the literary world has been hir hard with the deaths of both harper lee ( to kill a mocking bird )
and umberto eco ( in the name of the rose )

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/20/italian-author-umberto-eco-dies-aged-84

He wrote some good books, both fiction and non-fiction.
I especially liked his "Foucault's Pendulum".

He was so much a classic writer that I though he was already dead O_o
RIP Umberto Eco.

damn

It's time to actually read Foucault's Pendulum instead of just let the cool-looking copy I have sit on my shelf looking cool.

He was one of the greatest writers Italy has ever seen.
Besides, he was already a living legend for his astonishing level of culture: there was apparently nothing he didn't know, and even listening to him talking colloquially was a source of knowledge. A great man, a great writer and a great philosopher.
It's a shame that he had to go in one of the culturally-wise darkest post-war moments of his country after giving so much, worried of how a people recently freed, always active, full of brilliant minds and ready to learn anything has been rapidly transforming in a mass of brutal ignorants caring for nothing besides their instincts.

Rest In Peace, Umberto Eco.

He was a great man, a great connoisseur of the Italian language, philosopher, writer and critic of Italian politics.

I only ever read his Name of the Rose and it was an interesting investigation type story in the middle ages. There was also the movie made after the book with Sean Connery in main role.

Definitely one of the great writers.

Thanks, now I know that. You learn something new every day. All I could think of was my Ecco shoes, so I figured maybe he was some famous fashion designer.

Unfortunately I don't know much of Italian culture, other than that the Romans lost to invading Goths, Vandals and Hooligans from the east and north because they had too much poisonous lead in their wine or something. Oh that one! I remember that movie, it was quite ok. Sean Connery in one of his better roles.

I thought exactly the same.

I must have seen it a dozen times. A very good movie, and I loved since I was a kid. The mood, the mystery, the library labyrinth... it was like nothing else.

I have to say, this has been a rather embarraing week- two important writers died, and I had to face the fact I have not read any of their books. And I consider myself a well read man. There just isn't enough hours in the day, is there? No matter how much books you read, or how many movies you watch, there will always be some classics you never got around to.

I would also like to strongly recommend reading Foucault's Pendulum, I read it twice despite its being almost 1000 pages strong, and will surely read it again.

I am a huge Eco fan and find this news really sad, although he was fairly aged. I am in the process of reading his book The Island of the Day Before (have also read The Prague Cemetery and The Name of the Rose, both of which I find excellent).
What I like the most about his books is how much one learns reading them.

R.I.P. Umberto.

That's sad. I still have not read anything by him, though I gifted my ex girlfriend The Name of the Rose (which she enjoyed) and I have watched the respective movie. My sister also read a bunch of his books.

I'll see to read something by him in the future.

Riposa In Pace

as for the books i own some of them, but i'm stuck since 2 years with the name of the rose, i don't know how they manage to translate it in english because in italian it's extremely erudite and sometimes it really seems to read an ancient manuscript from those times, you can clearly see the huge culture behind the writer.
I guess the translation was an easier job with the other romance languages.
I've also been to the religious complex who inspired the scenes of the book (sacra di san michele) and it's definitely a place that needs to be visited when passing by.

Another great one that leaves us :'(

R.I.P. signore Umberto Eco