Umberto Eco (1932-2016) was a celebrated Italian intellectual, renowned as a novelist, philosopher, semiotician, and literary critic. He achieved global fame with his debut novel, The Name of the Rose (1980), a historical mystery set in a medieval monastery. A professor of semiotics at the University of Bologna, Eco explored themes of language, culture, and interpretation in both his academic work and fiction. His writing is characterised by its erudition, wit, and interdisciplinary approach, making him a significant figure in contemporary literature and thought.
Summary Baudolino is a historical novel that weaves together fact and fiction, myth and reality, in a captivating tale of adventure, deception and the power of storytelling. Set against the backdrop of the 12th and early 13th centuries, the novel follows the life of Baudolino, a peasant boy from Alessandria, Italy, who is adopted by […]
Foucault’s Pendulum – Summary Foucault’s Pendulum is a complex and intellectually stimulating novel that weaves together elements of conspiracy theories, historical mysteries, and philosophical musings. The story revolves around three editors working at a vanity press in Milan: Casaubon, Jacopo Belbo and Diotallevi. Initially sceptical of the occult manuscripts they encounter in their work, they
The Name of the Rose – Summary Set in the year 1327, “The Name of the Rose” follows Franciscan friar William of Baskerville and his young novice Adso of Melk as they arrive at a wealthy Benedictine abbey in Northern Italy. Their visit coincides with a theological debate between Franciscans and papal emissaries, but they
