to survive, you must tell stories
“To survive, you must tell stories.”
Umberto Eco, in THE ISLAND OF THE DAY BEFORE
This week, because I’m reading FOUCAULT’S PENDULUM, I asked in my stories if you knew Umberto Eco and what work did you read by him.
Although 55% said they knew him, the answer about his work was almost unanimous: THE NAME OF THE ROSE. It was my first book too. And his debut novel. Which is crazy, if you think about it. I must admit, though, that I watched the movie first…
THE NAME OF THE ROSE was adapted to the screens in 1986, starring Sean Connery as the monk-detective main character and directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. After I watched the movie, I read the book.
But because I fell in love with the narrative in Portuguese (my native language), I decided to learn Italian to reread it in the original. That’s how important his work was to me. I then read THE ISLAND OF THE DAY BEFORE, BAUDOLINO, and a few non-fiction books that I also recommend.
I’m reading FOUCAULT’S PENDULUM now, and the next books are THE PRAGUE CEMETERY and NUMERO ZERO, both already waiting on my shelf.
Umberto Eco was an Italian author, a medievalist, philosopher, semiotician, cultural critic, political and social commentator and a funny and inspiring man.
There’s an interview with him for the Louisiana channel, that I would watch a thousand times more than the thousand times I already did. Watch it too, if you need an inspiration today.
The most fascinating thing about his work is that, as a semiotician, Umberto Eco interpreted cultures through their signs and symbols. Words, clothing, music, food, architecture, religious icons…
I love his work because it’s pure storytelling beautifully seasoned with semiotics. Something I want to explore more in my work and here, in these blogging and microblogging experiences.
☕️ Between the lines, what was the last work that inspired you af like this? And why?
■ via @beardbetweenthelines
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