Foucault’s Pendulum
By:
Umberto Eco
Reviewed by OFW editor: Carlos J Cortes
Published: September 11, 2012
Dan Brown’s fans have bitterly complained about The Da Vinci Code’s bad press, despite having sold a zillion copies. To explain why so many critics, reviewers, and cultured readers have lambasted the book, (and to set the record straight) I’ve posted this review of Umberto Eco’s Foucault’s Pendulum—which in my opinion and that of most industry professionals of my acquaintance—set the stage for The Da Vinci Code.
In the beginning there was a work titled The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, written by Henry Lincoln, Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh and published in 1982. Six years later, in 1988, Umberto Eco published Foucault’s Pendulum. Dan Brown’s effort would follow fifteen years later in 2003.
The chronology is important because all three books explore the same legends, fantasies, fallacies, and bogus history surrounding secret societies, religions, mumbo-jumbo, alchemy, grand conspiracies, crackpot sects, etc.
The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail was published as non-fiction by Random House, Dan Brown’s publishers.
Copyright laws are different for fiction and non-fiction because you cannot be accused of plagiarizing facts. Imagine you were to write a book about 9/11. If you used names, places, details and previously-published background, any writer who had published a book including the same names, places, details, and background, wouldn’t have a leg to stand on regarding plagiarism issues.
This is the reason why the plagiarism court case brought by Lincoln, Baigent and Leigh against Dan Brown was a sham. To think that the legions of lawyers at Random House—publishers of both books—hadn’t foreseen the likely outcome of such a legal foray would be naïve.
Why? Because regardless of what anyone may claim, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail is fiction, although it was published as non-fiction.
To understand the devilishly clever shenanigans behind The Da Vinci Code’s publication, a reader must start by reading The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail. In addition, without the background baggage afforded by Lincoln, Baigent and Leigh’s book the Foucault’s Pendulum is very hard to follow.
In short, a large part of Foucault’s Pendulum reads like a novelized version of The Holy Book and the Holy Grail.
History may eventually forgive Dan Brown for writing The Da Vinci Code, but educated writers will never forget that he essentially dumbed down the plot of Eco's masterpiece.
Foucault’s Pendulum is a world-spanning thriller packed with the elements that made Brown's book alluring. But another reason I chose to review Eco’s work is the uncanny and accurate analysis of the vanity publishing world. Anyone considering self-publishing must read this book before taking such a decision.
Foucault's Pendulum centers around three men working as editors in a vanity publishing company. In contrast to the writing, the narrative of the book is actually rather simple: the three editors make farfetched connections between the way-out theories put forward in the manuscripts submitted for publication. Soon, the dots connect, and they realize that they might be on to something so significant that their lives are in danger. At first, it is harmless fun as they rewrite the history of the Templars to fit in with their own concoction, but as they feed in more connections, characters, and mumbo jumbo, their creation grows beyond their control.
Foucault’s Pendulum is not a light read, in particular the first hundred pages, which are very demanding. Their density and difficulty is not accidental, but specifically designed by the writer. Eco himself admitted that he crafted the first hundred pages to discourage readers that would not have the strength to continue with the book. That’s the price readers have to pay to qualify. Pedant? Self-righteous? Preposterous? Perhaps, but when you are a world-class literary writer you can make demands. His editor suggested that he should remove the first part of the book but Eco refused.
Foucault's Pendulum is education rather than entertainment. The twisting, turning thread of the plot is enough reason to keep reading. Yet, what makes the book shine is Eco's philosophical, historical, mythological and religious asides, crammed with detail, in the kind of book where a reader senses the author checking and rechecking every line to make sure it's right.
In addition, Foucault’s Pendulum is one of those rare books needing more than one read. After a second reading, it becomes a tour de force, regardless of the heavy load of philosophical themes—the most complex and difficult in university curricula.
But Eco is a professor and writes for a more intellectual audience. Rich with Rushdieesque fableture, facing a pendulum—nose to mass—may seem a silly parody of the story but it explains the characters' experiences.
With The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail as preparatory reading to Eco’s masterpiece, any reader will have the material to analyze The Da Vinci Code and judge what this poor compilation of pseudo history is really worth.
Finally, I find it ironic that a book about a group of book editors has had such poor production. Perhaps the publisher was too lazy or greedy to pay a copyeditor to fix the numerous typographical errors.
Altogether this is an irreplaceable book for any creator of historical fiction and writers in general to gather a priceless glimpse into the bilges of the publishing industry.
Ecco, Eco!
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