A review by christar_123
Numero Zero by Umberto Eco
2.0
I don't know what it was about this book, but I never really got into it. It seemed like it should be interesting, but then it just didn't really come together. It almost got there in the last 3 pages, but that's not enough to redeem it. I read another review of this book, and the reviewer argued that some of their favorite "great" authors' newest works hold up anymore - I definitely found that to be the case here.
Maybe it's because this was supposed to be a more "modern" story - and one of the aspects I usually enjoy about Eco's work is his use of really obscure historical events, notes, references.....so there weren't as many here, and it felt thrown together. I also get really annoyed by ridiculous character names, and the self-assured, "thinks he's the best, smartest, etc." conspiracy guy was named "Braggadocio." Really? You really couldn't think of anything else to name this guy? I guess that should have been a warning before I even started this book.
There are some weirdly timely connections between the idea of a state-wide mass conspiracy and the recent Q-Anon story. Even the way that the major news outlet broke the conspiracy is creepily similar. So maybe I need to give the book more credit. Or just give society less...
Some interesting passages:
- ""You see," said Braggadocio, "those on the left are Roman ruins - almost no one remembers that Milan was once the capital of the empire. So they can't be touched, though there isn't the slightest interest in them. But those ruins behind the parking lot are what remains of houses bombed in the last war." The bombed-out houses didn't have the timeworn tranquility of those ancient remains that now seemed reconciled with death, but peeped out sinisterly from their grim voids as though affected by lupus." {liked the idea of comparing the two ruins, how the ancient ones were reconciled with being ruined, but also - see how over-the-top Eco is here? It's kind of like, ummmm take a breath.} pg. 29
- "All this notwithstanding, I dreamed what all losers dream, about one day writing a book that would bring me fame and fortune." HAHAHA pg. 9
- ""See? This whole business confirms my story." "What the hell has it got to do with your story?" "I don't know yet, but it's got to have something to do with it. Everything always fits with everything else, you just have to know how to read the coffee grounds. Give me time."" pg. 131
Maybe it's because this was supposed to be a more "modern" story - and one of the aspects I usually enjoy about Eco's work is his use of really obscure historical events, notes, references.....so there weren't as many here, and it felt thrown together. I also get really annoyed by ridiculous character names, and the self-assured, "thinks he's the best, smartest, etc." conspiracy guy was named "Braggadocio." Really? You really couldn't think of anything else to name this guy? I guess that should have been a warning before I even started this book.
There are some weirdly timely connections between the idea of a state-wide mass conspiracy and the recent Q-Anon story. Even the way that the major news outlet broke the conspiracy is creepily similar. So maybe I need to give the book more credit. Or just give society less...
Some interesting passages:
- ""You see," said Braggadocio, "those on the left are Roman ruins - almost no one remembers that Milan was once the capital of the empire. So they can't be touched, though there isn't the slightest interest in them. But those ruins behind the parking lot are what remains of houses bombed in the last war." The bombed-out houses didn't have the timeworn tranquility of those ancient remains that now seemed reconciled with death, but peeped out sinisterly from their grim voids as though affected by lupus." {liked the idea of comparing the two ruins, how the ancient ones were reconciled with being ruined, but also - see how over-the-top Eco is here? It's kind of like, ummmm take a breath.} pg. 29
- "All this notwithstanding, I dreamed what all losers dream, about one day writing a book that would bring me fame and fortune." HAHAHA pg. 9
- ""See? This whole business confirms my story." "What the hell has it got to do with your story?" "I don't know yet, but it's got to have something to do with it. Everything always fits with everything else, you just have to know how to read the coffee grounds. Give me time."" pg. 131