I'm around a quarter of the way into Umberto Eco's The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana.
So far, the novel is fascinating. An antiquarian bookseller in Italy loses his memory and tries to recover it by revisiting publications, people, and experiences. He can recall some historical facts in great detail but the names of his wife and children are initially beyond his grasp. Phrases from various books he's read come jumbling into his speech. And this woman? Was she his mistress?
Different and thought-provoking.
4 comments:
Michael, I tried that book, and hopefully you'll enjoy it more than me. I got about half way through and thought the first quarter was much better than the second, and gave it up. Let me know how it turns out and maybe I'll give it another chance.
Dan,
I really liked The Name of the Rose. Thought Foucault's Pendulum was interesting. Couldn't get into his other books. I'll let you know how I feel at the end of this one.
Michael, Foucault's is my favorite of his, and one of my favorite books from the past 20 years or so. Eco is an aquired taste, and maybe I just couldn't get into whatever he was trying to do in Quees Loana. Hope you like it, though.
Dan,
I enjoyed "Foucault's" peek at the publishing world. You are right. Eco is an acquired taste. [I'm planning on re-reading "The Name of the Rose" if only to see what I missed the first time.] I haven't read "Baldolino." It will be the next Eco book on my list.
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