The Prague Cemetery

English language

Published April 16, 2011

ISBN:
978-0-547-57753-1
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4 stars (20 reviews)

The Prague Cemetery (Italian: Il cimitero di Praga) is a novel by Italian author Umberto Eco. It was first published in October 2010; the English translation by Richard Dixon appeared a year later. Shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in 2012, it has been described as Eco's best novel since The Name of the Rose.

10 editions

Review of 'The Prague Cemetery' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This book is a doozy--a labyrinthine journey through the maze of antisemitic conspiracy theories that culminated in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, told by despicable but thoroughly fascinating character who is probably the only fictional character in the book.

Highly recommend.

Review of 'The Prague Cemetery' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

I found this book to largely be rather a poor excuse on Eco's part to write about The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. It is clear that Eco had a profound understanding of fascism and the othering. He certainly felt obliged to share this understanding with the world. Yet, this work can hardly be characterized as anything but a failure. It is dull and requires too much concentrated work for too little of a reward.

Review of 'The Prague Cemetery' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Every nation has its own secret service, perpetrating forgeries, plots, and massacres. Simone Simonini is called upon to help create a political conspiracy by forging a document known as The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Simone is an adventurer, forger and secret agent working for a powerful secret organisation or is he working for himself? Is he playing both sides against each other or will he end up being a scapegoat?

I love Umberto Eco; every time I read a book by him, I get a mind crush; how can one man have so much knowledge on Catholicism, Freemasons, the Knights Templar and even the Rosicrucians? First book I ever read of his was Foucault’s Pendulum and will always remain my favourite because I did not know what to expect. I was so surprised with his knowledge that when he started building the conspiracy behind this book I even …

Review of 'The Prague Cemetery' on 'Goodreads'

1 star

This is Umberto Eco playing with conspiracy again, only not as well as he did 20 years ago. The aim is much more evil than Foucault's Pendulum but the plot and characters are less interesting.

I guess I wish he'd written The Name of the Rose and then retired from fiction.

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