5/15    Has anyone read Foucault's Pendulum? If so, is it a good book
        to pick up? I'm split over whether to read it or not, based
        on reviews on amazon (which either love it or hate it).
        \_ This is a notoriously "difficult" book, so take reader reviews
           for what they're worth.  Some people that I know who have read
           it say that it's difficult for the sake of being difficult, and
           others like it for the "depth."  I couldn't finish it because
           all the years of video games and the internets have fried my
           attention span.
        \_ I read it twice: once to myself (I tend to skim) and once to my wife,
           out loud.  (You have to read every word when you do that, though
           curiously you can zone out while doing it, intone every word
           perfectly, do different voices, and not remember the content of the
           last few pages.)  At any rate, when I skimmed it I enjoyed it.  When
           I read the whole thing I realized I was definitely "not tall enough"
           to be reading this book.  If National Treasure is the working man's
           version of the Treasure w/ Clues Hidden Throughout History genre,
           this is the one for lit. majors.  YMMV, but I probably understood
           this is the one for lit. majors.  YMMV, but I probably under stood
           95% of the vocabulary and 35% of the literary and historical
           references.  (I was not a lit. major)  Oh, and if you read this first
           then read DaVinci Code you'll have definite dejM-a vM-y. --dbushong
           then read DaVinci Code you'll have definite dejá vù. --dbushong
           \- I thought Name of the Rose was quite a good story. I didnt
              think FP was a great story. I think there were individual
              paragraphs which were well written. I think they would have
              been worth reading for an aspiring writer who wanted to see
              some samples of nice descriptions, but again from a plot/
              characters/entertainment perspective, didnt do well "in my
              book" ... I finished the book in part because I was on
              expedition and it was one of the only books I had with me.
              I like history but I wasnt into all the stuff about
              I like history but I wasnt that into all the stuff about
              publishing. I dont understand why people consider it "hard".
              I think the Iliad is hard. There might be details one misses
                          \_ No, Ulysses is hard :). -- ilyas
                             \- I have read Ulysses once and the Iliad
                                6 times. I think the Iliad is more
                                rewarding. IMHO, U is much more for
                                people interested in literature while
                                I has more to say about "life". U (and
                                even more FW) in some ways are a little
                                bit of a game or deliberate, conscious
                                challenge while I is a stright up profound
                                work. As they say, YMMV. Parenthetically,
                                I think the Odyssey is very enjoyable but
                                much more "partial credit" friendly than I.
                                BTW, Professor Bishop is giving a talk about
                                FW on 5/26 at UCB.
              in FP, but it's pretty amenable to "partial credit" unlike
              a work with high "barriers to entry". If you have not read
              'Rose, read that. If you want other historical fiction
              recommendations, state your parameters. --psb
              \- BTW, one of the best historical fiction series I have
                 read is Les Rois Maudits [The Accursed Kings] series
                 begining with Le Roi de Fer [The Iron King] by Maurice
                 Druon. It is difficult to find a (english) copy to own,
                 although libraries ought to have them. It is about
                 although libraries ought to have it. It is about
                 Philip IV le Bel of France and his progeny. --psb
           then read DaVinci Code you'll have definite dejá vù. --dbushong
                 Philip IV, Le Bel, of France and his progengy. --psb
                 Philip IV, Le Bel, of France and his progeny. --psb
              \_ Name of the Rose was utter pap.  Long-winded rants, unresolved
                 plot threads and unsatisfactory endings don't make good books.
                 Highly overrated (though far less irritating than the Da Vinci
                 Code).
           \_ Da Vinci Code was Foucault's Pendulum light. FP is better
              written, more engaging, and imparts much more information
              than Dan Brown's rehashing of "Angels and Demons" and "Holy
              Blood, Holy Grail."  The reading level for FP is high, though
              straightforward; the literary and historical references are
              sometimes obscure. If you enjoy this, you may also enjoy the
              works of John Crowley, and you may even enjoy the Illuminatus!
              trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson. As for The Name of the Rose,
              it was brilliant, but it is so well-written in the style of
              the period that the prose quickly becomes unwieldy to the
              modern reader. --erikred
        \_ I liked it. I did not understand all the historical references
           though I did have some knowledge of the history of secret
           societies during the Crusades, from my past experience as
           a DeMolay (Masonic youth organization). I liked the fact
           that parts of the puzzle were "missing" for me, because
           they were missing for the main characters as well and
           it kind of put me in their mind state. If you can stand
           being baffled half the time, it is a great read. -ausman
           \- FYI, Les Rois Maudits more or less opens with the scene of
              Demolay et al roasting over an open fire on the Ile de la Cite.
              \_ Jacques DeMolay, you are avenged!
           \_ It has great references and a fantastic premise but the writing
              style and conclusion left me a bit unimpressed.  -John
        \_ Like Partha and the rest here, I read "difficult" books by choice.
           (With my name, how could I not?) I found FP to be like listening to
           the rant of a well-educated schizophrenic vagrant. It is
           occasionally brilliant but mostly just pleased with its own level
           of detailed erudition. The story beneath all the noise was hardly
           compelling, either. The Name of the Rose, on the other hand, I
           recommend. -- ulysses
        \_ I read it 10 years ago, so it's a little fuzzy, but I remember
           enjoying the book, though I wouldn't say it's a must read. The
           writing style and story are actually pretty straightforward, so,
           in that sense, it isn't particularly difficult, but I did find
           it really boring at points. The highlight of the book is a 200-300
           page section in the middle in which the development of the
           Knight's Templar, Rosicrucians, etc. is historically explained.
           I thought that part was awesome.  -ciyer