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Foucault's Pendulum seems like the obvious one. Legolas Send a noteboard - 09/10/2009 03:58:37 PM
Eco has written five, and exactly five, novels. The Name of the Rose is by far the easiest and most straightforward of the books. The others would be terrible choices for the following reasons:

Perhaps it has been too long since I read Name of the Rose - I must've been 14 or so - whereas my last read of Foucault's Pendulum was only a few years ago, but I recall the latter as far more accessible and easy to get through, even if the former is perhaps a better book. As far as I'm aware, that's an opinion many people hold...
Foucault's Pendulum - very long, requires an extensive understanding of esoteric and occult topics to enjoy, interspersed with a very slow personal storyline. In short: inaccessible.

All Eco books require an extensive understanding of certain topics to fully appreciate every word, but those passages are easy enough to skip for those lacking such understanding. Name of the Rose is every bit as bad in that, if not worse... as for accessibility, see above.
Baudolino - not very good, particularly because a large part of the story is so ridiculous that it destroys any attempt at suspension of disbelief, even among people who read sci-fi and fantasy. In short: bad.

Agreed. It's probably the easiest to get through, but what exactly his point in writing it was, other than parodying fantastical literature of the Middle Ages, I'm not entirely sure.
The Island of the Day Before - too slow, too ponderous, too introspective, and it's an epistolary novel to boot, which is a genre that a lot of people don't enjoy. In short: worse than Baudolino.

Haven't read that one.
The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana - haven't read it, but everyone I know who has read it hated it. The complaints sound similar to those of the title immediately above.

Oh, I liked that one. It's certainly introspective, as it's set in the Italy of Eco's youth and talks a lot about the pop culture of the day, there's probably some autobiographical elements in it. But the flip side of the coin is that that makes it less rampantly intellectual, and easier to empathize with.
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November Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book Club: submissions ended! ... New new edit on 18/10/2009 Rebekah - 08/10/2009 06:56:01 PM 1826 Views
Nabokov's The Original of Laura Tom - 08/10/2009 08:19:01 PM 1291 Views
I'd love that. Rebekah - 08/10/2009 08:25:39 PM 1314 Views
The real problem... Jacob - 08/10/2009 08:40:50 PM 1210 Views
That's a good point too. Rebekah - 08/10/2009 08:45:30 PM 1181 Views
Well, we could always discuss Nabokov in December. Tom - 08/10/2009 11:18:57 PM 1170 Views
Done! Rebekah - 09/10/2009 03:00:30 PM 1172 Views
Hmm...I'm still thinking about the name Tom - 09/10/2009 03:57:48 PM 1263 Views
I'd be up for reading Doctor Zhivago. Legolas - 08/10/2009 10:08:09 PM 1182 Views
yeah, me too. only need to find it in a library near me. *NM* jh - 08/10/2009 10:09:32 PM 516 Views
Don't be cheap. Buy it. Tom - 08/10/2009 11:16:18 PM 1187 Views
Well, I would, but I don't like online bookstores. jh - 09/10/2009 01:19:19 AM 1234 Views
Well, but you just said you didn't know if you could find it in the library. Tom - 09/10/2009 02:07:54 AM 1161 Views
Oh, but... jh - 09/10/2009 11:01:01 AM 1160 Views
Also: I did not say any such thing. *NM* jh - 10/10/2009 12:49:06 PM 517 Views
The Gone-Away World, obviously Camilla - 08/10/2009 09:23:12 PM 1122 Views
Obviously. Rebekah - 09/10/2009 03:00:47 PM 1179 Views
I second these statements *NM* Stephen - 13/10/2009 09:37:28 PM 537 Views
This one *NM* ironclad - 19/10/2009 10:44:37 PM 523 Views
AS Byatt - Possession. Legolas - 08/10/2009 10:21:39 PM 1181 Views
It is a book of wonder. Possibly not good for the masses. *NM* Rebekah - 09/10/2009 03:01:13 PM 610 Views
Perfect timing! Or, perhaps in December. Comet Sedai - 09/10/2009 09:35:00 PM 1314 Views
i loved that book!!! she is amazing. just wonderful writing... *NM* temeraire - 13/10/2009 08:44:59 PM 483 Views
How about a classic novel? Haggard - 08/10/2009 11:30:31 PM 1410 Views
You have a very strange definition of classics... *NM* jh - 09/10/2009 01:20:37 AM 563 Views
Replace "strange" with "erroneous" and I'll agree with you. Tom - 09/10/2009 02:09:27 AM 1139 Views
Really? Haggard - 09/10/2009 03:08:53 AM 1635 Views
for classic science fiction, your list contained one I could support... jh - 09/10/2009 11:06:34 AM 1187 Views
I'd be up for those. *NM* Haggard - 09/10/2009 05:34:19 PM 696 Views
You said "classic novel". Science fiction doesn't generally meet that standard. Tom - 09/10/2009 02:52:01 PM 1221 Views
I understand your point. However... Haggard - 09/10/2009 05:47:54 PM 1592 Views
This isn't really a SF/F Board Tom - 09/10/2009 09:35:06 PM 1166 Views
I like your list. Rebekah - 09/10/2009 03:02:09 PM 1141 Views
I think if you're gonna do Eco, picking another book to start with would be wiser... *NM* Legolas - 09/10/2009 03:28:50 PM 517 Views
Why? Rebekah - 09/10/2009 03:32:05 PM 1077 Views
And what book would that be??? Tom - 09/10/2009 03:47:49 PM 1155 Views
Foucault's Pendulum seems like the obvious one. Legolas - 09/10/2009 03:58:37 PM 1250 Views
Having both FP and NotR recently... RandAllThor - 09/10/2009 04:31:00 PM 1133 Views
No way. Tom - 09/10/2009 04:56:39 PM 1281 Views
Oh well. I'll have to blame my faulty memory then. Legolas - 09/10/2009 10:11:55 PM 1068 Views
Based on past experiences here and elsewhere, it'll be hard to choose the "right" book Larry - 09/10/2009 02:46:22 AM 1487 Views
That Hitchhiker book is as genuine as the "new" Winnie-the-Pooh book Tom - 09/10/2009 02:54:23 PM 1196 Views
Perhaps, but it's worth remembering that... RandAllThor - 09/10/2009 03:45:53 PM 1100 Views
Adams killed Arthur Dent for a reason Tom - 09/10/2009 05:02:23 PM 1201 Views
The movie was not faithful to the books in any meaningful way. *NM* RandAllThor - 09/10/2009 08:58:01 PM 498 Views
The movie sucked, yes. Adams had also been dead for four years when it came out. *NM* Tom - 10/10/2009 02:19:38 AM 500 Views
Right. RandAllThor - 10/10/2009 02:37:08 AM 1124 Views
One little thing Larry - 10/10/2009 02:39:01 AM 1204 Views
Are you sure? RandAllThor - 10/10/2009 02:43:01 AM 1121 Views
Yes Larry - 10/10/2009 04:02:40 AM 1420 Views
I stand corrected. Looking forward to your review! RandAllThor - 10/10/2009 01:00:38 PM 1085 Views
Perhaps Larry - 09/10/2009 06:08:17 PM 1243 Views
So on Monday we'll find out if the widow's cash need resulted in a good book. Tom - 10/10/2009 04:21:22 AM 1124 Views
Pretty much (plus I have to finish reading the second half) Larry - 10/10/2009 05:34:38 AM 1111 Views
A contrasting take on the first half of the book RandAllThor - 10/10/2009 04:10:18 PM 1102 Views
Pretty sure Eugammon beat you to that sequel. Ghavrel - 19/10/2009 09:31:05 PM 1298 Views
Yes! Camilla - 19/10/2009 09:20:09 AM 998 Views
Rothfuss is a good idea, actually. Rebekah - 09/10/2009 02:59:53 PM 1098 Views
There are a few, if I recall Larry - 09/10/2009 06:09:54 PM 1061 Views
A question for you all. Rebekah - 09/10/2009 03:04:17 PM 1163 Views
Sounds good to me. *NM* Legolas - 09/10/2009 03:29:54 PM 478 Views
I agree , or ... Nolan - 09/10/2009 04:36:03 PM 1100 Views
That could work if people were interested enough. Rebekah - 11/10/2009 12:40:16 PM 1116 Views
That would be cool with me. *NM* Bryce - 10/10/2009 10:32:15 AM 487 Views
Sounds interesting. *NM* BlackAdder - 13/10/2009 08:51:31 PM 449 Views
I suggest Nolan - 09/10/2009 04:58:27 PM 1126 Views
Acacia: The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham Sir Tybalt - 10/10/2009 02:32:59 PM 1091 Views
You didn't mention the rapture! If that happens, will the club still be on? *NM* Bryce - 11/10/2009 07:51:59 AM 666 Views
I'd say yes. Pretty sure the people here will be Left Behind. *NM* Rebekah - 11/10/2009 12:39:05 PM 591 Views
Some will probably even be actively serving the Antichrist. Tom - 11/10/2009 04:16:45 PM 1312 Views
Prefer not to. Ouranid - 12/10/2009 03:14:30 AM 976 Views
Diary of a Drug Fiend was rather good. *NM* Tom - 12/10/2009 03:57:42 PM 482 Views
A compromise candidate RandAllThor - 14/10/2009 06:40:56 PM 991 Views
Fantastic book! I am always for putting that on any list. *NM* Tom - 14/10/2009 07:03:35 PM 502 Views
Is it bad that I read this as 'submissives wanted' PhotoJim - 14/10/2009 08:04:31 PM 1284 Views
Hyperion *NM* Chas - 15/10/2009 01:56:31 AM 455 Views
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