Umberto Eco – Baudolino

Descriere

Umberto Eco: Baudolino – Sweeping Historical Adventure and Picaresque Fantasy on Medieval Europe, the Fourth Crusade, Myth-Making, Prester John, and the Power of Storytelling, A Harvest Book / Harcourt, Inc. (New York, 2002), English Edition, Collectible Literary Fiction

🏰 What is this book about? First published in Italian in 2000 and translated into English by acclaimed translator William Weaver in 2002 for Harcourt, Inc. (A Harvest Book), Baudolino is one of Umberto Eco‘s richest, most entertaining, and intellectually playful novels. Blending historical fiction, picaresque comedy, medieval legend, and philosophical inquiry into the nature of truth and falsehood, the novel takes readers on an unforgettable journey across 12th-century Europe and the mythical East.

The story opens in April 1204, amidst the flames and chaos of the Sack of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. Amidst the ruins of the Hagia Sophia, a quick-witted Piedmontese adventurer named Baudolino rescues the Byzantine imperial historian Niketas Choniates and, over the course of several days, recounts the extraordinary tale of his life:

• Adopted Son of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa: Born a peasant’s son in northern Italy with a miraculous gift for languages and a compulsive talent for inventing convincing lies, young Baudolino charms the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, becoming his confidant, diplomat, and chronicler.

• Fabricating History and Medieval Myths: Together with his eccentric university friends in Paris—including the Archpoet, Abdul, and Rabbi Solomon—Baudolino delights in forging relics, composing legendary letters, and conjuring the ultimate medieval myth: the fabulous Christian kingdom of Prester John, hidden somewhere in the distant East.

• Quest for the Kingdom of Prester John: Following the mysterious death of Frederick Barbarossa during the Third Crusade, Baudolino and his companions embark on a fantastical expedition across Asia in search of the very realm they helped invent—encountering unicorns, skiapods, Blemmyes, eunuchs, and the enigmatic Hypatia in a world where imagination and reality blur.

• Truth, Lies, and Storytelling: Beneath its infectious humor and adventure, Eco explores a central semiotic question: how myths, fake documents, and compelling stories shape real history, politics, and human belief.

This 2002 Harvest Book / Harcourt, Inc. edition—featuring William Weaver’s masterful English translation—is an attractive, highly readable American release from the original year of English publication.

Key Bibliophilic Features & Value:

• First English-Language Edition Year (2002): Published by Harcourt, Inc. (A Harvest Book) in the celebrated translation by William Weaver.

• Masterwork of Medieval Fiction & Wit: Combines the historical erudition of The Name of the Rose with the picaresque energy of Candide and Don Quixote.

• Rich Tapestry of Medieval Lore: Brings to life 12th-century Paris, the Lombard League, Byzantium, and the wondrous geography of medieval bestiaries.

• Sought-After Antiquarian Volume: Consistently requested by fans of Umberto Eco, readers of historical fiction, and collectors of English-language literature.

📚 Who do we recommend this book to?

• Fans of Umberto Eco’s Fiction: Those who loved The Name of the Rose, Foucault’s Pendulum, The Island of the Day Before, or The Prague Cemetery.

• Readers of Rich, Intelligent Historical Adventure: Admirers of Salman Rushdie, Italo Calvino, Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Hilary Mantel, or Mikhail Bulgakov.

• Lovers of Medieval History, Myths & Storytelling: Anyone fascinated by the Crusades, medieval legends (such as the Holy Grail and Prester John), and how history is written.

• Collectors of English-Language Literary Editions: A cornerstone title for any curated shelf of modern European classics in English translation.

✍️ About the Author: Umberto Eco (1932–2016) Italian novelist, philosopher, semiotician, medievalist, and cultural critic, born in Alessandria, Piedmont (the very region from which Baudolino hails). Professor of Semiotics at the University of Bologna and one of the foremost public intellectuals of the 20th and 21st centuries, Eco achieved worldwide literary fame with his debut novel The Name of the Rose (1980), followed by international bestsellers including Foucault’s Pendulum (1988), The Island of the Day Before (1994), Baudolino (2000), The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana (2004), and The Prague Cemetery (2010).