The Island on the Eve

The famous novel "The Name of the Rose" 1980 by the Italian historian, professor of semiotics and aesthetics Umberto Eco — about freedom, the novel "Foucault's Pendulum" 1988, which secured the author's fame, — about the necessity of controlling freedom with common sense, logic, and conscience. Both of Eco's debut masterpieces, despite their thriller-like appeal, are clearly philosophical books. The third novel "The Island on the Eve" 1995 has an even deeper philosophical content. It is a turbulent tale of life and death with a hero reminiscent of Robinson Crusoe, but cast not onto a deserted island, but onto a deserted ship. His struggle for survival is poetic, the book is filled with images from great painting, music, literature, and is full of surprises for perceptive readers. Unusual and strong characters from the D'Artagnan era, the sad laughter of the big-nosed Cyrano, and the philosophy of Descartes — all are combined in one storyline reminiscent of a trendy computer quest.