Umberto Eco as a Novelist 3321-Z3S21HL02
The purpose of the course is to discuss and analyse Umberto Eco's seven novels, published between 1980 and 2015. First of all, the author's life and academic work will be presented, including his most important publications dedicated to a wide array of disciplines, as well as his studies on pop culture. The main part of the course will be an analysis of Eco's literary works, presented in chronological order: each novel will be discussed within the broader context of the Italian writer's work and of the evolution of this thought and poetics. A particular relevance will be attributed to such topics as the relationship between highbrow and lowbrow culture (and literature), engagé vs. popular fiction, the Postmodernist novel, archetypes of crime fiction, contemporary historical novel, and the motifs of conspiracy theories and the falsification of reality.
The final part of the course will be dedicatod to the students' presentations, connected with their final essays. The subject of each of these essays will be decided with the lecturer during the course.
Type of course
Course coordinators
Assessment criteria
The final evaluation will be based on:
- presence (up to three absences will be allowed) and active participation during classes: 25%.
- a presentation (based on the final essay) and discussion during the course: 25%.
- a final essay: 50%.
Details concerning the assessment criteria will be discussed during the first class and enrolled students will receive a file with all the details.
Bibliography
Works by U. Eco:
1. Il nome della rosa, Bompiani, Milano 1980.
2. Il pendolo di Foucault, Bompiani, Milano 1988.
3. Lʼisola del giorno prima, Bompiani, Milano 1994.
4. Baudolino, Bompiani, Milano 2000.
5. La misteriosa fiamma della regina Loana, Bompiani, Milano 2004.
6. Il cimitero di Praga, Bompiani, Milano 2010.
7. Numero zero, Bompiani, Milano 2015.
Selected critical works:
1. AA.VV., Le letterature di Eco, in il verri, n. 63, 2017.
2. Ceserani R., Raccontare il postmoderno, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino 2013 [1997].
3. Forchetti F., Il segno e la rosa. I segreti della narrativa di Umberto Eco, Castelvecchi, Roma 2004.
4. Palazzolo G., Umberto Eco. Epifanie, ossessioni, gnosi, Duetredue, Lentini 2017.
5. Pegorari D.M., Umberto Eco e lʼonesta finzione, Stilo, Bari 2016.
6. Serkowska H., Dopo il romanzo storico. La storia nella letteratura italiana del ʼ900, Metauro, Pesaro 2012.
7. Trainito M., Umberto Eco. Odissea nella Biblioteca di Babele, Il Prato, Padova 2014 [2011].
8. Additional texts and materials selected by the lecturer.
Source texts that are not available at the university library will be made available by the lecturer.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: