Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN num: 9780099287155
ISBN number: 0099287153
Label: Vintage
Manufacturer: Vintage
Page Count: 652
Printing Date: June 01, 2001
Publishing house: Vintage
Sale Popularity Level: 2066211
Studio: Vintage
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Three book editors, jaded by reading far too many crackpot manuscripts on the mystic and the occult, are inspired by an extraordinary conspiracy story told to them by a strange colonel to have some fun. They start feeding random bits of information into a powerful computer capable of inventing connections between the entries, thinking they are creating nothing more than an amusing game, but then their game starts to take over, the deaths start mounting, and they are forced into a frantic search for the truth.
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Rated by buyers 
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I don't like the slimy hero or his publishing house friends.
The lunacy that goes on in this book seems like the late Egyptian empire descent into insane magic. That the book inspired a later American best seller doesn't make it right for me.
I had a very hard time reading this book
as it is slow and full of a half way history of satanic beastality and secret societies in Europe.
Since the main character also does a book on metal
and the science and technology involved,
he isn't an ignorant fellow.
That he throws all logic and credibility out, just makes me
wonder at the irrationality involved?
Rated by buyers 
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This has to be the worst book I have ever read. One of the other reviewers talked about the necessity of having a dictionary at hand - that is an understatement. The book is written at an intellectual and vocabulary level well beyond that of most college graduates - including those holding advanced degrees. The amount of arcane information is incredible and the reader (at least this reader) spends an inordinate amount of time attempting to comprehend what is written. As far as comprehending the "plethora of insights contained in the book", I found the text so laborious that whatever insights were intended were completely lost on me. I had read reviews for this book prior to buying it that praised the revelations, insights, humor, creativity, etc. of the author and his writing style. After plowing through the book - no small task, it is very difficult reading - I have to say whatever the publisher meant by "packed with meaning" is completely lost on me. The story is not all that riveting, although the suspense does build throughout if one is dilligent enough to filter out the academic garbage. The ending is not surprising and is somewhat disapponting. Overall, upon completing the book, I found myself thinking that Mr. Eco is very impressed with himself and his academic mind and outdid himself in this endeavor to show the world his vast command of language, semiotics and arcane data. I can only imagine that a student of semiotics or perhaps a select and quite small audience of highly educated literary scholars would find this book at all rewarding or enjoyable.
As far as the rest of the intelligent, educated, thoughtful and/or introspective readers in this world go, my advice is not to waste your time - this book is not worth the effort.
Rated by buyers 
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This book is a miracle; I loved it. Most of my thoughts about it are stated in other reviews - you can see how many different meanings readers have taken from it; I believe that this is intentional based on author's comments.
Anyway, I had the happy accident of reading Charles MacKay's "Extraodinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds" right after this book, totally at random (I had owned it for years w/o opening it). I wish I had read it before Foucault's Pendulum. It has about 200 pages on "Alchymists" (I thought that it was only about financial panics), where he describes the stories and backgrounds of the many figures referenced in this book (Rosicrucians, Count Saint Germain, Cagliostro, etc.). It's written in 19th century English, but if you get absorbed in the subject matter, and don't want to read dozens of books on obscure medieval topics, then this is a great pairing. Enjoy!
Rated by buyers -
I have to say that I had to read this book twice to really appreciate the story. I have trudged through a great deal of literature in my time (it's my undergrad), and "Pendulum"--the very first time, was among the most dense. However, I wanted to give it a second go (for no other reason than I wanted to) and I was not disappointed. I absolutely loved it.
I highly recommend this gem, even though it might take a couple of trips to enjoy the journey :-)
Rated by buyers 
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If I had not read the above first, I think F's P would have harder to follow. This reads a lot like a novelized version of the Baigent/Leigh/Lincoln book. I wish the novel had started with the visit by Col Ardenti and stuck to that story line. But, Eco is a professor and is probably using this as a forum for his philosophies. He is also writing for a more intellectual audience. I think the hype was a little overblown, though. I would recommend it if you don't mind not being able to finish it in one read. It's a book that makes you think so you read a few chapters, put it down, then start again.
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