On Literature

by Umberto Eco

Paperback, 2005

Status

Available

Call number

809

Genres

Nonfiction

All Topics

Collection

Untitled collection

Publication

Mariner Books (2005), Edition: Tra, Paperback, 352 pages

Description

In this collection of essays and addresses delivered over the course of his illustrious career, Umberto Eco seeks "to understand the chemistry of [his] passion" for the word. From musings on Ptolemy and "the force of the false" to reflections on the experimental writing of Borges and Joyce, Eco's luminous intelligence and encyclopedic knowledge are on dazzling display throughout. And when he reveals his own ambitions and superstitions, his authorial anxieties and fears, one feels like a secret sharer in the garden of literature to which he so often alludes. Remarkably accessible and unfailingly stimulating, this collection exhibits the diversity of interests and the depth of knowledge that have made Eco one of the world's leading writers.

User reviews

LibraryThing member wonderperson

Very scholarly, demanding and inspiring from an academic who semiotics frames his study and writing of literature.

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LibraryThing member DanielSTJ

Extremely engaging. Prosaic majesty filled with eloquence and wit. Intellectually stimulating.

Recommended.

LibraryThing member et.carole

I will have to reread this when I am smarter, but I thoroughly enjoyed what I understood. As most collections of Eco's work, this is an assortment of essays and speeches, but this one particularly has a more studied style. As for the individual pieces, three stood out as addressing the process of

writing in a broad context: "On Some Functions of Literature," which addresses the eternal problems of what literature does and how it exists independent of its author; "Borges and My Anxiety of Influence," which addresses the complexity of living and writing in relation to a beloved, respected, and famous author; and "How I Write," which is a detailed description of a writing life that touches on details and generalities and was of particular delight after having read a little of his fiction.
The remaining pieces of the book are mostly sorted into two categories: those which dissect certain texts or authors, and those which address technical or critical aspects of literature. A few of note: "The Mists of the Valois," which dissects "Sylvie," by Nerval, a work Eco has elsewhere called "the text of my life," on an atomic level. There are tables, there are comparative charts, there are excellent analyses. After reading "Sylvie" to get more out of the essay, I think I liked reading Eco's thoughts on it more than I enjoyed the work itself. In the second category, "The Power of Falsehood" was an excellent tour through some of the conspiracy theories and misconceptions that shape our modern world, complete with ancient map controversies and some good old hollow earth talk.
Altogether another treasure chest; glad I have this in hardback so it can travel with me for a few more years.

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LibraryThing member edwinbcn

I have read various books by Umberto Eco, and bought and resold even more. Generally, I was underwhelmed by the novels, and in many cases disappointed in the essays collections, but this volume of essays struck a cord. This is for a particular reason. Perhaps in the first place because the essays

and articles in this volume are all about literature, the subject I am most interested in, and a subject Eco is definitely qualified to say something (not suggesting his other essays are inferior). What struck me most is that the essay "On style" exactly reflects the ideas on style as voiced by my tutors at university in the 1980s/90s. It was a wonderful recognition of my earliest acquaintance with literary theory on style.

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