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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
Not an easy read. I spent about 3.5 weeks on this one, which is highly unusual for me. (Admittedly, I only could get through a few pages a night before falling asleep.) I nearly gave up on it, but as I very rarely leave a book unfinished, I forged ahead.
The Prague Cemetery is a fictional account of the origins of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a fake document first published at the turn of the 20th century which claims to reveal a Jewish plot to take over the world. Although the text was proven to be a forgery in the early 1920s, Adolf Hitler and the Nazis still used The Protocols as justification for the Holocaust.
Eco includes an author's note at the end of the book stating that all of the characters except for the protagonist are real historical figures. This made the book all the more disturbing to me. Even though the anti-Semitism of the protagonist and many other characters are obviously used for literary purposes and not the feelings of the author, I still found it really hard to stomach. And the description of the black mass? I definitely wish I could have skipped that, as I don't want those images in my mind.
To sum up: interesting, informative, but disturbing.
The Prague Cemetery is a fictional account of the origins of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a fake document first published at the turn of the 20th century which claims to reveal a Jewish plot to take over the world. Although the text was proven to be a forgery in the early 1920s, Adolf Hitler and the Nazis still used The Protocols as justification for the Holocaust.
Eco includes an author's note at the end of the book stating that all of the characters except for the protagonist are real historical figures. This made the book all the more disturbing to me. Even though the anti-Semitism of the protagonist and many other characters are obviously used for literary purposes and not the feelings of the author, I still found it really hard to stomach. And the description of the black mass? I definitely wish I could have skipped that, as I don't want those images in my mind.
To sum up: interesting, informative, but disturbing.
Reading this right when Michelle Bachmann released her 16-page "The Ramadan Conspiracy" document was pretty interesting timing. In the postscript, Eco tells us that while Simone Simonini is a fabrication, he is very much alive and well today. He certainly is.
Umberto Eko kā vienmēr garšīgs.
Pamatīgs antisemītisms, jauka personības dubultošanās, spiegošana, iepazīšanās ar itāļu, franču un pa lielam jau visas Eiropas notikumiem 19.gs beigās, dokumentu viltošana.
Pamatīgs antisemītisms, jauka personības dubultošanās, spiegošana, iepazīšanās ar itāļu, franču un pa lielam jau visas Eiropas notikumiem 19.gs beigās, dokumentu viltošana.
Extra star for making me do a lot of research into the period.
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Antisemitism
Moderate: Drug use, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Murder
I feel like I have been reading this book for 100,000 years. The jokes I did get were pretty funny but man there was just so much that went right over my head.
Unless you have extensive knowledge of Italian and French 19th century history I do not recommend this book.
Unless you have extensive knowledge of Italian and French 19th century history I do not recommend this book.
I really tried and made it half through the book, but then had to give up. It's one long anti-semitic rant (although I'm sure that's meant to teach us something) and if it ever gets anywhere, it only happens in the second half of the book. I do not have the patience - with so many good books to read in the world.
A Rózsa neve sokkal regényesebb, a Baudolino sokkal szellemesebb, de Eco kitett magért ezzel a regényével is. Számomra a Focault inga olvasása szenvedés volt, így egy ideig nem is olvastam több Eco művet, de ez a kötet újra meghozta a kedvem a könyveihez.
Lurid and grotesque, written in an antique style, I give Eco credit for his mastery and his research. But the book was in no way enjoyable to read. Littered with period images of anti-semitic cartoons, the reader stumbles through endless exhaustive (exhausting) lists and detailed descriptions, it just….dragged. I longed for it to be over, and came so close to not finishing. Out of sheer stubbornness and a desire to just see the thing through, I persisted to the end. It left me depressed, grossed out, and resolved to DNF next time. There’s no prize for finishing a book, especially if it leaves you feeling depleted.
Similarly to what many others have reported, the first 100 pages or so were a bit of a struggle for me. I had found the book in a book case and since I loved 'The Name of the Rose' I felt lucky to find another book of his for free. I just started reading, without knowing much about the book, so this rambling on food and why the guy hates this or that... well, I didn't see the point at all. I guess the only thing that kept me going was trust that Eco must have had a higher agenda in all this (and I was at least slightly interested in the mystery).
But at some point it started to make at least a little bit of sense. The idea that words, even though completely fabricated, could create worlds and change the cause of real events - now that was interesting. I have to admit that my knowledge of 18th century history is rather limited, so I think I missed out on many other aspects that would make the book an interesting read; but I certainly feel like I've learned quite a bit in other respects. This book came a long way in convincing me that maybe there really is a point to postmodern shenanigans.
But at some point it started to make at least a little bit of sense. The idea that words, even though completely fabricated, could create worlds and change the cause of real events - now that was interesting. I have to admit that my knowledge of 18th century history is rather limited, so I think I missed out on many other aspects that would make the book an interesting read; but I certainly feel like I've learned quite a bit in other respects. This book came a long way in convincing me that maybe there really is a point to postmodern shenanigans.