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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 1821 Views
Hey, now (copy/paste) - 09/01/2010 07:48:56 PM 1346 Views
People should think about these things before recommending books. - 09/01/2010 08:13:10 PM 1395 Views
Which is why I voted for Bulgakov's M & M. - 09/01/2010 10:56:00 PM 1420 Views
Agreed. Madame Bovary is serious literature. - 10/01/2010 01:02:34 AM 1266 Views
Are you nuts!!?? - 10/01/2010 08:37:47 AM 1537 Views
I wanted to do that too. - 10/01/2010 01:24:42 AM 1192 Views
It's bloody marvellous. *NM* - 10/01/2010 08:05:47 AM 575 Views
Our next discussions will have preselected options. - 10/01/2010 01:00:59 AM 1367 Views
I heartily support the move from democracy to oligarchy! - 10/01/2010 01:04:13 AM 1304 Views
I agree. - 10/01/2010 08:01:33 AM 1261 Views
I disagree slightly - 09/01/2010 09:07:12 PM 1247 Views
Well, by that standard a Jackie Collins novel is worthy of debate. - 10/01/2010 01:08:04 AM 1302 Views
I think you misunderstand my intent - 10/01/2010 01:10:57 AM 1349 Views
You poopyhead! - 10/01/2010 01:19:11 AM 1413 Views
Oh, I almost forgot - 10/01/2010 01:11:50 AM 1277 Views
Ooh...I'd love to hear them!!! What did Eco say to trash Dumas? *NM* - 10/01/2010 01:19:43 AM 513 Views
Here's the French translation from Eco's work on supermen - 10/01/2010 01:39:28 AM 1367 Views
I love it. Strangely enough, though, he wrote an introduction to the book. - 10/01/2010 01:54:24 AM 1222 Views
Not really strange as Eco has long been fascinated by this book - 11/01/2010 05:01:56 PM 1226 Views
Did he mention it in his book on ugliness? - 11/01/2010 05:12:55 PM 1141 Views
Re: Did he mention it in his book on ugliness? - 11/01/2010 05:52:29 PM 1513 Views
I like Eco's distinction between light fiction and literature. - 12/01/2010 04:16:38 PM 1360 Views
Re: Here's the French translation from Eco's work on supermen - 11/01/2010 03:49:15 PM 1424 Views
That's fascinating. Of course, I disagree with Eco's praise. - 11/01/2010 05:12:25 PM 1149 Views
Re: That's fascinating. Of course, I disagree with Eco's praise. - 11/01/2010 06:22:24 PM 1469 Views
I agree that abridging it would not work well. - 12/01/2010 04:06:26 PM 1339 Views
In which case... - 12/01/2010 05:22:34 PM 1128 Views
Yes - 13/01/2010 07:56:08 PM 1413 Views
Not really. - 15/01/2010 01:18:10 PM 1579 Views
I think there are plenty of things that can be discussed. - 09/01/2010 10:00:06 PM 1496 Views
Discussed and put to rest in 5 minutes or less, perhaps. - 10/01/2010 01:17:02 AM 1363 Views
Depends on who you are, one would imagine. - 10/01/2010 08:16:11 AM 1395 Views
<pretentious>Well, why should we cater to the lowest common denominator? - 11/01/2010 02:17:03 AM 1312 Views
Heh. - 11/01/2010 07:49:47 AM 1206 Views
I'd laugh... - 11/01/2010 07:21:38 PM 1094 Views
Tom is the primary reason I want an ignore feature again. - 12/01/2010 02:17:29 AM 1140 Views
I'm glad to hear that. *NM* - 12/01/2010 04:17:30 PM 530 Views
And so you've reached this decision about Tom... - 18/01/2010 10:10:44 PM 1321 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 1442 Views
It's frustrating though... - 12/01/2010 04:18:37 AM 1381 Views
I think if you posted that (or something like it) people would reply to it. - 12/01/2010 05:08:53 AM 1394 Views
Perhaps. - 12/01/2010 05:26:38 AM 1100 Views
Given the people who have read the Kushiel books, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised. - 12/01/2010 05:58:33 AM 1153 Views
I was mostly just giving an example. - 12/01/2010 06:14:04 AM 1251 Views
You're not. - 12/01/2010 02:16:09 PM 1203 Views
Her next series sounds interesting - 12/01/2010 02:20:17 PM 1091 Views
It does, but the reviews I've seen aren't too enthusiastic. - 12/01/2010 02:29:26 PM 1131 Views
Yes, but how so? - 12/01/2010 02:39:59 PM 1220 Views
Well... - 13/01/2010 07:03:08 PM 1307 Views
Honestly... - 13/01/2010 07:51:14 PM 1301 Views
Absolutely. - 14/01/2010 12:55:00 PM 1425 Views
Re: Absolutely. - 14/01/2010 01:57:47 PM 1255 Views
ah i didn't realize it was already out - 13/01/2010 11:44:53 PM 1092 Views
'tis. - 14/01/2010 12:56:11 PM 1457 Views
I really don't think it would. - 12/01/2010 07:49:32 AM 1290 Views
I have tried before. - 12/01/2010 01:59:24 PM 1171 Views
That's bullshit - 12/01/2010 11:12:55 PM 1330 Views
True, true. - 16/01/2010 08:54:16 AM 1042 Views
Luckily for you... - 16/01/2010 08:59:23 AM 1436 Views
Re: "Omigod you read light fantasy?" - 18/01/2010 10:04:41 PM 1492 Views
Har. *NM* - 18/01/2010 10:03:31 PM 700 Views
I'm quite enjoying it. - 09/01/2010 10:40:30 PM 1313 Views
A kid's book of adventure doesn't translate into a good book club discussion. - 10/01/2010 01:21:11 AM 1197 Views
I have to agree - 11/01/2010 12:36:55 AM 1308 Views
How did you find deeper meaning (pun intended) in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? *NM* - 11/01/2010 02:17:55 AM 520 Views
It was half bullshit, you must understand - 11/01/2010 03:59:42 PM 1180 Views
Come on, there is lovely tragedy there... - 13/01/2010 07:32:49 PM 1142 Views
I am pleased to be referenced in a cross-board discussion. *NM* - 18/01/2010 09:29:45 PM 652 Views

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