In this collection of essays and addresses delivered over the
course of his illustrious career, Umberto Eco seeks "to understand
the chemistry of his] passion" for the word. From musings on
Ptolemy and "the force of the false" to reflections on the
experimental writing of Borges and Joyce, Eco's luminous
intelligence and encyclopedic knowledge are on dazzling display
throughout. And when he reveals his own ambitions and
superstitions, his authorial anxieties and fears, one feels like a
secret sharer in the garden of literature to which he so often
alludes.
Remarkably accessible
and unfailingly stimulating, this collection exhibits the diversity
of interests and the depth of knowledge that have made Eco one of
the world's leading writers.