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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 1592 Views
Hey, now (copy/paste) - 09/01/2010 07:48:56 PM 1142 Views
People should think about these things before recommending books. - 09/01/2010 08:13:10 PM 1156 Views
Which is why I voted for Bulgakov's M & M. - 09/01/2010 10:56:00 PM 1231 Views
Agreed. Madame Bovary is serious literature. - 10/01/2010 01:02:34 AM 1063 Views
Are you nuts!!?? - 10/01/2010 08:37:47 AM 1306 Views
I wanted to do that too. - 10/01/2010 01:24:42 AM 983 Views
It's bloody marvellous. *NM* - 10/01/2010 08:05:47 AM 464 Views
Our next discussions will have preselected options. - 10/01/2010 01:00:59 AM 1149 Views
I heartily support the move from democracy to oligarchy! - 10/01/2010 01:04:13 AM 1083 Views
I agree. - 10/01/2010 08:01:33 AM 1057 Views
I disagree slightly - 09/01/2010 09:07:12 PM 1034 Views
Well, by that standard a Jackie Collins novel is worthy of debate. - 10/01/2010 01:08:04 AM 1089 Views
I think you misunderstand my intent - 10/01/2010 01:10:57 AM 1137 Views
You poopyhead! - 10/01/2010 01:19:11 AM 1176 Views
Oh, I almost forgot - 10/01/2010 01:11:50 AM 1086 Views
Ooh...I'd love to hear them!!! What did Eco say to trash Dumas? *NM* - 10/01/2010 01:19:43 AM 410 Views
Here's the French translation from Eco's work on supermen - 10/01/2010 01:39:28 AM 1154 Views
I love it. Strangely enough, though, he wrote an introduction to the book. - 10/01/2010 01:54:24 AM 1015 Views
Not really strange as Eco has long been fascinated by this book - 11/01/2010 05:01:56 PM 1037 Views
Did he mention it in his book on ugliness? - 11/01/2010 05:12:55 PM 928 Views
Re: Did he mention it in his book on ugliness? - 11/01/2010 05:52:29 PM 1255 Views
I like Eco's distinction between light fiction and literature. - 12/01/2010 04:16:38 PM 1138 Views
Re: Here's the French translation from Eco's work on supermen - 11/01/2010 03:49:15 PM 1147 Views
That's fascinating. Of course, I disagree with Eco's praise. - 11/01/2010 05:12:25 PM 946 Views
Re: That's fascinating. Of course, I disagree with Eco's praise. - 11/01/2010 06:22:24 PM 1225 Views
I agree that abridging it would not work well. - 12/01/2010 04:06:26 PM 1112 Views
In which case... - 12/01/2010 05:22:34 PM 918 Views
Yes - 13/01/2010 07:56:08 PM 1201 Views
Not really. - 15/01/2010 01:18:10 PM 1348 Views
I think there are plenty of things that can be discussed. - 09/01/2010 10:00:06 PM 1290 Views
Discussed and put to rest in 5 minutes or less, perhaps. - 10/01/2010 01:17:02 AM 1146 Views
Depends on who you are, one would imagine. - 10/01/2010 08:16:11 AM 1207 Views
<pretentious>Well, why should we cater to the lowest common denominator? - 11/01/2010 02:17:03 AM 1095 Views
Heh. - 11/01/2010 07:49:47 AM 1003 Views
I'd laugh... - 11/01/2010 07:21:38 PM 882 Views
Tom is the primary reason I want an ignore feature again. - 12/01/2010 02:17:29 AM 931 Views
I'm glad to hear that. *NM* - 12/01/2010 04:17:30 PM 406 Views
And so you've reached this decision about Tom... - 18/01/2010 10:10:44 PM 1111 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 1196 Views
It's frustrating though... - 12/01/2010 04:18:37 AM 1160 Views
I think if you posted that (or something like it) people would reply to it. - 12/01/2010 05:08:53 AM 1167 Views
Perhaps. - 12/01/2010 05:26:38 AM 886 Views
Given the people who have read the Kushiel books, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised. - 12/01/2010 05:58:33 AM 946 Views
I was mostly just giving an example. - 12/01/2010 06:14:04 AM 1054 Views
You're not. - 12/01/2010 02:16:09 PM 1006 Views
Her next series sounds interesting - 12/01/2010 02:20:17 PM 875 Views
It does, but the reviews I've seen aren't too enthusiastic. - 12/01/2010 02:29:26 PM 927 Views
Yes, but how so? - 12/01/2010 02:39:59 PM 1018 Views
Well... - 13/01/2010 07:03:08 PM 1084 Views
Honestly... - 13/01/2010 07:51:14 PM 1068 Views
Absolutely. - 14/01/2010 12:55:00 PM 1215 Views
Re: Absolutely. - 14/01/2010 01:57:47 PM 1027 Views
ah i didn't realize it was already out - 13/01/2010 11:44:53 PM 846 Views
'tis. - 14/01/2010 12:56:11 PM 1246 Views
I really don't think it would. - 12/01/2010 07:49:32 AM 1079 Views
I have tried before. - 12/01/2010 01:59:24 PM 977 Views
That's bullshit - 12/01/2010 11:12:55 PM 1123 Views
True, true. - 16/01/2010 08:54:16 AM 831 Views
Luckily for you... - 16/01/2010 08:59:23 AM 1212 Views
Re: "Omigod you read light fantasy?" - 18/01/2010 10:04:41 PM 1279 Views
Har. *NM* - 18/01/2010 10:03:31 PM 589 Views
I'm quite enjoying it. - 09/01/2010 10:40:30 PM 1111 Views
A kid's book of adventure doesn't translate into a good book club discussion. - 10/01/2010 01:21:11 AM 956 Views
I have to agree - 11/01/2010 12:36:55 AM 1108 Views
How did you find deeper meaning (pun intended) in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? *NM* - 11/01/2010 02:17:55 AM 414 Views
It was half bullshit, you must understand - 11/01/2010 03:59:42 PM 979 Views
Come on, there is lovely tragedy there... - 13/01/2010 07:32:49 PM 943 Views
I am pleased to be referenced in a cross-board discussion. *NM* - 18/01/2010 09:29:45 PM 556 Views

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