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Plot summary: Peacock phrase, not that I disagree with it.
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His story begins in 1155, when Baudolino is sold to and adopted by the emperor [[Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick I]]. At court and on the battlefield, he is educated in reading and writing [[Latin]] and learns about the power struggles and battles of northern [[Italy]] at the time. He is sent to [[Paris]] to become a scholar.
His story begins in 1155, when Baudolino is sold to and adopted by the emperor [[Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick I]]. At court and on the battlefield, he is educated in reading and writing [[Latin]] and learns about the power struggles and battles of northern [[Italy]] at the time. He is sent to [[Paris]] to become a scholar.


In Paris, he gains friends (such as the [[Archpoet]], Abdul, [[Robert de Boron]], and [[Kyot]], the purported source of [[Wolfram von Eschenbach]]'s ''[[Parzival]]''), and learns about the legendary kingdom of [[Prester John]]. From this event onward, Baudolino dreams of reaching this fabled land. After the death of Frederick, Baudolino and his friends set off on a long journey, encompassing 15 years, to find the Kingdom of Prester John. In describing this expedition, Eco demonstrates the full width of his story-telling style. Baudolino meets [[eunuch]]s, [[unicorn]]s, [[Blemmyes]], [[skiapods]], and [[Pygmy (mythology)|pygmies]]. At one point, he falls in love with a female [[satyr]]-like creature who recounts to him the full [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] creation myth; [[Gnosticism]] is a pervasive presence in another of Eco's novels, ''[[Foucault's Pendulum]]''. Philosophical debates are mixed with comedy, epic adventure and creatures drawn from the strangest medieval bestiaries.
In Paris, he gains friends (such as the [[Archpoet]], Abdul, [[Robert de Boron]], and [[Kyot]], the purported source of [[Wolfram von Eschenbach]]'s ''[[Parzival]]''), and learns about the legendary kingdom of [[Prester John]]. From this event onward, Baudolino dreams of reaching this fabled land. After the death of Frederick, Baudolino and his friends set off on a long journey, encompassing 15 years, to find the Kingdom of Prester John. Baudolino meets [[eunuch]]s, [[unicorn]]s, [[Blemmyes]], [[skiapods]], and [[Pygmy (mythology)|pygmies]]. At one point, he falls in love with a female [[satyr]]-like creature who recounts to him the full [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] creation myth; [[Gnosticism]] is a pervasive presence in another of Eco's novels, ''[[Foucault's Pendulum]]''. Philosophical debates are mixed with comedy, epic adventure and creatures drawn from the strangest medieval bestiaries.


===Characters in ''Baudolino''===
===Characters in ''Baudolino''===

Revision as of 19:43, 18 November 2011

Baudolino
1st edition (Italian)
AuthorUmberto Eco
TranslatorWilliam Weaver
LanguageItalian
GenreHistorical novel, Speculative fiction
PublisherBompiani (Italy)
Secker & Warburg (UK)
Harcourt (USA)
Publication date
2000
Publication placeItaly
Published in English
15 October 2002
Media typePrint (Hardcover, Paperback)
Pages528 pp (US hardback edition)
ISBNISBN 0-15-100690-3 (US hardback edition) Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character
OCLC49002024
853/.914 21
LC ClassPQ4865.C6 B3813 2002

Baudolino is a 2000 novel by Umberto Eco about the adventures of a young man named Baudolino in the known and mythical Christian world of the 12th century.

Baudolino was translated into English in 2001 by William Weaver. The novel presented a number of particular difficulties in translation, not the least of which is that there are ten or so pages written in a made-up language that is a mixture of Latin, medieval Italian, and other languages.

Plot summary

In the year of 1204, Baudolino of Alessandria enters Constantinople, unaware of the Fourth Crusade that has thrown the city into chaos. In the confusion he meets Niketas Choniates and saves his life. Niketas is amazed by his language genius, speaking many languages he has never heard, and on the question: if he is not part of the crusade, who is he? Baudolino begins to recount his life story to Niketas.

His story begins in 1155, when Baudolino is sold to and adopted by the emperor Frederick I. At court and on the battlefield, he is educated in reading and writing Latin and learns about the power struggles and battles of northern Italy at the time. He is sent to Paris to become a scholar.

In Paris, he gains friends (such as the Archpoet, Abdul, Robert de Boron, and Kyot, the purported source of Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival), and learns about the legendary kingdom of Prester John. From this event onward, Baudolino dreams of reaching this fabled land. After the death of Frederick, Baudolino and his friends set off on a long journey, encompassing 15 years, to find the Kingdom of Prester John. Baudolino meets eunuchs, unicorns, Blemmyes, skiapods, and pygmies. At one point, he falls in love with a female satyr-like creature who recounts to him the full Gnostic creation myth; Gnosticism is a pervasive presence in another of Eco's novels, Foucault's Pendulum. Philosophical debates are mixed with comedy, epic adventure and creatures drawn from the strangest medieval bestiaries.

Characters in Baudolino

Umbrella Foot
Umbrella Foot
Devil Man
Devil Man
Headless
Headless
Large Ears
Large Ears
Various strange characters figuring in the novel as rendered in the Nuremberg Chronicles. These creatures and many others were all described and named by Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historiæ from 77 AD: A monopod and a satyr (top); a blemmyae and a panotti (above).
Invented by Eco
Other fictional or legendary beings
Historical

Release details

  • 2000, Italy, Bompiani (ISBN 88-452-4736-8), Pub date ? ? 2000, hardback (First edition, Italian)
  • 2001, Brazil, Editora Record (ISBN 85-01-06026-7), Pub date ? ? 2001, paperback (Portuguese edition)
  • 2002, UK, Secker & Warburg (ISBN 0-436-27603-8), Pub date 15 October 2002, hardback
  • 2002, USA, Harcourt (ISBN 0-15-100690-3), Pub date 15 October 2002, hardcover
  • 2002, France, Grasset and Fasquelle (ISBN 2-246-61501-1), Pub date 12 February 2002, paperback (French edition)
  • 2002, USA, Recorded Books (ISBN 1-4025-2814-0), Pub date ? October 2002, audiobook (cassette edition)
  • 2003, Italy, Fabbri - RCS Libri (ISBN 88-452-5195-0), Pub date ? January 2003, paperback (Italian edition)
  • 2003, USA, Harvest Books (ISBN 0-15-602906-5), Pub date 6 October 2003, paperback