Monday - February 19, 2007
Baudolino
*** a fictional tale that melds
medieval history and mythology into one bizarre, epic fable.
Baudolino by Umberto Eco
(2000)
Only slightly more readable for me than his classic ¨Focault's Pendulum", I enjoyed the challenge of digesting a book in which half of the words had never crossed my eyes before.
When I felt hopelessly lost and confused, I clung to the familiarity of the quest-for-the-holy-grail theme and patiently plowed ahead. The first half of the book did little to entertain me; whether it was due to my own ignorance or whether it was really overdrawn and tedious I cannot say.
Unless you already have a good grasp of Medieval history and an exceptionally broad, historical vocabulary, you could easily skip the first half of the book - it's mostly just background. The quest itself begins in Chapter 22, when Baudolino has a stroke of genius that really sets things in motion.
Soon afterward, the pages will start turning faster and faster and instead of crossing, your eyes will be popping out and you will witness the fantastical imagination and wit of this hyper-intelligent Italian author.
Baudolino, by the way, carries the book single-handedly. He is an outstanding and unusual character, timeless yet tangible, and this is the story of his life, adventures, and wisdom gleaned along the way.
I only gave this book three stars because, for me, the first half was torturous. The second half alone would have easily earned four stars.
Only slightly more readable for me than his classic ¨Focault's Pendulum", I enjoyed the challenge of digesting a book in which half of the words had never crossed my eyes before.
When I felt hopelessly lost and confused, I clung to the familiarity of the quest-for-the-holy-grail theme and patiently plowed ahead. The first half of the book did little to entertain me; whether it was due to my own ignorance or whether it was really overdrawn and tedious I cannot say.
Unless you already have a good grasp of Medieval history and an exceptionally broad, historical vocabulary, you could easily skip the first half of the book - it's mostly just background. The quest itself begins in Chapter 22, when Baudolino has a stroke of genius that really sets things in motion.
Soon afterward, the pages will start turning faster and faster and instead of crossing, your eyes will be popping out and you will witness the fantastical imagination and wit of this hyper-intelligent Italian author.
Baudolino, by the way, carries the book single-handedly. He is an outstanding and unusual character, timeless yet tangible, and this is the story of his life, adventures, and wisdom gleaned along the way.
I only gave this book three stars because, for me, the first half was torturous. The second half alone would have easily earned four stars.
