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daja57's review against another edition
3.0
A group of journalistic hacks gather together to produce a dummy newspaper whose secret purpose is to gain for their millionaire sponsor access to the inner circles of high society (basically through the power of press blackmail). One of them spins conspiracy theories linking the CIA and right wing groups to the 'murder' of pope John Paul I and the 'mystery' of Mussolini's death. The paranoid narrator fears for his life.
The themes are, I suppose, truth and fake truth, and how a newspaper can dictate the agenda and create beliefs with hints and innuendos. There is the skeleton of a thriller plot. Much of the action seemed irrelevant. There were pages of what seemed like filling (and the novel is only 190 pages), such as the couple of pages in which the journalists made silly jokes, or the two pages of autopsy report. Most of the conspiracy theories were re-peddled from other sources.
The themes are, I suppose, truth and fake truth, and how a newspaper can dictate the agenda and create beliefs with hints and innuendos. There is the skeleton of a thriller plot. Much of the action seemed irrelevant. There were pages of what seemed like filling (and the novel is only 190 pages), such as the couple of pages in which the journalists made silly jokes, or the two pages of autopsy report. Most of the conspiracy theories were re-peddled from other sources.
snarkoman's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
vasilianna's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
borderlinebookish's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
heylook's review against another edition
2.0
The only time I've been truly disappointed by Eco. Seems like a rush job - any other Eco book would be 2-3 times longer.
melissa_who_reads's review against another edition
2.0
Did not read on Kindle: listened to the audio book in the car ...
This was a clever mess. There's one line I found memorable; I will go back to a print edition to find it and write it down. Mostly this is a discursive novel, with much happening in the conversations of the protagonist (Colonna) and others.
Colonna, a hack writer and translator, gets hired to write the history of a newspaper that is starting up. "Domani" doesn't exist yet: it's in its planning stages, with the journalists who have been hired training to write the kind of "news" the "readers" want - this is planned to be a "lowest common denominator" paper. Set in 1992, the backer of the paper wants to use the existence of the paper to blackmail his way into power; the reporters are busy mocking up demonstration newspapers, which may never get published.
There is a LOT of talking in this book. Colonna talks with the editor, they have editorial meetings with the staff, Colonna talks with another reporter who is filled with conspiracy theories (including the big one: Mussolini did not die at the end of WW2, but was spirited away), Colonna talks (and flirts) with the one woman who has been hired by the paper (and who is set to do the horoscopes).
Mostly it is a deconstruction of media and newspapers, with a background of conspiracy theories and dark plots behind the scenes. Action happens in the last fifth of the book, and feels disjointed from the rest of the book. In the end, the plot fizzles out in talking.
Some of the observations on how media/newspapers work felt relevant to today, but they were hammered in over and over. It was a lesson in how to read newspapers and discern manipulation, rather than a discussion which moved the plot further along.
I might have enjoyed this book more if I had been more immersed in 20th century Italian politics; but as it is, it was hard for me to follow all the conspiracies and keep the characters in the theories straight.
This was a clever mess. There's one line I found memorable; I will go back to a print edition to find it and write it down. Mostly this is a discursive novel, with much happening in the conversations of the protagonist (Colonna) and others.
Colonna, a hack writer and translator, gets hired to write the history of a newspaper that is starting up. "Domani" doesn't exist yet: it's in its planning stages, with the journalists who have been hired training to write the kind of "news" the "readers" want - this is planned to be a "lowest common denominator" paper. Set in 1992, the backer of the paper wants to use the existence of the paper to blackmail his way into power; the reporters are busy mocking up demonstration newspapers, which may never get published.
There is a LOT of talking in this book. Colonna talks with the editor, they have editorial meetings with the staff, Colonna talks with another reporter who is filled with conspiracy theories (including the big one: Mussolini did not die at the end of WW2, but was spirited away), Colonna talks (and flirts) with the one woman who has been hired by the paper (and who is set to do the horoscopes).
Mostly it is a deconstruction of media and newspapers, with a background of conspiracy theories and dark plots behind the scenes. Action happens in the last fifth of the book, and feels disjointed from the rest of the book. In the end, the plot fizzles out in talking.
Some of the observations on how media/newspapers work felt relevant to today, but they were hammered in over and over. It was a lesson in how to read newspapers and discern manipulation, rather than a discussion which moved the plot further along.
I might have enjoyed this book more if I had been more immersed in 20th century Italian politics; but as it is, it was hard for me to follow all the conspiracies and keep the characters in the theories straight.
maticorde94's review against another edition
4.0
Very good book. A great satire to make us think what we believe in and follow during our lifetime
wintermute9's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
margaret45678's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Enjoyable quick read but not really anything special. Similar themes to Foucault's Pendulum (which is like my favorite book of all time) but not as charming. I think it's really meant to be a quite pointed critique of particular aspects of (northern) Italian society in the early '90s which was a bit lost on me, but the general commentary on the press and conspiracy theories still felt funny and relevant.
I was slightly surprised that all the stuff about Operation Gladio and fascist "stay-behinds" was true, but it tracks, given the USA/CIA's other activities propping up military dictatorship and suppressing democratic movements around the world.
I was slightly surprised that all the stuff about Operation Gladio and fascist "stay-behinds" was true, but it tracks, given the USA/CIA's other activities propping up military dictatorship and suppressing democratic movements around the world.