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dialhforhgai's review against another edition
4.0
“The real is out of control. The real fabricates stories, legends, and creatures.”
marianatempest's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
evafc's review against another edition
2.0
This is a really difficult book to review for me. Mainly because i believe the book is better when you are French. I wonder if this should have been translated.
The story begins with Roland Barthes, a French linguïst and philosopher, who is run over by a car after having lunch with François Mitterand, one of the candidates for the presidency. Barthes dies in hospital later on. He was murdered and a policeman starts an investigation.
Within the book are numerous sidelines: the elections, the French intellectual scene, semiotic philosophy, the dispute between continental and American philosophers, the secret Logos Club, and ofcourse the murdermystery itself. Enormous ammounts of characters come by: mostly French philosophers, politicians and intellectuals. For me, it's hard to follow.
Also, the reader is bombarded with quotes by all of the philosophers and intellectuals appearing in the book. It irritates me and makes me wonder if the writer is showing off.
Some of the events in the book have taken place in reality. Barthes really did die in 1980. Other things are fake: he wasn't murdered. That confuses me. At first i looked it all up, but that makes the book hard to read. I stopped and concentrated on the main storyline. It helped, but left me feeling stupid because i dont understand parts of the book and i feel i am missing out on something.
Concentrating on the murdermystery i noticed the main characters dont stick to their character. They change immensly, which makes me wonder if that is on purpose or not. And the book gets more and more violent while progressing. It's a bit over the top.
I did not much enjoy the book. I wonder how some of the characters in the book, who exist in real life, like the image the writer painted of them. The image isn't pretty. Michel Foucault for instance is in the book a drinking homosexual drugabuser who enjoys kinky sex with justabout anyone.
Anyway, like i said, i can imagine the book being more interesting if you have more knowledge of semiotics, french politics and french intellectuals.
The story begins with Roland Barthes, a French linguïst and philosopher, who is run over by a car after having lunch with François Mitterand, one of the candidates for the presidency. Barthes dies in hospital later on. He was murdered and a policeman starts an investigation.
Within the book are numerous sidelines: the elections, the French intellectual scene, semiotic philosophy, the dispute between continental and American philosophers, the secret Logos Club, and ofcourse the murdermystery itself. Enormous ammounts of characters come by: mostly French philosophers, politicians and intellectuals. For me, it's hard to follow.
Also, the reader is bombarded with quotes by all of the philosophers and intellectuals appearing in the book. It irritates me and makes me wonder if the writer is showing off.
Some of the events in the book have taken place in reality. Barthes really did die in 1980. Other things are fake: he wasn't murdered. That confuses me. At first i looked it all up, but that makes the book hard to read. I stopped and concentrated on the main storyline. It helped, but left me feeling stupid because i dont understand parts of the book and i feel i am missing out on something.
Concentrating on the murdermystery i noticed the main characters dont stick to their character. They change immensly, which makes me wonder if that is on purpose or not. And the book gets more and more violent while progressing. It's a bit over the top.
I did not much enjoy the book. I wonder how some of the characters in the book, who exist in real life, like the image the writer painted of them. The image isn't pretty. Michel Foucault for instance is in the book a drinking homosexual drugabuser who enjoys kinky sex with justabout anyone.
Anyway, like i said, i can imagine the book being more interesting if you have more knowledge of semiotics, french politics and french intellectuals.
kristianawithak's review
2.0
At the onset of reading this I thought, “a novel about French intellectuals, translated from the French? What could be better and more pretentious?” I made it three quarters of the way through before becoming almost entirely lost and uninterested. I became more disenchanted the longer it went on. I finished it and it was fine.
ana_qq's review against another edition
3.0
Senti-me um pouco perdida ao ler o livro. Pensava que ia ser parecido com o Pêndulo de Foucault do Umberto Eco, de que gostei muito, e até certo ponto é de facto parecido. Mas não estou suficientemente a par da cultura académica/política francesa e perdi muitas referências e subentendidos. A princípio ainda ia à wikipedia esclarecer-me mas com 400 páginas de livro seria uma leitura muito cansativa se, de cada vez que não entendesse uma referência, tivesse de ir à web.
O livro começa com o atropelamento do filósofo semiólogo Roland Barthes em Fevereiro de 1980. Este supostamente teria descoberto uma secreta função da linguagem que, estando na posse de alguém, teria o poder de subjugar qualquer pessoa. À mistura temos personagens como Derrida, Umberto Eco, Mitterrand, Foucault, Julia Kristeva entre outros. Todos, talvez excepto Eco, a fazer figura de idiotas.
O livro começa com o atropelamento do filósofo semiólogo Roland Barthes em Fevereiro de 1980. Este supostamente teria descoberto uma secreta função da linguagem que, estando na posse de alguém, teria o poder de subjugar qualquer pessoa. À mistura temos personagens como Derrida, Umberto Eco, Mitterrand, Foucault, Julia Kristeva entre outros. Todos, talvez excepto Eco, a fazer figura de idiotas.
drews1's review against another edition
4.0
The sections with fictionalized Franco Berardi were hilarious
bexlrose's review against another edition
4.0
Very good but far too clever for me I'm sure. All about language and philosophy and the philosophy of language. Fiction, mostly, kind of, and I dunno - maybe. Interesting certainly, enjoyable constantly, hard to follow sometimes. 4 stars. Probably would get more on a second reading.
woodpusher's review against another edition
1.0
Un inicio muy prometedor pero a media novela el argumento se desliza por la alcantarilla y se vuelve una especie de compilación de fantasías bastante truculentas del autor con poca o ninguna verosimilitud. La segunda parte la leí de prisa sólo para saber en que acabaría tanto disparate.