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Title: "Island" a mix of "Name of the Rose" and "Pendulum"
Review: With "The Island of the Day Before," Eco almost redeems himself for "Foucault's Pendulum." This time around, Eco seems more intent on playing narrative games than blundering through a morass of Templar intrigues. As Roberto wanders through the mysterious ship, he wanders through past episodes of his life. We follow him through chambers filled with exotic flora and fauna and from his childhood home, to a city under siege, to the courts of Paris where an encounter with the Cardinal Mazarin sets him on his fateful voyage.While "Island is not nearly as enjoyable as "Name of the Rose," it far surpasses "Foucault's Pendulum," interesting for its attempt to re-create the medieval mindset (an endeavor of which Eco seems incredibly fond) and for Eco's ability to veer from Roberto's past to present while interspersing bits of the medieval weltanschauung.
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