The Prague Cemetery | 
This book had good things and less good things. I liked the way Eco shows how ”facts” are created, people and opinions are manipulated, and truth is subjective and multifaceted. But it was all a bit dry and the plot was ”mechanical” and unconvincing. All in all, I don‘t regret the time spent on it, but it's never going to be in my top 10 for the year.
About halfway through. It's pleasant enough to read, but I am staying somewhat detached from the story. Eco hasn't really “digested“ his research - this novel is not as “infodumpy“ as Foucault's Pendulum, but its informative bits sometimes feel a bit tacked-on and overly long, and yet, a lot will go over your head if you're not familiar with Italian and French history.
(photo of the Impasse Maubert, where the narrator lives, from Wikimedia)
This morning, I started The Prague Cemetery for book group. I was a bit apprehensive because I liked The Name of the Rose, but could not get on with Foucault's Pendulum, and found Numero Zero very disappointing.
Picture of the Old Jewish cemetery in Prague by Slotty, on https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12798487
so-soI enjoyed this book for the historical and political background, but I must admit I was disappointed by the main plot. I understand why Umberto Eco made this choice of plot, mainly to explain and give life to the historical background, but I wasn't captivated. And with all the plots and intrigues, it could have been far much more captivating... I'm thankful for this book, very instructive, with subjects that I now wish to explore more in depth.
Ebook on sale today. Would work for #readingeurope2020 and probably #scarathlon for #teamslaughter
Tonight, I'm going to go on with my reading of Eco, accompanied by a chai latte, and by my lovely purring cat 🐈
I'm just at page 130, so not at the heart of the plot yet, but there were several references at the beginning of the book (La Salpêtrière, Charcot, Eugène Sue) with which I'm quite familiar thanks to past readings, and I just LOVE when it happens. I feel like it's very rewarding, and enriching.
I was researching the tagged book posted by @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick because it looked intriguing but has a low Litsy score. Apparently it has an appalling main character whose anti-semitism is hard to stomach, and it‘s long and boring according to reviewers. That being said, an Amazon reviewer posted this as his favorite quote from the book, which feels very timely.
#3books dry the bottom of my TBR list.
I've owned these for over 15 years and haven't read them yet. I have many that fit the bill so I picked a 'set in a foreign country' theme.
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620
This Friday night is Lit! 🤣
Got my grocery store sushi, sangria in a can and some nasty erudite fiction. Woot woot! 🙌🏻
13 pages in and this narrator! Ah, Mr. Eco, it‘s been far too long since I‘ve picked up one of your novels.
#AdelesMayMashUp Day 3: My daughter and I literally #ChasingPavements in Prague as we visited the famous Vysehrad Cemetery back in 2016.
so-soI got started, but found the beginning antisemitic and anti- almost everyone else, a bit disturbing. Eventually I realised it was just some typical attitudes at the time. But somehow it didn‘t encourage me to carry on, although the plot was very interesting about two people who seemed to inhabit each other‘s lives. Or one split identity. Perhaps curiosity will make me eventually go back to find out more.
Another book I haven't read! 😢These challenges are a harsh reminder of all the lovely books I've owned for years and not gotten around to reading. I'm sure y'all can feel my pain. #uncannyoctober #setineasterneurope #hallowedgrounds #hallowreads
I really want to like this book because the writing reminds me so much of The Count of Monte Cristo, but the anti-Semitism is so hard to read. Have any of you guys read this? Is it worth finishing? What about his other book, The Name of the Rose?
People are never so completely and enthusiastically evil as when they act out of religious conviction.
Forgot to post my first experience with #bookbinding: a notebook for my sister, who's studying abroad in Prague next semester. I'm not going to quit my day job anytime soon, but I think it turned out pretty well! 😊
#handmade #bookishgifts #yesichangedthetitle
I'm loving this book so far. It's a bit heavy with all of these details, politics, religion, anf history, but it seems like I'm gonna take my time with them, and that's okay.
This is my first post here, and I'm still getting used to this but I think I'll love it. #reading #beach #summerread
"Every nation has its own secret service, perpetrating forgeries, plots, and massacres. But what if, behind all these conspiracies, lies just one man?
pickEco takes real people (except for the main character) and imagines how their interactions might have brought about real and important world events, such as the Holocaust and terrorism. His imagination his incredibly entertaining! Also big thumbs up for the translation by Richard Dixon 👍🏻
