Does the novel have to deepen the psychology of its heroes? Certainly the modern novel does, but the ancient legends did not do the same. Oedipus' psychology was deduced by Aeschylus or Freud, but the character is simply there, fixed in a pure and terribly disquieting state. Umberto Eco aeschylusancientcharacter share on social
The thought that all experience will be lost at the moment of my death makes me feel pain and fear... What a waste, decades spent building up experience, only to throw it all away... We remedy this sadness by working. For example, by writing, painting, or building cities. Umberto Eco buildcitydeath share on social
Fear prophets and those prepared to die for the truth, for as a rule they make many others die with them, often before them, at times instead of them. Umberto Eco diefearmake Change image and share on social
But now I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth. Umberto Eco attemptenigmaharmless Change image and share on social
It is psychologically very hard to go through life without the justification, and the hope, provided by religion. Umberto Eco hardhopejustification Change image and share on social
Today, political events are nullified unless they're on TV. Umberto Eco eventnullifypolitical Change image and share on social
It is clear that when you write a story that takes place in the past, you try to show what really happened in those times. But you are always moved by the suspicion that you are also showing something about our contemporary world. Umberto Eco clearcontemporaryhappen share on social
But Italy is not an intellectual country. On the subway in Tokyo everybody reads. In Italy, they don't. Don't evaluate Italy from the fact that it produced Raphael and Michelangelo. Umberto Eco countryevaluatefact Change image and share on social
When the poet is in love, he is incapable of writing poetry on love. He has to write when he remembers that he was in love. Umberto Eco incapablelovepoet Change image and share on social
The good of a book lies in its being read. A book is made up of signs that speak of other signs, which in their turn speak of things. Without an eye to read them, a book contains signs that produce no concepts; therefore it is dumb. Umberto Eco bookconceptdumb share on social
