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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 1970 Views
Nabokov's The Original of Laura Tom - 08/10/2009 08:19:01 PM 1456 Views
I'd love that. Rebekah - 08/10/2009 08:25:39 PM 1453 Views
The real problem... Jacob - 08/10/2009 08:40:50 PM 1348 Views
That's a good point too. Rebekah - 08/10/2009 08:45:30 PM 1320 Views
Well, we could always discuss Nabokov in December. Tom - 08/10/2009 11:18:57 PM 1324 Views
Done! Rebekah - 09/10/2009 03:00:30 PM 1340 Views
Hmm...I'm still thinking about the name Tom - 09/10/2009 03:57:48 PM 1422 Views
I'd be up for reading Doctor Zhivago. Legolas - 08/10/2009 10:08:09 PM 1336 Views
yeah, me too. only need to find it in a library near me. *NM* jh - 08/10/2009 10:09:32 PM 595 Views
Don't be cheap. Buy it. Tom - 08/10/2009 11:16:18 PM 1338 Views
Well, I would, but I don't like online bookstores. jh - 09/10/2009 01:19:19 AM 1419 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 1318 Views
Oh, but... jh - 09/10/2009 11:01:01 AM 1320 Views
Also: I did not say any such thing. *NM* jh - 10/10/2009 12:49:06 PM 607 Views
The Gone-Away World, obviously Camilla - 08/10/2009 09:23:12 PM 1265 Views
Obviously. Rebekah - 09/10/2009 03:00:47 PM 1315 Views
I second these statements *NM* Stephen - 13/10/2009 09:37:28 PM 623 Views
This one *NM* ironclad - 19/10/2009 10:44:37 PM 611 Views
AS Byatt - Possession. Legolas - 08/10/2009 10:21:39 PM 1326 Views
It is a book of wonder. Possibly not good for the masses. *NM* Rebekah - 09/10/2009 03:01:13 PM 709 Views
Perfect timing! Or, perhaps in December. Comet Sedai - 09/10/2009 09:35:00 PM 1452 Views
i loved that book!!! she is amazing. just wonderful writing... *NM* temeraire - 13/10/2009 08:44:59 PM 566 Views
How about a classic novel? Haggard - 08/10/2009 11:30:31 PM 1549 Views
You have a very strange definition of classics... *NM* jh - 09/10/2009 01:20:37 AM 656 Views
Replace "strange" with "erroneous" and I'll agree with you. Tom - 09/10/2009 02:09:27 AM 1284 Views
Really? Haggard - 09/10/2009 03:08:53 AM 1792 Views
for classic science fiction, your list contained one I could support... jh - 09/10/2009 11:06:34 AM 1332 Views
I'd be up for those. *NM* Haggard - 09/10/2009 05:34:19 PM 779 Views
You said "classic novel". Science fiction doesn't generally meet that standard. Tom - 09/10/2009 02:52:01 PM 1375 Views
I understand your point. However... Haggard - 09/10/2009 05:47:54 PM 1775 Views
This isn't really a SF/F Board Tom - 09/10/2009 09:35:06 PM 1364 Views
I like your list. Rebekah - 09/10/2009 03:02:09 PM 1283 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 597 Views
Why? Rebekah - 09/10/2009 03:32:05 PM 1230 Views
And what book would that be??? Tom - 09/10/2009 03:47:49 PM 1328 Views
Foucault's Pendulum seems like the obvious one. Legolas - 09/10/2009 03:58:37 PM 1408 Views
Having both FP and NotR recently... RandAllThor - 09/10/2009 04:31:00 PM 1293 Views
No way. Tom - 09/10/2009 04:56:39 PM 1443 Views
Oh well. I'll have to blame my faulty memory then. Legolas - 09/10/2009 10:11:55 PM 1225 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 1655 Views
That Hitchhiker book is as genuine as the "new" Winnie-the-Pooh book Tom - 09/10/2009 02:54:23 PM 1337 Views
Perhaps, but it's worth remembering that... RandAllThor - 09/10/2009 03:45:53 PM 1244 Views
Adams killed Arthur Dent for a reason Tom - 09/10/2009 05:02:23 PM 1344 Views
The movie was not faithful to the books in any meaningful way. *NM* RandAllThor - 09/10/2009 08:58:01 PM 589 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 588 Views
Right. RandAllThor - 10/10/2009 02:37:08 AM 1273 Views
One little thing Larry - 10/10/2009 02:39:01 AM 1342 Views
Are you sure? RandAllThor - 10/10/2009 02:43:01 AM 1293 Views
Yes Larry - 10/10/2009 04:02:40 AM 1556 Views
I stand corrected. Looking forward to your review! RandAllThor - 10/10/2009 01:00:38 PM 1241 Views
Perhaps Larry - 09/10/2009 06:08:17 PM 1372 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 1305 Views
Pretty much (plus I have to finish reading the second half) Larry - 10/10/2009 05:34:38 AM 1272 Views
A contrasting take on the first half of the book RandAllThor - 10/10/2009 04:10:18 PM 1262 Views
Pretty sure Eugammon beat you to that sequel. Ghavrel - 19/10/2009 09:31:05 PM 1434 Views
Yes! Camilla - 19/10/2009 09:20:09 AM 1143 Views
Rothfuss is a good idea, actually. Rebekah - 09/10/2009 02:59:53 PM 1257 Views
There are a few, if I recall Larry - 09/10/2009 06:09:54 PM 1196 Views
A question for you all. Rebekah - 09/10/2009 03:04:17 PM 1304 Views
Sounds good to me. *NM* Legolas - 09/10/2009 03:29:54 PM 546 Views
I agree , or ... Nolan - 09/10/2009 04:36:03 PM 1232 Views
That could work if people were interested enough. Rebekah - 11/10/2009 12:40:16 PM 1261 Views
That would be cool with me. *NM* Bryce - 10/10/2009 10:32:15 AM 562 Views
Sounds interesting. *NM* BlackAdder - 13/10/2009 08:51:31 PM 536 Views
I suggest Nolan - 09/10/2009 04:58:27 PM 1264 Views
Acacia: The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham Sir Tybalt - 10/10/2009 02:32:59 PM 1243 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 748 Views
I'd say yes. Pretty sure the people here will be Left Behind. *NM* Rebekah - 11/10/2009 12:39:05 PM 673 Views
Some will probably even be actively serving the Antichrist. Tom - 11/10/2009 04:16:45 PM 1456 Views
Prefer not to. Ouranid - 12/10/2009 03:14:30 AM 1141 Views
Diary of a Drug Fiend was rather good. *NM* Tom - 12/10/2009 03:57:42 PM 573 Views
A compromise candidate RandAllThor - 14/10/2009 06:40:56 PM 1136 Views
Fantastic book! I am always for putting that on any list. *NM* Tom - 14/10/2009 07:03:35 PM 586 Views
Is it bad that I read this as 'submissives wanted' PhotoJim - 14/10/2009 08:04:31 PM 1439 Views
Hyperion *NM* Chas - 15/10/2009 01:56:31 AM 536 Views
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