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henrikhofgen's review against another edition
3.0
Leukste schimatici: artoryten. Jezus deelde Brood en KAAS. Heerlijk. Jammer genoeg niet Brood, Kaas en Wijn. Of een goede port. Veel opsommingen, minder spanning dan Foucaults slinger, iets minder Gnostici dan De verzoeking van de Heilige Antonius.
austinttodd's review against another edition
Feeling much more invested in current fiction / modern history at the moment -- will hopefully return to this one day because it is an extraordinarily detailed and interesting novel.
rebcamuse's review against another edition
I adore Umberto Eco's writing, but this book did not hold my interest. I thought, given my love of the Middle Ages, that this book would be right up my alley, but instead, it meandered so far afield of any kind of coherent plot that I didn't even finish it. I still love Eco, but this book is not a favorite.
arsa_charles's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Incredible stuff. This book is slow but well worth it for the immersion. Vast majority of it is putting you in the head space of a 12th century Catholic peasant, seeing the world through his eyes. This is not a bad thing, it’s exceedingly interesting . Then add in the fact that Baudolino is a self professed liar and it makes the final part of the book, the journey East, fascinating to read. Is this real or just more tall tales?
Pretty large cast of characters, Baudolino is the most detailed out of them but the others are distinctive enough.
This book definitely does not pass the Bechdel test at all. The women in this book are all wives, lovers or dead. None exist outside their relationship to a man so fair warning.
Overall I rate this 5 stars for its engagement with medieval history in a real fun and immersive way.
Pretty large cast of characters, Baudolino is the most detailed out of them but the others are distinctive enough.
This book definitely does not pass the Bechdel test at all. The women in this book are all wives, lovers or dead. None exist outside their relationship to a man so fair warning.
Overall I rate this 5 stars for its engagement with medieval history in a real fun and immersive way.
payindigo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
slothrop_garp's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
alefanteus's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
olleolleolle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In the grand tradition of masters writing literature, with the spice of the detective story, this is a wonderful romp through the medieval Christian imagination. Recommended.
teachinsci's review against another edition
4.0
A book about a liar of epic proportions. I generally enjoyed this book. However, I would say that the passages of theological arguments and discussions, while appropriate to the period in which the piece was set, did get tedious at times.
Probably the best feature of the book was its perspective. Books are often written from a first person perspective with no rational reason why the narrator would have written down his or her experiences. By having Baudolino instead telling his story to the eventual historian, not only did the story it self make more sense, but the tense of the narration was more logical and thus the required suspense of disbelief was easier to achieve.
Probably the best feature of the book was its perspective. Books are often written from a first person perspective with no rational reason why the narrator would have written down his or her experiences. By having Baudolino instead telling his story to the eventual historian, not only did the story it self make more sense, but the tense of the narration was more logical and thus the required suspense of disbelief was easier to achieve.
stefanv's review against another edition
3.0
Umberto Eco employs the same quirky historical facts (and rumours) as he did in The Name of the Rose and especially Foucault’s Pendulum. But Baudolino is written in simpler language than those other two novels, as befits the loveable scoundrel that is the title character. Apart from a section around two thirds in the book which is less engaging and drags too long, it is a hilarious and highly enjoyable novel.