Foucalt's Pendulum

by Umberto; Weaver Eco

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Isen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Foucalt's Pendulum opens with a delirious rant from a drug-addled Italian stumbling his way through a museum in Paris. He hides in a periscope so he can stay behind after hours to witness something that may or may not happen, and uses the pause to tell the reader what brought him there. Cue 650 pages of rambling about various Templar-related conspiracy theories, which the protagonist at once scoffs at and believes in, and occasional asides about the romantic misadventures of some guy called Belbo, who is never really given any screentime but is also somehow the main character.

I don't know what I've just read, and I don't really care to find out.

[Doug Coull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, mind blowing, a thoroughly original triumph of intellectualism, ideas, connections and human nature. This book has literally everything, and I mean everything. Is it fact or fiction, is life a grand mystery or a grand comedy...or both?

Richly developed characters, witty dialog, intricate, tightly woven storyline, keep your dictionary handy.

One of my all-time favorites, I have read it several times and each reading gives me new insight into and ideas about humanity, faith, science, history, mysticism... Highest recommendation.


“I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth.”
― Umberto Eco, Foucault's Pendulum

“Well, Diotallevi and I are planning a reform in higher education. A School of Comparative Irrelevance, where useless or impossible courses are given. The school's aim is to turn out scholars capable of endlessly increasing the number of unnecessary subjects.”
― Umberto Eco, Foucault's Pendulum

[Andreas Rocksén · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inte alls lika bra som Rosens namn

[Magdalena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with Lia: a nasty joke. I’m so disappointed because I loved Name of the Rose

[Rain · Rating 2 out of 5]

something about something and conspirancies...

[tracey]

great book to read to feel stupid
probably only understood ½ of the book??
loved lia’s revelation