Umberto Eco RIP

[steelyglint]

As much a SF/F/H writer as many others on the obits page - meaning not really - nevertheless deserving of mention.

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[The Judge]

The BBC obit here, which is sparse to say the least Italian writer Umberto Eco dies at 84 - BBC News


I read three of his books last year (in translation, I hasten to add) starting with a re-read of The Name of the Rose in January, just after the Charlie Hebdo murders which was unfortunately apposite, since in the novel the voice of reason demands the right to laugh in the face of religious dogma and self-righteousness.

The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana I found heavier going, since Eco was prodigiously well-read in European literature and I'm not, so I undoubtedly missed all the many allusions, and The Prague Cemetery was interesting, but also a difficult read, and I rather came to the conclusion I'm just not intelligent enough to appreciate his writing.

 

[Allegra]

His passing reminded me I really have to read the Name of the Rose. The Italians call him the man who knows everything.

 

[steelyglint]

I understand 'Foucault's Pendulum' is the gnarliest one, even to including an annotated guide to assist the reader in understanding the plot. I'm a bit scared of reading it: I know my intellect lies somewhere between those of Leonardo da Vinci and a pint of Guinness, but I'm not too keen on finding out just how close to the latter I actually stand.

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[galanx]

Ooops, started a thread on this in Literary Fiction: well, he deserves one anyway. I didn't find "Foucault's Pendulum" that diificult; a lot of the more obscure groups you can just blip over, and he does give pretty good explanations of who everyone is and what they're all about. A wonderful book, if you like slow, complicated, picky stuff.

 

[The Judge]

I've left the other one there for the moment, since he does deserve a thread in Lit Fic, but it may end up getting merged with this at some point.

Meanwhile, here's a rather fuller obit from the Guardian Umberto Eco obituary

 

[Venusian Broon]

I was very sad to see the news of Umberto Eco passing, he was, albeit in translation, one of my favourite reads.

Pulled no punches, just wrote what interested him and didn't pander.

Foucault's Pendulum definitely in my top books of all time list, the mother of all mickey takes of the Knights Templar/Jesus-wasn't-the-guy-you-thought-he-was/Conspiracy theory/alternative-esoteric-history publishing market.

And The Name of the Rose, a look at the fledging growth of the rational enlightened mind from medieval scholasticism...but don't despair if that description leaves you cold - at it's heart it's also a proto-Sherlock Holmes whodunit involving a serial killer obsessed with literature.

 

[aThenian]

The Name of the Rose is one of my favourite books of all time. It covers such a range of ideas and emotions, and is delightfully witty and joyful at times - yes, medieval scholasticism and all. I've struggled with the other Eco books I've tried though I do mean to go back and give Foucault's Pendulum another go. My feeling is The Name of the Rose with it's mystery plot managed to give structure and impetus to some very dense philosophical and intellectual material - which in the other books maybe becomes a bit of a mess?

But - as with Harper Lee - one marvellous book is surely enough.