plug Invisible Cities. I love picking up that book, reading a short prose poem and getting the feels of the imagery he evokes.

It's my stranded on a desert island pick, and for good reason.

I recently listened to the audiobook of Invisible Cities, narrated by John Lee, and it was phenomenal. The strange thing is, I actually don't think I would have cared for the novel, had I read it myself, but Lee captured the sort of surreal mood exquisitely, and it was very pleasant to just lay back and listen to, or to have on while walking through a park.