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Baudolino Audiobook
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(3.00) - 8,777 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
As Constantinople is being pillaged and burned in April 1204, a young man, Baudolino, manages to save a historian and a high court official from certain death at the hands of crusading warriors. Born a simple peasant, Baudolino has two gifts: his ability to learn languages and to lie. A young man, he is adopted by a foreign commander who sends him to university in Paris. After he allies with a group of fearless and adventurous fellow students, they go in search of a vast kingdom to the East-a kingdom of strange creatures, eunuchs, unicorns and, of course, lovely maidens. Fusing historical events with myths and fables, this is a lighthearted, splendid tale.
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"A fantastic book. Umberto Eco never ceases to amaze me with his unbelievable breadth & depth of history as he fabricates a fictional character, Baudolino, who (by the Baudolino's own account) plays a critical role in setting in motion a multitude of nation-changing events that occur around the time of Frederick I in the twelfth century and the fourth crusade. What starts out as an adventure firmly entrenched in verifiable historical events ends up in fantastical territory, as the main character sets off with a small cadre of companions in search of the mythical kingdom of Prester John. It is at this point that Eco loses me a bit, as the existence of the main character goes from a fun, if barely mathematical improbability to the absurd. Still, an incredible read. I will note that - since reading this book, I have read a history of Ghenghis Khan, which puts the legend of Prester John in a little more historical context and adds to the esteem in which I hold this author."
— Dan (4 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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One of the 2002 New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books for Fiction
Baudolino Listener Reviews
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" The weirdest thing happened with this book. I enjoyed the first half quite a lot, then disliked the second half so much I abandoned reading the novel when I had less than 100 pages left of it. Years later, I went back and read whatever was left. Probably the last book by Eco I'll ever go through, though I'm tempted to re-read "Foucault's Pendulum". "
— Florin, 2/8/2014 -
" This caught me totally by surprise with how delightful it was - it wasn't until I'd yawned my way most of the way through it that all of a sudden it became the most gripping read ever, and had me mystified up until literally, the last page - that is my favorite type of entertainment, book or movie - the type that when the end comes, it smacks you upside the head and makes you regret not paying more attention the whole way thru. Kinda like life. "
— Erin, 2/8/2014 -
" The first chapter gives you enough boost to go on reading. This is a novel that takes lying to another level. An epic adventure of the lame, cruel but so real. "
— Ù…Øمد, 1/21/2014 -
" It has its moments, but is also tedious and wanders without apparent direction, with loads of ungrounded details at times. Quit this one half way, as it wallowed. Eco has a wonderfully cynical take on human nature, but I couldn't stick with the vague direction. "
— Linda, 1/19/2014 -
" I loved this book! As I read I kept wondering who could come up with this! And as as I read the last line I burst out laughing. Genius. "
— Nullaesomines, 1/14/2014 -
" Really interesting so far! I cannot put it down! "
— Christine, 1/10/2014 -
" I think this has taken close to a year for me to read. On the surface, it sounded like a fun adventure I'd devour in just a couple of days, but in reality, it was so pretenious that it took months to make myself slog through. "
— Mercurybard, 1/1/2014 -
" A phrase used to describe 'Foucault's Pendulum' also aptly describes 'Baudolino:' "endlessly diverting." It is at once fascinating history, bawdy farce, riveting mystery, and profound allegory. "
— DL, 12/31/2013 -
" First Umberto Eco book I've read... "
— Trevor, 11/21/2013 -
" maybe i was too stupid for this book, but i couldn't finish it. wasn't interested in trying to follow all the historical tangents. "
— Jackie, 11/20/2013 -
" Al final se puso mas interesante! el libro fue pesimo para mi gusto hasta la pagina 300.. de la 300 en adelante se puso interesante. El nombre de la Rosa fue muy superior para mi gusto y venia con expectativas muy altas que no fueron satisfechas. "
— Lizette, 11/2/2013 -
" This is the worst book I have ever read. "
— Matt, 10/27/2013 -
" Umberto Eco is also one of my favorite authors. If I have to read fiction give me one of his books. "
— Renee, 10/27/2013 -
" I think it was me, not the book. Sometimes you're just not in the right frame of mind for a book- I may try this again at a later date. I've read two other books by Eco and think the translations are almost poetic. "
— Gretchen, 9/6/2013 -
" A mind trip and an amazing story. "
— Anna, 7/14/2013 -
" About a time when common people were creating history. A lie is a good one if you believe in it. "
— Altmmdi, 6/24/2013 -
" I abandoned this book halfway through. I just couldn't get into it. I came up with excuse after excuse, reason after reason, to avoid reading it. It's not that it was bad, necessarily, it just wasn't a very compelling read. Life is short and there are too many other interesting books to read. "
— Christopher, 5/4/2013 -
" Reached a point where I could not tolerate his nonsense and the genral stupidity of the characters any more. "
— Kris, 4/11/2013 -
" Unless you really like medieval debates on theology, ethics, science, etc. don't bother reading this. It's quite boring and most of the side characters were poorly created. Instead just ponder if lies can become truths, and how much you should believe a confessed expert liar. "
— Brett, 4/3/2013 -
" Was too much. "
— Glenda, 2/12/2013 -
" As translated, Eco writes a dense but casual prose. The plot here is vastly amusing -- I loved learning about this aspect of the Crusades. "
— Justine, 1/8/2013 -
" Viaggio meraviglioso nel mondo del Medio Evo "
— Isabella, 1/4/2013
About Umberto Eco
Umberto Eco (1932–2016) was an Italian novelist, literary critic, philosopher, semiotician, and university professor. He is best known internationally for his novel The Name of the Rose, a historical mystery combining semiotics in fiction with biblical analysis, medieval studies, and literary theory. He later wrote other novels, including Foucault’s Pendulum, The Island of the Day Before, and The Prague Cemetery. He also wrote academic texts, children’s books, and essays. He was the founder of the department of media studies at the University of the Republic of San Marino, president of the graduate school for the study of the humanities at the University of Bologna, member of the Accademia dei Lincei, and an honorary fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford. He was A co-honoree of the Kenyon Review Award for Literary Achievement in 2005.
About George Guidall
George Guidall, winner of more than eighty AudioFile Earphones Awards, has won three of the prestigious Audie Award for Excellence in Audiobook Narration. In 2014 the Audio Publishers Association presented him with the Special Achievement Award for lifetime achievement/ During his thirty-year recording career he has recorded over 1,700 audiobooks, won multiple awards, been a mentor to many narrators, and shown by example the potential of fine storytelling. His forty-year acting career includes starring roles on Broadway, an Obie Award for best performance off Broadway, and frequent television appearances.