In these “impishly witty and ingeniously irreverent” essays (Atlantic Monthly), “the Andy Rooney of academia” (Los Angeles Times) takes on computer jargon, librarians, bureaucrats, meals on airplanes, bad coffee, taxi drivers, 33-function watches, soccer fans, and more. Translated by William Weaver. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 19 reviews)

Collection of funny essays 1-4 pages long

I read this 8 years or so ago and I bought the book to read them again. They are humorous essays on contemporary life. Though they have been written in the 1980s their charm is lasting and for me offer an interesting illustration of how things stay the same.

For example, Eco speaks of receiving 'unsolicited faxes' that interfere with his ability to read important faxes. This reminded me of the problem we have with email spam.

I find these humorous essays much more entertaining than his novels like Foucault's Pendulum.
February 16, 2008

fine intellectual entertainment

If you enjoy irony, satire and or parody, you will be entertained by these essays. It may surprise you that a well educated man can write so humorously and so subtly. Though I am not sure why that should come as a surprise. Enjoy.
December 18, 2007

A book for many journeys

In this collection of wonderfully sardonic essays Umberto Eco demonstrates the qualities that have made his a great novelist: attention to detail, to people, and his erudition. And to the delight of many-he displays yet another (perhaps unexpected) quality: a wicked yet welcoming wit.

For these essays about many different journeys are welcoming because they are so recognizable. There is the journey (without) a watch; the journey of a child eating ice cream; the (very literal) airplane journey with attendant gadget advertising; the journeys of modern communication via a fax machine-and many, many more.

These essays drew me into an incredible world, made me laugh and grimace at the same time. But above all, they forced me to recognize my world--and myself.

This is a good book to take with you on a journey-no matter where you are headed. I recommend it.

January 14, 2006

Ecos essays don't get to the pace

I am a huge fan of Umberto Eco, and his novels (Rose and Foucault's Pendulum) and I had high hopes for this collection of essays. Eco is very satirical in these essays, sometimes too much so; the satirical and exaggerating style that is combined with very unusual translation style (ancient words that do not reach the nice rhythm of Eco's otherwise great storytellin in his other works) just got me tired of reading this book. These stories just do not entertain me this time.

Here and there I was able to find a nice story but only few. Language just doesn't get to its pace, and I also have say that majority of the stories are dated for readers in 2006. Stories about telefaxes, etc. are not relevant anymore. But also the general problem of satirical essays is that they are very much tied to the present day when they're written.

Overall, not a bad collection but nowhere near to my expectations.
November 21, 2005

The witty traveler

This collection of essays combines travel with intellectual barbs. The book journeys from the surreal, such as the logistics of manipulating life-sized maps of a territory, to the all-too-real and malodorous such as the title story of the hotel with the broken computer, overly attentive housekeeping, and thus a slowly decaying fish. And the book will please word-fetishists, as the sentences are cleverly assembled.
January 22, 2004

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

Kant and the Platypus: Essays on Language and Cognition
by Umberto Eco, Alastair McEwen

Misreadings
by Umberto Eco

Travels in Hyperreality (Harvest Book)
by Umberto Eco

On Literature
by Umberto Eco
by Martin McLaughlin

Foucault's Pendulum
by Umberto Eco