The Modern Word has an interview with the guy who's translating Umberto Eco's new novel. AND the New Yorker has the whole damn first chapter! I'm excited.
Umberto Eco is a professor of semiotics at the University of Bologna. He's also an extremely good writer. The Name of the Rose, Foucault's Pendulum, The Island of the Day Before, and Baudolino have all been penned by his hand. If you want to read one of his books, Baudolino would probably be a good place to start because it's funny and easy to understand (on one level) while retaining the depth and subtlety of his other novels.
Not everyone likes Eco, and some accuse him, perhaps rightly so, of intellectual grandstanding. It's hard to argue that Foucault's Pendulum doesn't fall into this trap. Despite this, however, his books are extrememly interesting and rewarding reads. Plus, you just feel so damn proud of yourself for finishing one.
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