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Re: Did he mention it in his book on ugliness? DomA Send a noteboard - 11/01/2010 05:52:29 PM
I have that but haven't gotten around to reading it.


Not that I recall.

He mentionned it in Lector in Fabula (or at least in the same book this essay was from, in the edition I have), and IRRC in a late 90s essay I only know as Six Promenades dans les bois du roman, and again in his recent essay on translation, Eco elaborates on the idea that attempting to abridge Monte Cristo, cut down all its disgressions and redundancies would deprieve it of devices meant to slow things down, intrisically necessary to the very concept of revenge, following the saying that it's a dish best eaten cold.

He's mentionned Monte Cristo in several interviews over the years, though essentially he reprises the same core ideas from his original essay each time : "One of the most fascinating novels of all times/one of the most badly written novels of all literatures and times". He discussed it in one of his "three musketeers" conferences with Salman Rushdie and Vargas Llosa too - they debated his claim that it was a "bad novel" for a while.

At the time of Foucault's Pendulum, he had spoken of its influence (and in a more general way, Dumas's) on that novel, thought that's so long ago I don't remember what he said about that.

Once, he spoke of the likes of Dantès and D'Artagnan in comparison to Emma Bovary and Julien Sorel, but I don't remember in which of his books that was. Essentially, he was fascinated with the fact that you can take Dantès and D'Artagnan out of Dumas, that these characters were myth and had a life of their own outside the novels they come from, and can exist in other stories (and Monte Cristo and D'Artagnan have inspired many other novels), but that in comparison without Flaubert's words, Emma Bovary was just another boring provincial adultress and Sorel just another ridiculous fool never doing what he should do. That Monte Cristo and similar popular literature (which for him is a return to Homer or Sophocles) was fascinating for its power to generate a myth independent of the artistic quality of its vehicle, while works like Stendhal's Le Rouge et le Noir, or Madame Bovary, were "solely" works of art.

He speaks of Monte Cristo in 'The Art of Creating a Legend" piece e he wrote for the Guardian a few years back.
The Art of Creating a Legend
This message last edited by DomA on 11/01/2010 at 07:25:36 PM
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The Count of Monte Cristo was a terrible choice for a book discussion. - 09/01/2010 07:41:01 PM 1663 Views
Hey, now (copy/paste) - 09/01/2010 07:48:56 PM 1218 Views
People should think about these things before recommending books. - 09/01/2010 08:13:10 PM 1264 Views
Which is why I voted for Bulgakov's M & M. - 09/01/2010 10:56:00 PM 1308 Views
Agreed. Madame Bovary is serious literature. - 10/01/2010 01:02:34 AM 1137 Views
Are you nuts!!?? - 10/01/2010 08:37:47 AM 1390 Views
I wanted to do that too. - 10/01/2010 01:24:42 AM 1061 Views
It's bloody marvellous. *NM* - 10/01/2010 08:05:47 AM 512 Views
Our next discussions will have preselected options. - 10/01/2010 01:00:59 AM 1229 Views
I heartily support the move from democracy to oligarchy! - 10/01/2010 01:04:13 AM 1203 Views
I agree. - 10/01/2010 08:01:33 AM 1129 Views
I disagree slightly - 09/01/2010 09:07:12 PM 1113 Views
Well, by that standard a Jackie Collins novel is worthy of debate. - 10/01/2010 01:08:04 AM 1165 Views
I think you misunderstand my intent - 10/01/2010 01:10:57 AM 1212 Views
You poopyhead! - 10/01/2010 01:19:11 AM 1273 Views
Oh, I almost forgot - 10/01/2010 01:11:50 AM 1152 Views
Ooh...I'd love to hear them!!! What did Eco say to trash Dumas? *NM* - 10/01/2010 01:19:43 AM 455 Views
Here's the French translation from Eco's work on supermen - 10/01/2010 01:39:28 AM 1235 Views
I love it. Strangely enough, though, he wrote an introduction to the book. - 10/01/2010 01:54:24 AM 1100 Views
Not really strange as Eco has long been fascinated by this book - 11/01/2010 05:01:56 PM 1107 Views
Did he mention it in his book on ugliness? - 11/01/2010 05:12:55 PM 1010 Views
Re: Did he mention it in his book on ugliness? - 11/01/2010 05:52:29 PM 1356 Views
I like Eco's distinction between light fiction and literature. - 12/01/2010 04:16:38 PM 1234 Views
Re: Here's the French translation from Eco's work on supermen - 11/01/2010 03:49:15 PM 1236 Views
That's fascinating. Of course, I disagree with Eco's praise. - 11/01/2010 05:12:25 PM 1022 Views
Re: That's fascinating. Of course, I disagree with Eco's praise. - 11/01/2010 06:22:24 PM 1314 Views
I agree that abridging it would not work well. - 12/01/2010 04:06:26 PM 1204 Views
In which case... - 12/01/2010 05:22:34 PM 997 Views
Yes - 13/01/2010 07:56:08 PM 1279 Views
Not really. - 15/01/2010 01:18:10 PM 1442 Views
I think there are plenty of things that can be discussed. - 09/01/2010 10:00:06 PM 1368 Views
Discussed and put to rest in 5 minutes or less, perhaps. - 10/01/2010 01:17:02 AM 1234 Views
Depends on who you are, one would imagine. - 10/01/2010 08:16:11 AM 1263 Views
<pretentious>Well, why should we cater to the lowest common denominator? - 11/01/2010 02:17:03 AM 1174 Views
Heh. - 11/01/2010 07:49:47 AM 1081 Views
I'd laugh... - 11/01/2010 07:21:38 PM 959 Views
Tom is the primary reason I want an ignore feature again. - 12/01/2010 02:17:29 AM 1011 Views
I'm glad to hear that. *NM* - 12/01/2010 04:17:30 PM 456 Views
And so you've reached this decision about Tom... - 18/01/2010 10:10:44 PM 1186 Views
I don't get that. Well, of course I do from Tom, but let's put him aside for this discussion. - 12/01/2010 03:35:21 AM 1286 Views
It's frustrating though... - 12/01/2010 04:18:37 AM 1264 Views
I think if you posted that (or something like it) people would reply to it. - 12/01/2010 05:08:53 AM 1244 Views
Perhaps. - 12/01/2010 05:26:38 AM 971 Views
Given the people who have read the Kushiel books, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised. - 12/01/2010 05:58:33 AM 1021 Views
I was mostly just giving an example. - 12/01/2010 06:14:04 AM 1128 Views
You're not. - 12/01/2010 02:16:09 PM 1070 Views
Her next series sounds interesting - 12/01/2010 02:20:17 PM 948 Views
It does, but the reviews I've seen aren't too enthusiastic. - 12/01/2010 02:29:26 PM 1009 Views
Yes, but how so? - 12/01/2010 02:39:59 PM 1088 Views
Well... - 13/01/2010 07:03:08 PM 1175 Views
Honestly... - 13/01/2010 07:51:14 PM 1173 Views
Absolutely. - 14/01/2010 12:55:00 PM 1310 Views
Re: Absolutely. - 14/01/2010 01:57:47 PM 1095 Views
ah i didn't realize it was already out - 13/01/2010 11:44:53 PM 956 Views
'tis. - 14/01/2010 12:56:11 PM 1337 Views
I really don't think it would. - 12/01/2010 07:49:32 AM 1151 Views
I have tried before. - 12/01/2010 01:59:24 PM 1051 Views
That's bullshit - 12/01/2010 11:12:55 PM 1207 Views
True, true. - 16/01/2010 08:54:16 AM 912 Views
Luckily for you... - 16/01/2010 08:59:23 AM 1306 Views
Re: "Omigod you read light fantasy?" - 18/01/2010 10:04:41 PM 1356 Views
Har. *NM* - 18/01/2010 10:03:31 PM 632 Views
I'm quite enjoying it. - 09/01/2010 10:40:30 PM 1183 Views
A kid's book of adventure doesn't translate into a good book club discussion. - 10/01/2010 01:21:11 AM 1053 Views
I have to agree - 11/01/2010 12:36:55 AM 1181 Views
How did you find deeper meaning (pun intended) in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? *NM* - 11/01/2010 02:17:55 AM 457 Views
It was half bullshit, you must understand - 11/01/2010 03:59:42 PM 1054 Views
Come on, there is lovely tragedy there... - 13/01/2010 07:32:49 PM 1011 Views
I am pleased to be referenced in a cross-board discussion. *NM* - 18/01/2010 09:29:45 PM 584 Views

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