Umberto Eco, 5.1.32 - 19.2.16

[Nick Armstrong]

A second big literary figure to leave us on 19th February.

The Name of the Rose made an indelible impression on me in the '80s. (Always thought the film version was very good, too). I was rather more ambivalent about subsequent works by him - I wanted to like Foucault's Pendulum more than I did.

RIP Maestro

[richardfinegold]

I read the The Prauge Cemetery. I found it ultimately a disappointment as it didn't seem he could sustain his initial premise.

[Lat-Literal]

[Pabmusic]

A second big literary figure to leave us on 19th January.

The Name of the Rose made an indelible impression on me in the '80s. (Always thought the film version was very good, too). I was rather more ambivalent about subsequent works by him - I wanted to like Foucault's Pendulum more than I did.

RIP Maestro

I wanted to say "snap", but that sounds flippant. For the tremendous enjoyment I got out of The Name of the Rose, thank you.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

One of my favourite writers - both as a novelist (and The Mysterious Flame of Queen Leona is one of the Great books of any century) and as a critical essayist. This is terribly sad and bad news.

RIP, maestro - and Thank You

[Beef Oven!]

[vinteuil]

A second big literary figure to leave us on 19th January.:

19 February, (Perhaps the heading of the thread could be amended?)

[Nick Armstrong]

19 February, (Perhaps the heading of the thread could be amended?)

Twas late... and I was commosso...

Alas I don't have hostly powers to amend the heading on this rarified level of the Forum, ff will have to correct...

[Conchis]

I have to shamefully admit to having never even attempted to read anything by him. A second hand copy of Foucault's Pendulum sits on my shelves, way down the priority list.

Is there any truth in the assertion that he is 'the Italian John Fowles'?

[Richard Tarleton]

Is there any truth in the assertion that he is 'the Italian John Fowles'?

Haven't heard that one - UE by all accounts a lovely bloke, apart from anything else

I've read The Name of the Rose several times, Foucault's Pendulum at least twice (and was gripped by it) but struggled thereafter - fiction was only a (relatively small) part of this mighty polymath's output, and I'm just not clever enough for semiotics...the later novels left me feeling there was more I needed to know or understand before taking them on, they operate at so many levels.....