The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana
by Umberto Eco
First published 2004 · 492 pages
- Mystery and crime
- Thriller and suspense
- Philosophy
- History and politics
Yambo, a rare-book dealer in Milan, wakes after a stroke knowing a great deal from books but unable to remember his own life. He goes to the family home in the countryside, where he searches the attic for old schoolbooks, comics, records and magazines from his Fascist-era childhood.
The novel is illustrated with such material and is a poignant, playful exploration of memory, identity and how culture shapes who we are.
Quotes
In this world you either read or write, and writers write out of contempt for their colleagues, out of a desire to have something good to read once in a while.
We've got to help each other, seeing as God doesn't help us. Do you see how great Jesus' idea was? Imagine how much it must have irritated God. Forget the devil, Jesus was the only true enemy of God, and he's the only friend us poor wretches have.