Inventing the Enemy

byUmberto Eco, Richard Dixon (Translator)

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The final collection of essays from the internationally acclaimed and bestselling author of The Name of the Rose and The Prague Cemetery, on the subjects of art and culture.

In this collection of essays we find Umberto Eco’s perennial areas of interest explored in a lively and engaging style, accompanied by beautiful reproductions of the art he discusses. In these wide-ranging pieces he explores the roots of our civilization, changing ideas of beauty, our obsession with conspiracies and the emblematic heroes of the great narrative, amongst other fascinating topics.

Umberto Eco was one of the most influential, and entertaining, intellectuals of the last century, as well as being a critically acclaimed and bestselling writer of both fiction and non-fiction.

Whether discussing the relationship between our knowledge and God, abortion, stem cells, embryos, the right to life, or reviews of James Joyce’s Ulysses by fascist journalists of the 1920s and 1930s, this collection gleams with clarity, depth and wisdom
The Good Book Guide

About Umberto Eco

Umberto Eco (1932–2016) wrote fiction, literary criticism and philosophy. His first novel, The Name of the Rose, was a major international bestseller. His other works include Foucault's Pendulum, The Island of the Day Before, Baudolino, The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, The Prague Cemetery and Numero Zero along with many brilliant collections of essays.

Details

Imprint: Vintage
Published: 05/09/2013
ISBN: 9780099553946
Length: 240 pages
Dimensions: 198mm x 18mm x 129mm
Weight: 213g
Price: £12.99

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Paperback 2013
Ebook 2012

Inventing the Enemy

Format:

Buy the book from:

Whether discussing the relationship between our knowledge and God, abortion, stem cells, embryos, the right to life, or reviews of James Joyce’s Ulysses by fascist journalists of the 1920s and 1930s, this collection gleams with clarity, depth and wisdom

For the sheer depth and clarity of his learning and wisdom, Eco has no living rival

[A] philosophical football match that encompasses myth, literature and history... Discursive, grandiose, witty stuff from the quintessential savvy professor

Eco's greatest virtue might be said to lie in his ability to clarify the exact nature of our present perplexities...lucid, logical and always firmly on the side of civilisation

Eco's writing has a unique ability to dance on the page and to resonate in the mind

Thought provoking… nuanced, accessible prose… the collection amply shows off Eco’s sophisticated, agile mind and will undoubtedly bring pleasure to readers familiar with his worlds while enriching those willing to learn about them

There is plenty here for everyone, and some of it is up-to-the-minute. The subtitle may be a semi-provocative exaggeration, but this collection of occasional pieces does cover a lot of ground

All of [Eco’s essays] pay tribute to history, giving his work their characteristically accessible weight and depth, often conveying some new nugget of information

[Eco’s] mind is still as fecund as ever, as demonstrated by this collection of essays… Eco may be an intellectual of the highest order, but there’s nothing forbidding about this collection of essays which are readable and thought-provoking

About Umberto Eco

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