TOTTALLY ENGROSSING

I LOVE Umberto Eco. I have read nearly everything he's ever written that has been translated into English. This is not an easy book. The writing is very dense. But the details of the atmosphere are rich. And the Eco's books are packed with historical acuracies that teach you about a period of our past.
I am always smarter for having read Umberto Eco.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CONSIDER THE ABRIDGED VERSION. Trust me. You will be missing the brilliance of this writer.

This book is an amazing journey into a man's discovery of who he might have possibly been. It's not your typical american story. So sit back and enjoy and don't worry about figuring out how it all is going to work out.

I have also fallen in in love with the narrator and have purchased several other books just because he narrates.

22 people found this helpful

Entrancing and Philosophical

Eco is so great at creating a sense of mystery and wonder as a man tries to reassemble his life after a stroke that turns him into an amnesiac. He really lets one think about what it is about me that I identify with. He had to rediscover all his preferences and re-question all his values as his entire life and even bodily functions are completely strange and new. Do our memories make us what we are, or our preferences? Are we responsible for sins that we don't even remember making?

Why is there a lead-in which shouts "Audible Kids"? This is an adult book but someone at Audible has mislabeled it.

13 people found this helpful

A great read

For being by Umberto Eco this book is an easy read. As a reader, you really get to travel throughout the mind and memories of this old gentleman. Although I have not yet reached the age of this literary figure, I quite enjoyed the journey. Also the book was well read and easy to follow and understand (even the Italian references).

9 people found this helpful

Mysterious, rambling and intriguing

After a recent diet of rather good thrillers and mysteries, I decided to try the most recent Umberto Eco, for a change of pace. A change it most definitely was! The pace of Queen Loana is decidedly slow (occasionally practically coming to a standstill), the tale intriguing, the atmosphere foggy and the concepts challenging. George Guidall (who I will always associate with Crime and Punishment) narrates this work in exactly the right manner. I can recommend this book to listeners with patience, and who want to think, but if you are after a fast-flowing narrative with twists and turns, this is not for you.

7 people found this helpful

Long, but worthwhile

I had tried reading one of Eco's books some time back and found the text very dense and too hard to read.

The audio version would be better I thought, so why not give it a try, even though it was a very long book. (For what it's worth, I have no difficulty with reading, comprehension, of vocabulary - his writing style just made it difficult.)

This book at times could be tedious (He really didn't have to spend so much time in the attic!) but just as often was like talking to an old friend.

The narrator was excellent. I was apprehensive when I heard an older man with an unusual accent and delivery, but he was certainly a good choice for this - the book could not have been the same without him.

A long listen, but I would do it again.

9 people found this helpful

So sad to give it two stars

I read "The Name of the Rose" and fell in love with Umberto Eco. There aren't many unabridged verions of his books on Audible, so I chose this one because it was the full book and it sounded kind of interesting.

I was completely taken in by the beginning. Even my husband, who hates audio books, was interested when he overheard me listening to this book. There's so much rich memory of Italy during WWII, and beautiful descriptions of old books. The story is wonderful right up to the end.

I'm not someone who needs the end of a story to be wrapped up in a pretty bow. I can make my own conclusions and figure things out for myself. But at the end of this book, there is nothing to figure out. I felt as if I had been taken on a pointless ride.

5 people found this helpful

Only half way, ABSOLUTELY INLOVE W THIS AUDIO BK

Would you consider the audio edition of The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana to be better than the print version?

I've not read the print version of this book. I've read other Umberto and found the print versions riveting. I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy an audio version bc part of loving Umberto is loving his use of the written word. However the language is portrayed beautifully by the narrator so I feel this audio version is as riveting as reading.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana?

The poetic descriptions of the fog and confusion Yambo finds himself in during the first chapter or so are...breathtakingly beautiful.

Which character – as performed by George Guidall – was your favorite?

I'm only part way through, so it's all Yambo at the moment and I like him very, very much.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I'll hold my silence for now.

Any additional comments?

The narrator is a superb actor and narrator. Seriously. He's magic. I listen to this as I go to sleep and sometimes find I can't turn it off, his voice and the language of Umberto is such a soothing combination.

1 person found this helpful

Hated it

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I love Umberto Eco but really did not like this book at all!! Mostly the story hid behind insufferable list after list. Could not have cared less about the main character by the end.

Has The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not necessarily.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana?

All of it.

1 person found this helpful

The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana

Possibly this is an unfair review because halfway through the book I was so bored, I stopped listening. I just didn't care. I listen to books while walking. They are my incentive. I found myself putting off my walks because this book never engaged me.

18 people found this helpful

A Boring Ramble To Nowhere

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Perhaps an individual who might be able to construe some real meaning behind hours of senseless, melodramatic ramblings with no plot structure.

Has The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. I have enjoyed a few of Eco's densely packed works, but this one is a clear loser.

Which character – as performed by George Guidall – was your favorite?

Nada, sad to say.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Only the talent of the narrator.

Any additional comments?

I wish I could have been able to state something less pejorative regarding this work, but I cannot. I would be surprised if this review finds its way to being published. We'll see.