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.
This message last edited by DomA on 11/01/2010 at 07:25:36 PM
The Count of Monte Cristo was a terrible choice for a book discussion.
09/01/2010 07:41:01 PM
- 1461 Views
Hey, now (copy/paste)
09/01/2010 07:48:56 PM
- 1007 Views
People should think about these things before recommending books.
09/01/2010 08:13:10 PM
- 1033 Views
Which is why I voted for Bulgakov's M & M.
09/01/2010 10:56:00 PM
- 1095 Views
I disagree slightly
09/01/2010 09:07:12 PM
- 903 Views
Well, by that standard a Jackie Collins novel is worthy of debate.
10/01/2010 01:08:04 AM
- 959 Views
Oh, I almost forgot
10/01/2010 01:11:50 AM
- 946 Views
Ooh...I'd love to hear them!!! What did Eco say to trash Dumas? *NM*
10/01/2010 01:19:43 AM
- 357 Views
Here's the French translation from Eco's work on supermen
10/01/2010 01:39:28 AM
- 1017 Views
I love it. Strangely enough, though, he wrote an introduction to the book.
10/01/2010 01:54:24 AM
- 880 Views
Not really strange as Eco has long been fascinated by this book
11/01/2010 05:01:56 PM
- 912 Views
Did he mention it in his book on ugliness?
11/01/2010 05:12:55 PM
- 795 Views
Re: Did he mention it in his book on ugliness?
11/01/2010 05:52:29 PM
- 1120 Views
Re: Here's the French translation from Eco's work on supermen
11/01/2010 03:49:15 PM
- 1000 Views
That's fascinating. Of course, I disagree with Eco's praise.
11/01/2010 05:12:25 PM
- 829 Views
Re: That's fascinating. Of course, I disagree with Eco's praise.
11/01/2010 06:22:24 PM
- 1100 Views
I agree that abridging it would not work well.
12/01/2010 04:06:26 PM
- 972 Views
I think there are plenty of things that can be discussed.
09/01/2010 10:00:06 PM
- 1158 Views
Discussed and put to rest in 5 minutes or less, perhaps.
10/01/2010 01:17:02 AM
- 1014 Views
Depends on who you are, one would imagine.
10/01/2010 08:16:11 AM
- 1077 Views
<pretentious>Well, why should we cater to the lowest common denominator?
11/01/2010 02:17:03 AM
- 977 Views
I'd laugh...
11/01/2010 07:21:38 PM
- 755 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
- 1067 Views
It's frustrating though...
12/01/2010 04:18:37 AM
- 1033 Views
I think if you posted that (or something like it) people would reply to it.
12/01/2010 05:08:53 AM
- 1032 Views
Perhaps.
12/01/2010 05:26:38 AM
- 752 Views
Given the people who have read the Kushiel books, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised.
12/01/2010 05:58:33 AM
- 812 Views
You're not.
12/01/2010 02:16:09 PM
- 882 Views
Her next series sounds interesting
12/01/2010 02:20:17 PM
- 748 Views
It does, but the reviews I've seen aren't too enthusiastic.
12/01/2010 02:29:26 PM
- 789 Views
Yes, but how so?
12/01/2010 02:39:59 PM
- 884 Views
Well...
13/01/2010 07:03:08 PM
- 953 Views
Honestly...
13/01/2010 07:51:14 PM
- 930 Views
Absolutely.
14/01/2010 12:55:00 PM
- 1075 Views
Re: Absolutely.
14/01/2010 01:57:47 PM
- 903 Views
In short, not a good name for a daughter. At least not one with an interest in Classics.
15/01/2010 05:32:35 AM
- 883 Views
I'm staying far, far away from Seneca.
15/01/2010 02:01:49 PM
- 1129 Views
Ah, yes. The Apocolocyntosis. Possibly the least amusing humor ever penned. I hate Seneca. *NM*
16/01/2010 02:14:32 AM
- 334 Views
I really don't think it would.
12/01/2010 07:49:32 AM
- 943 Views
I have tried before.
12/01/2010 01:59:24 PM
- 855 Views
If it is well-written and defends the value of the book, I don't see why you shouldn't post it.
12/01/2010 05:12:58 PM
- 1031 Views
I'm quite enjoying it.
09/01/2010 10:40:30 PM
- 907 Views
A kid's book of adventure doesn't translate into a good book club discussion.
10/01/2010 01:21:11 AM
- 827 Views
I have to agree
11/01/2010 12:36:55 AM
- 967 Views
How did you find deeper meaning (pun intended) in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? *NM*
11/01/2010 02:17:55 AM
- 365 Views