Books I Loathed discussion
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Umberto Eco
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Jan 27, 2009 09:49PM
I honestly do NOT understand what everyone is raving about when it comes to this guy. I read one book. When I finished it I had a look on my face that my husband summarized as "what the hell did I just read?!" Thinking I'd missed something, I tried another book of his. Still don't get it. Still think there are far better authors who don't try to condescend to the reader by parading their prolific knowledge of multiple topics across the page. And everyone seems so excited to kiss his balloon knot. I DON'T GET IT.
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I suspect that there's a two-fold problem. First, Eco is very dense. He includes a lot of esoteric details that are hard to keep track of. Second, we only get to read him in translation. Reading a translation is not the same as reading in the original language as so much depends on the skill of the translator.
If you haven't read The Name of the Rose, give that one a shot. It's really a terrific book.
Julie, was it The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana? I was so into that book about 90% of the way through, even though it was just sort of a catalog of media from his childhood -- the stories were good and the images are gorgeous -- but then it ended so abruptly and without any sense of completion and I was just baffled. I'm afraid to read another Eco bc it was so disappointing (though I may eventually try The Name of the Rose).
The first one I read was The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana and the second one I read was The Name of the Rose. Maybe it's because I'm not religious, but the Name of the Rose would have been a lot better without having to wade through all that church history of the fighting sects...or at least some kind of historical crib-sheet at the front so you could keep all the damn information straight.
Basically, I just don't understand why everyone thinks he's the greatest thing since Shakespeare. I'm not saying his books are bad, I just really don't get what all the fuss is about.
Basically, I just don't understand why everyone thinks he's the greatest thing since Shakespeare. I'm not saying his books are bad, I just really don't get what all the fuss is about.

So, yes, the entire first part of the book is lovely. But the rest, oh, the rest...

I adore The Name of the Rose and I liked Foucault's Pendulum but I think it's more because of the stories and the characters in them. I would have liked to meet Brother William. I tried Baudino and hated it and I haven't really been motivated to read anything else of Eco's.
Hmmm...I see a pattern emerging here since I don't like any of the Italian authors I've tried: Levi, Calvino, Gatta.
And regarding Rose, it does make for a far more interesting book if you do have a little knowledge about 14th century Church politics; otherwise, I can see why someone would find it tedious.

I picked up The Island of the Day Before knowing nothing about him or the book but what I read from the back cover. And it sounded amazing! Guy gets shipwrecked on a ship, right at the earth's 'seam' so the island he can see is, in a sense, a day behind him.
He took half the book to say what he could have said in 3 chapters. At that point I gave up. It was like wading through water that was waist high. I might pick it up again - I WANT to like it. But it will probably just gather dust on my bookshelf...




THIS is why I love Umberto Eco. His writing is very intense, full packed of details and information, list, descriptions, quotes... You don't need to keep all this information straight, just let it flow over you, let yourself be taken by the flood... It is a very sensual journey... not to be understood, but to be experienced.
He is very Italian, and I suppose you are not very fond of Italian authors any way - or Spanish, Portuguese or Latin American - all these authors have this fascinating, sensual way of writing, after all, they were the creators of magical reality, and Catholicism with all its saints, demons and miracles is very strong in this area of the world.
I suppose if you could get an abridged version of his STORIES, you would be able to appreciate it. My husband hates Shakespeare's and Homer's writing, but loves the stories ;-) After all, Shakespeare isn't great because people like blank verse and Elizabethan language :-D

I think he is an author who shows that fiction can be learned, experimental, thrilling and fun, all at the same time. I don't think you "have to know" about church politics or whatever, because he creates such a well-imagined world.



Just one woman's opinion.

Books mentioned in this topic
The Name of the Rose (other topics)Foucault's Pendulum (other topics)