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Title: self-indulgent and boring.
Review: I bought this book because I was so impressed with Name of the Rose, with its fascinating account of medieval times. With "The Island.." I thought I'd be for a 17th Century treat, but I was mistaken. Eloquent writing and poetic description are great when they're accompanied with a STORY (read anything by Peter Matthiessen and you'll see what I mean). But this book bogged down after 50 pages and deteriorated into an irritating maze of self-indulgent language games and esoteria. Unlike some other reviewers here, I don't believe that one should have to be familiar with an author's scholarly interests to access his writing, as if it was some secret code. Obviously, Eco is brilliant, but I want a story, not a wandering display of "here's what I know."
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