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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
The history in this book is absolutely fascinating: Garibaldi-era Italy, the 1848 revolutions, the fall of Napoleon III, and the ridiculous beliefs/fears about Masons, Jews, and Satanists throughout the 19th century. But, I found the story itself often a bit too erratic and, while I do think that Eco is a marvellous writer, the writing style of this book was often a bit too... eccentric, for lack of a better word. The book did get better as time went on, and there were definitely portions of if where I was absolutely riveted; but there were too many sections where I was bored or annoyed to warrant a higher rating.
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2015/02/17/day-659-the-prague-cemetery/
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2015/02/17/day-659-the-prague-cemetery/
This book is demanding and exhausting, but it does get points for being the first Eco book I have been able to finish since reading The Name of the Rose. You should be a devout fan of historical fiction and fairly familiar with 19th century European history to stay focused through the mass of well-researched, but ultimately cumbersome detail. The plot device of diary entries by a split personality protagonist adds an additional layer of complexity. I'm sure it was brilliant, but ultimately, I didn't care enough about the characters or the story to appreciate the larger questions this novel raises.
dieses buch verdient eigentlich keine rezi... keine handlung, ein unsymphatischer protagonist mit einem unstillbaren hass auf die gesamte menschheit und beim rest konnte ich mich nicht konzentrieren...
I have to admit I only read about 7% of this. There was just too much hate and too little plot.
Una novela histórica más, no aportada nada y la trama no engancha en ningún momento.
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book has unnerved me more than any other I can recall. The sole purpose of the book sometimes seems to be an accounting of as many anti-jewish (and freemason) theories/rants/paranoia as is possible. The goal could be the same as the writing activity of one of the author's characters - namely to facilitate book sales via the regurgitation of these night terrors.
At other times, the book makes subtle points regarding the contradictions and recursive fabrications that feed this paranoia; highlighting their application without need for external proof or internal consistency. And maybe the point is that the foundation of any "Eternal Jew" hysteria is the spider web of the "Eternal Conspirator" whose slight of hand uses the Jew, or other target, as the point to fixate your eye while the real activity is being done past your sight.
Went from baffled, to enjoyed, to embarrassed, back to baffled ... Three stars seems appropriate.
At other times, the book makes subtle points regarding the contradictions and recursive fabrications that feed this paranoia; highlighting their application without need for external proof or internal consistency. And maybe the point is that the foundation of any "Eternal Jew" hysteria is the spider web of the "Eternal Conspirator" whose slight of hand uses the Jew, or other target, as the point to fixate your eye while the real activity is being done past your sight.
Went from baffled, to enjoyed, to embarrassed, back to baffled ... Three stars seems appropriate.
We realized we had gone too far; the idea of a three-headed devil who banqueted with the leader of the Italian government was difficult to swallow.
The protagonist of Umberto Eco's novel is not a sympathetic character. His first words to the reader are in the form of an epic rant in which he disparages and reviles every single group he can think of; women, Jews, Catholics, Germans, the French, Jesuits, and Freemasons are among those singled out for his disgust. And Simonini never does a single thing to endear himself to the reader.
And that's my quibble with this outrageous, conspiracy-driven book. It's similar to Foucault's Pendulum, being full of arcane plots and secret societies, and to Baudolino with an opportunistic main character who deals in forgeries. But while Casaubon and Baudolino were engaging characters despite their flaws, Simonini is a guy who inspires only a mild distaste. With a complex plot that requires concentration and a good grasp of nineteenth century European history (among other things), I needed someone to hold on to through the cyclone of events and obscure references.
Simonini gets his professional start forging wills and titles for an unscrupulous lawyer, until that gentleman dies and leaves Simonini his business, in an unexpected will. Simonini is then asked to implicate his friends in an imaginary plot, which then lead to an assignment with Garibaldi's forces in the South of Italy and on to further work in Paris. Simonini is less a spy than someone who is able to enjoy the reputation of a spy and to convey that reputation into a steady income. But his masterpiece, one that takes much of his life to complete and use appropriately, involves an imaginary meeting of rabbis in the Jewish cemetery in Prague in which they agree on a series of protocols that will allow them to control the world.
The conspiracies that Simonini is involved in are fantastic. More than a few times I'd be reading along and think, "hey, that sounds a little like that scandal/affair/coup," only to realize that it was that scandal/affair/coup and that Eco has the entire event based on Simonini's forgeries and groups with devious intentions.
This is a book I struggled with in part because my grasp of the history of that time is shallow and unsteady. I'd like to reread this book in a few years, with a bit of advance reading under my belt. I suspect I will like it more with a second reading.
The protagonist of Umberto Eco's novel is not a sympathetic character. His first words to the reader are in the form of an epic rant in which he disparages and reviles every single group he can think of; women, Jews, Catholics, Germans, the French, Jesuits, and Freemasons are among those singled out for his disgust. And Simonini never does a single thing to endear himself to the reader.
And that's my quibble with this outrageous, conspiracy-driven book. It's similar to Foucault's Pendulum, being full of arcane plots and secret societies, and to Baudolino with an opportunistic main character who deals in forgeries. But while Casaubon and Baudolino were engaging characters despite their flaws, Simonini is a guy who inspires only a mild distaste. With a complex plot that requires concentration and a good grasp of nineteenth century European history (among other things), I needed someone to hold on to through the cyclone of events and obscure references.
Simonini gets his professional start forging wills and titles for an unscrupulous lawyer, until that gentleman dies and leaves Simonini his business, in an unexpected will. Simonini is then asked to implicate his friends in an imaginary plot, which then lead to an assignment with Garibaldi's forces in the South of Italy and on to further work in Paris. Simonini is less a spy than someone who is able to enjoy the reputation of a spy and to convey that reputation into a steady income. But his masterpiece, one that takes much of his life to complete and use appropriately, involves an imaginary meeting of rabbis in the Jewish cemetery in Prague in which they agree on a series of protocols that will allow them to control the world.
The conspiracies that Simonini is involved in are fantastic. More than a few times I'd be reading along and think, "hey, that sounds a little like that scandal/affair/coup," only to realize that it was that scandal/affair/coup and that Eco has the entire event based on Simonini's forgeries and groups with devious intentions.
This is a book I struggled with in part because my grasp of the history of that time is shallow and unsteady. I'd like to reread this book in a few years, with a bit of advance reading under my belt. I suspect I will like it more with a second reading.
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes