Honesty
newbie
Reged: 03/05/04
Posts: 39
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Give that this site is devoted to Dan Brown whose popularity has been sealed due to the marketing of The Da Vinci Code I'm quite surprised that there is no thread regarding Foucault's Pendulum; Eco's superior conspiracy satire.
Has anyone read it? If so, discuss.
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I'm Idaho.
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poia
The Modeleter
Reged: 01/25/04
Posts: 168
Loc: NJ
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As you noticed, "the Name of the Rose" is more popular and much easier to read, when "Foucault's Pendulum" sometimes is close to torture.:) I've enjoyed reading it and I agree with you when you say "superior conspiracy satire", but don't disgrace it by comparing it with "the DaVinci Code"
I read the "DVC" and I liked it, but it is a commercial book (easy read, predictable, some information, romance and fun), but your average reader will pick DVC over Foucault's Pendulum. Say, how many people do you think read about all is said in DVC before this book hit the stands? Not many, I assure you.
Back to our topic: I read it years ago and it is a good mystery and history lesson with challenging material. Eco makes a masterful job in connections and observations from actual history. And only with great patience one who reads it will be rewarded at the end.
Have fun! 
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"OK, so what's the speed of dark?"S.W.
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Honesty
newbie
Reged: 03/05/04
Posts: 39
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The predictable part was really annoying with The Da Vinci Code as once you solve a puzzle you have to wait, sometimes for quite a pages, while the characters wander lost trying to solve it.
I know that the average reader will pick Brown over Eco but I just think it's silly when people start believing what Brown's skimmed over in his 'research' and then worship is wrongly poured upon him.
Foucault's Pendulum is one of the best - if not the - conspiracy novel. It's template, that of the Sefirah is a fitting, yet contrasting, template. I love it.
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I'm Idaho.
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poia
The Modeleter
Reged: 01/25/04
Posts: 168
Loc: NJ
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Well, I wouldn't called it worship... Most of his readers are regular people who like "easy-read" books. So, when one goes to the market and on the shelf with the book of the month, next to the latest Robert Ludlum or Tom Clancy novel, there's this book... well, you bet this is controversial book.
I noticed you wrote somewhere he stinks in his research. I read a book a couple months ago and at the beginning it simply said: “ about half of this book is true. It’s up to the reader to figure out which half.” I’m afraid most of us forgot to use our sense of discernment, and if becoming interested in the subject to start our own research. What we get out of it, it’s up for discussion or not… Just like the “controversy” about “The Passion of Christ”, again we forget it is the artist’s vision, not ours, and it is not required to be accurate.
Tell me, how many people do you think actually read the whole Foucault’s Pendulum? His style is worse then Balzac’s, for Pete’s sake! But, Eco is European and if he is, he must know literature, unlike some American boy who’s going for glory. Fortunately, Dan Brown makes people think, and that’s great! And if you don’t believe me, look around you… People are trying to build a Cryptex!
Two writers, two different styles. Eco is greater then Brown, but even Eco’s message is: don’t get too involved in a game, there are to many lunatics that are taking it too seriously and the game becomes dangerous.
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"OK, so what's the speed of dark?"S.W.
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Mudpuppy
member
Reged: 10/17/03
Posts: 102
Loc: Las Vegas, NV
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All excellent points, Poia The thing that thrills me about Dan Brown is that his books have enough mass-market appeal to encourage people to read, period. As an added bonus, many folks find the books so interesting that they feel inspired to keep reading, researching, and pursuing knowledge. It's not fair to compare Brown to Eco -- their works are vastly different in intent and style.
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Honesty
newbie
Reged: 03/05/04
Posts: 39
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Quote:
by poia
I wouldn't called it worship...
Looking at my screen right now I can see that there is a Cult of Dan Brown.
Other than that; I'll start being nice. 
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I'm Idaho.
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Sephia
Supreme Goddess
Reged: 11/28/03
Posts: 876
Loc: MA, USA
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"All worship....." Naah! :-)
Eco's writing style is a lot harder. The thing about Brown is that he goes into a complex, controversial topic, and manages to make ordinary Americans actually read it and in many cases, go further into it. it's almost like a beginners stepping stone onto a grail quest. ::hops up onto gallant steed and gallops off into the sunset, with armor shinning and etc....::
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"Your life is yours alone, rise up and live it" ~Terry Goodkind
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Mudpuppy
member
Reged: 10/17/03
Posts: 102
Loc: Las Vegas, NV
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<< Looking at my screen right now I can see that there is a Cult of Dan Brown. >>
This is off-topic, but... the site is called "Cult of Dan Brown" as a joke. It was a joke made by an employee in a bookstore in Missouri, and a friend relayed it to us. We thought it sounded catchy, and as we were planning a discussion site anyway, we figured it was a good name. If we ever get the site finished we'll actually explain the whole story
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Arras
enthusiast
Reged: 05/24/04
Posts: 263
Loc: B.C., Canada
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Comparisons between The DaVinci Code and Foucault's Pendulum are inevitable, and it was in fact my fondness for Eco's masterpiece that drew me to Brown's. Both are packed with arcana and explore interesting historical connections and secret societies, and I frankly enjoyed both stories.
That said, I agree that The DaVinci Code is a far more accessible read, and that's doubtless why it's been so much more successful than Foucault's Pendulum. It could be argued that it was written with a screenplay in mind, much as Clancy's novels are--a lot of action and suspense that translates easily into visuals. Eco's work is more interior, filled with more historical musings and digressions that are best suited for philosophical discussions, and would bore a movie audience to tears.
Their respective takes on the subject matter is also in contrast. Where Eco takes a cynical look at conspiracy theories and secret societies, poking fun at the people who take such things too seriously, Brown remains reverent of the mysteries themselves and all but encourages his readers to pursue their own grail quests.
I agree that Foucault's Pendulum is a "richer" book, and that you get out of it what you're willing to put in as a reader. Eco drops names and historical references without always explaining them in detail, leaving it to the reader to enrich himself with a set of encyclopedias (or these days a Google search). Brown, on the other hand, makes sure to explain everything to the reader within a few pages of his own references. Consequently, you can enjoy The DaVinci Code on a desert island, since it's a fully self-contained story, whereas Foucault's Pendulum really requires access to outside sources in order to get the full benefit of it.
As a final note to those who would comment about Eco's writing style vs. Brown's, bear in mind that Umberto Eco writes his novels in his native Italian, and has them translated into other languages by others. The English version you've read is essentially a second-hand work, and may suffer somewhat for it.
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Dazzle
addict
Reged: 04/02/04
Posts: 484
Loc: UK
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Quote:
Arras said:
Eco drops names and historical references without always explaining them in detail, leaving it to the reader to enrich himself with a set of encyclopedias (or these days a Google search). Brown, on the other hand, makes sure to explain everything to the reader within a few pages of his own references. Consequently, you can enjoy The DaVinci Code on a desert island, since it's a fully self-contained story, whereas Foucault's Pendulum really requires access to outside sources in order to get the full benefit of it.
To hell with the desert island. Brown is something to be read and thrown away. Eco offers us the chance to go away, discover, and return in order to read it again with an further understanding. Repeat value.
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