Interesting, never did check up on that source.
There are actually a plethora of sources that, when checked, seem to make sense. Of course, the Dee book deflates the Plan in that, according to Casaubon, Belbo and Diotallevi, Dee was supposed to meet the Parisian Templars on St. John's Eve in 1584, but instead of being in England at that time (and then France), he was in Krakow, and then (after August) in Prague for the rest of the year. Upon close scrutiny, it is obvious that Eco altered history. The point is that he altered it SO slightly that it is imperceptible to the casual reader.

It's been too long since I last read the novel to remember how the female characters were. But to be fair, The Name of the Rose and Baudolino were constructed in such a way that most of the action had to take place in what then were male-dominated realms of monastery, university, and the military field.
Did you ever stop to think that perhaps his choice of venue was intentional? Also, even in Foucault's Pendulum, where there should be more female characters, they appear not as real people but as cardboard cutouts.

I didn't get that impression when I read his works. Then again, I happen to think his shorter fictions (which are mostly satires) are much better than his novels. I'll have to re-read and see what's changed. I just remember there was a pattern in which I was lulled into thinking one way and then I was startled by the change.
Re-read Foucault's Pendulum. Although his style can be wonderfully interesting, he really gets carried away.

Very interesting criticism. I believe this probably is the case, especially concerning Eco's attitudes toward religion.
It ruins much of my appreciation. Others may not feel the same way.

Hey! He's a much better wordsmith than Jordan ever will be! But the rest is a fair critique. Still, I really need to re-read his novels to remember what exactly I liked and disliked about them.
Certainly. He is better than Jordan.

So how does it rank with his other novels? Better or worse? I've heard a lot of conflicting comparisons from others as to where to place Foucault's Pendulum.
Better. Definitely better. For all its shortcomings, Foucault's Pendulum weaves in so many different stories and legends, myths and fables into a coherent whole that there aren't times when I didn't start wondering whether or not he wrote it to expose a real Plan. That shows how good a job he did...


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