ava96's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this book. It's so full of historical knowledge that I have to admit a lot of it flew over my head and that's the reason I'm giving it 2 stars. It's purely for the reason that if I had known more of the history described, I would have enjoyed it more I think.
Umberto Eco's style is great and I'd be really happy to read more of his books.
Umberto Eco's style is great and I'd be really happy to read more of his books.
awoodhouse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
rambolola's review against another edition
5.0
Come descrivere Eco? All'altezza della situazione, come sempre. Voleva parlare di tutta la storia significativa del Risorgimento (quella che ormai non studia più nessuno) e ci è riuscito con abilità e senza perdersi nell'intreccio, che si dipana solo all'ultimo capitolo, con un finale inaspettato quanto ironico. Se la lettura può sembrare difficile e poco avvincente all'inizio, insistete: ne vale la pena.
tomsankey's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ainsleyiscariot's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
libeccio's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
johncbeynon's review
3.0
Eco's The Prague Cemetery features an anti-protagonist that you love to hate and hate to love. He's all things loathsome, and yet I couldn't help get caught up in his various evil machinations and ruthless ability to destroy others. I nearly lost interest when the novel tells a convoluted story of espionage, double-dealing, and betrayal in Italy, but once we find Simonini in Paris, spinning his anti-Semitic, anti-masonic, and anti-Jesuit plots that revolve around dark doings at a Prague Cemetery, then I couldn't put the novel down. The clever illustrations are wonderful additions.
This interview with The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle inspired me to read the book.
This interview with The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle inspired me to read the book.
jessikeenan's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
cattytrona's review against another edition
3.0
I think this is a good book in a lot of ways. It is very readable, somewhat perversely, given how numbing I also found it. There's interesting meaning to be found in my reaction to it, which was often to be lost in a dizzy daze of names, places and attitudes I either couldn't or didn't want to keep up with: the alienating nature of investigation makes it appealing to accept the easy lie (dnf), or something. But I'm not sure Eco meant for that. He might have, but he also might have meant for me to carefully pick over this, keep up with it all, learn the history.
I did not do that. I found the book compelling, but never appealing, and I remember very few names, dates, plot points, conspiracies, anything much. Also, and this isn't a point against the book (but might be a point against paying any attention to this review) I picked it up because I'm going to Prague soon and I wanted to read something set in Prague. This book is not set in Prague. I'm also not sure if that's supposed to be obvious, like if the title is supposed to generate recollections of a certain other (inter)text, but the contents of anti-semetic conspiracy theories is not a cultural touchstone for me, so it didn't.
I did not do that. I found the book compelling, but never appealing, and I remember very few names, dates, plot points, conspiracies, anything much. Also, and this isn't a point against the book (but might be a point against paying any attention to this review) I picked it up because I'm going to Prague soon and I wanted to read something set in Prague. This book is not set in Prague. I'm also not sure if that's supposed to be obvious, like if the title is supposed to generate recollections of a certain other (inter)text, but the contents of anti-semetic conspiracy theories is not a cultural touchstone for me, so it didn't.