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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
Just finished but guess i'll need to start over again. Fairly convoluted read...
Selesai setelah dibaca sebelas bulan dan empat hari.
Dibaca selama itu, kalimat terakhir cerita ini sangat nyebelin!
*curhatnya nanti disambung lagi kalo mood dan sinyal mendukung
Dibaca selama itu, kalimat terakhir cerita ini sangat nyebelin!
*curhatnya nanti disambung lagi kalo mood dan sinyal mendukung
3.7 Hard to follow on audio. So many characters, plots, and machinations. Central character is disgusting. Not loveable rogue. A hideous human being. Interesting to see the justifications of prejudice and how rumors and lies are built to satisfy greed and hatred.
Eco continues to plumb the depths of society's ability to desire and then believe the big lie. Excellent as always!
Though loosely based on real people and real events, The Prague Cemetery is a fictional story of how the infamous Protocols of Zion were created by secret government agencies in order to spread hatred of the Jews throughout Europe in the late 19th century, as told through the point of view of a document forger with a split personality. At times he is a military veteran captain, at others, a Jesuit priest. The Protocols depicted secret meetings of conspiratorial rabbis who met in a cemetery in Prague to negotiate their plan to take over the world. One only has to note the reference in Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf to realize the impact those very real propagandist papers had on the consciousness of Europe. The genius of Eco's book is how it depicts what was the purpose of making the Protocols: a means to instill fear into the populace to make them easier to manipulate, especially in terms of warfare(the connection to our present day war in the East is hard to ignore). The machinations of those involved in creating the Protocols takes away any authenticity that some may still believe the Protocols have, because it is made clear that the characters in The Prague Cemetery are driven solely by hatred (the main protagonist Simonini agrees with the idea that "hatred warms the heart") and find themselves involved with all matter of evil doings, from murder to bomb plots to attending black masses where unspeakable acts are committed in the name of Satan. As dark as the story is, Eco's prose is brilliant and at times is often funny, but the humor will not be appreciated by those who are offended easily at the dark periods of Western history. Fantastic read!
First Umberto Eco book, so maybe I just don't get it? The contrasting narratives were interesting, but the massive amount of characters that were mentioned once and not again, the constant phrases in French, Italian, and Latin that were never translated, and the "tell not show" writing all combined to make this a difficult book. I gave it 3 stars because it was interesting, especially after reading the brief "narrator's notes" at the end, but still. Tough. I'll read more Eco, but I might need some fluff in between.
An interesting book, but I found it very confusing in places. I had a little trouble following who was who, with so many characters and names to remember. With a 'narrator's, and diary entries from more than one character, it was difficult (for me at least) to keep up with when certain events were happening in relation to others.
I finished it, but it was a bit painful. I don't recommend it, in spite of the promise of its first 100 pages. The middle of the book seemed completely irrelevant. I read the final 20 pages when I got impatient, and didn't feel the loss of the skipped pages at all.
A great blend of historical fiction and philosophy. Eco’s presentation of espionage, conspiracy, and the dark underbelly of European politics in the 19th century is masterful.Like all Eco’s novels this too is intellectually stimulating,thought provoking,entertaining and compelling. His brilliant use of rich, meticulous detail and complex characters makes this world feel so vividly real.
Conspiracies,Jews,Jesuits,Freemasons,antisemitism,hatred,multiple personality disorder and politics, take all that and create an immersive and satisfying read. The way Eco portrays the main character’s hatred is quite chilling, it actually got on my nerves :)
I was totally lost in the world, Eco knows how to tell a story!All 3 of the 3 novels I have read of him have been phenomenal. Looking forward to reading more!
It has some amazing quotes...
Here are some that pretty much sum up our main character...
“You always want someone to hate in order to feel justified in your own misery. Hatred is the true primordial passion. It is love that’s abnormal. That is why Christ was killed: he spoke against nature. You don’t love someone for your whole life - that impossible hope is the source of adultery, matricide, betrayal of friends … But you can hate someone for your whole life - provided he’s always there to keep your hatred alive. Hatred warms the heart.”
“What does the philosopher say? Odi ergo sum. I hate therefore I am.”
Conspiracies,Jews,Jesuits,Freemasons,antisemitism,hatred,multiple personality disorder and politics, take all that and create an immersive and satisfying read. The way Eco portrays the main character’s hatred is quite chilling, it actually got on my nerves :)
I was totally lost in the world, Eco knows how to tell a story!All 3 of the 3 novels I have read of him have been phenomenal. Looking forward to reading more!
It has some amazing quotes...
Here are some that pretty much sum up our main character...
“You always want someone to hate in order to feel justified in your own misery. Hatred is the true primordial passion. It is love that’s abnormal. That is why Christ was killed: he spoke against nature. You don’t love someone for your whole life - that impossible hope is the source of adultery, matricide, betrayal of friends … But you can hate someone for your whole life - provided he’s always there to keep your hatred alive. Hatred warms the heart.”
“What does the philosopher say? Odi ergo sum. I hate therefore I am.”