Monday, December 21, 2009

12/20

The Book: The Island of the Day Before by Umberto Eco

ISBN: 0-15-603037-3

Where: Home

When: 10-10:45p

Music:

Company: The Family

Pages: 56-


The Lead In: It was interesting to discover that Eco is considered a medievalist. The concept seems strange and sort of backwards, being so much of an expert and proponent of the a period often called The Dark Ages. Why would anyone enjoy or appreciate that time period? Sure, from a historical perspective, I can see the validity, but as a practical world view, it seems laughable.


The 411 on the 55: Roberto is convinced there is someone else on his new-found boat, and it might be his dead brother! Well, he admits that is unrealistic, but it keeps coming up in his mind with each bump or creak of the ship. To avoid that thought, he delves back into his memory of the siege of a castle he occupied during his war days.


Early in today's reading, Roberto's father dies crashing into the enemy lines alone. He had felt his family's honor was besmirched and acted accordingly (?). After his death, Roberto finds two friends to cope. One, a soldier, is anti-God, anti-church, anti-romanticism. He is a logical and determined soldier, not swayed by the common motivations of his day. The other is a priest, leading to the obvious clash with the other of Roberto's friends. But even this priest dabbles in philosophy, principally Aristotle.


Line of the Day: "What we honor as prudence in our elders is simply panic in action." pg 83


Fact on the Fiction: Casale, the town that is the center of Roberto's memory, is a real city near Eco's hometown of Alessandria. Wikipedia

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