Firstly, I will point out that I did not finish this book. But I will also point out that I really, really wanted to, but just couldn't.
So, the one (and only) book I was going to read from Eco was The Name of the Rose. But as it happens, someone recommended this book and said it was really good and "psychological" so I figured I should give it a go. It started out quite good actually. It tells the story of a sixty year old man, who wakes up one day and can't remember anything about his own life. He remembers all automatic processes that his mind knew before, like how to drive a bicycle, but he has no recollection of his family and friends. He also remembers books and poems he read. At the beginning, he often uses quotes from literary works to describe something he can't really remember.
Anyway, it seemed really interesting at first. But then he goes to the house where he grew up, to see if that surrounding will trigger his memory. And at this book just becomes plain, flat-out boring. It starts going into tiny tinsy detail in describing books, movies, magazines, comic books, even freakin' radio shows. I went through more than a third of the book, in hopes that something will get better, but it didn't and I just couldn't go through it any more, it was just so dull.
And the worst thing is, it wasn't written badly. It was really nice in that department. But it just wasn't planned and thought out well, in my opinion. And I couldn't finish it, and that is saying something, because I went through some pretty bad books.
In the end, I didn't finish it, so I might be wrong about this book, but I don't think it gets better. I flipped through it and there were more and more pictures of popular publications from the 30's and 40's which means that it goes in even more details.
I am sure that in between all that, there are slivers of the main characters life, different events of his life and I am sorry I won't get to that. But for me, it just isn't worth it.
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