“The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everybody else.”
Books are not made to be believed, but to be subjected to inquiry. When we consider a book, we mustn’t ask ourselves what it says but what it means. - The Name of the Rose
All the stories I would like to write persecute me when I am in my chamber, it seems as if they are all around me, the little devils, and while one tugs at my ear, another tweaks my nose, and each says to me, ‘Sir, write me, I am beautiful’.
"I am a philosopher; I write novels only on the weekends."
"I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren't trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom."
Recently the world was devastated over the news of famous Italian author and philosopher Umberto Eco's death on February 19th, best well known for his popular medieval murder mystery 'The Name Of The Rose,' which sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
The Piedmont writer was born in Alessandria on the 5th of January, 1932, and dedicated his life to study. He was one of the most well known Italian thinkers inspiring a worldwide community of intellectuals, also taking a liking to popular culture. Quoted in The Telegraph "Despite taking himself seriously, he was also able to laugh at himself. Writing a novel “became like a video game in which I might take on the personality of a warrior and enter a sort of magical kingdom”. “I always assume,” he said wisely, “that a good book is more intelligent than its author. It can say things that the writer isn’t aware of.”
Personally for us staffers at ITALY Magazine, we all held this quiet, bookish man (he had a personal library of over 50,000 books) in high regard and we suggest reading two other novels by Umberto, Foucault’s Pendulum and Baudolino. In order to honor his legacy, here are five quotes by Umberto Eco that reflect his ongoing spirit.
