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    Baudolino
    Baudolino
    Baudolino
    Audiobook18 hours

    Baudolino

    Written by Umberto Eco

    Narrated by George Guidall

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The author of the international sensation The Name of the Rose returns to the Middle Ages in this beguiling tale of history, myth, and invention.

    It is April 1204, and Constantinople, the splendid capital of the Byzantine Empire, is being sacked and burned by the knights of the Fourth Crusade. Amid the carnage and confusion, one Baudolino saves a historian and high court official from certain death at the hands of the crusading warriors and proceeds to tell his own fantastical story.

    Born a simple peasant in northern Italy, Baudolino has two major gifts—a talent for learning languages and a skill in telling lies. When still a boy, he meets a foreign commander in the woods, charming him with his quick wit and lively mind.

    The commander—who proves to be Emperor Frederick Barbarossa—adopts Baudolino and sends him to the university in Paris, where he makes a number of fearless, adventurous friends.

    Spurred on by myths and their own reveries, this merry band sets out in search of Prester John, a legendary priest-king said to rule over a vast kingdom in the East—a phantasmagorical land of strange creatures with eyes on their shoulders and mouths on their stomachs, of eunuchs, unicorns, and lovely maidens.

    With dazzling digressions, outrageous tricks, extraordinary feeling, and vicarious reflections on our postmodern age, this is Eco the storyteller at his brilliant best.

    “Baudolino, with its richly variegated haul of medieval treasures, remains compulsively readable.”—The New York Times Book Review
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateNov 30, 2012
    ISBN9781470346065
    Baudolino
    Author

    Umberto Eco

    Umberto Eco (1932–2016) was the author of numerous essay collections and seven novels, including The Name of the Rose, The Prague Cemetery, and Inventing the Enemy. He received Italy’s highest literary award, the Premio Strega; was named a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by the French government; and was an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

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    Reviews for Baudolino

    3.5/5

    1,448 ratings44 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Are they serious? The actor reading this is just getting carried away too much with his impersonations. I rather read than listen to this overcooked pasta.
    • 5/5
      It is a wonderful adventure and it leaves me to wonder how wonderful a liar Baudolino actually is, whether or not he is a late 13th century Forrest Gump and his later in Ventures are all and invention, however there is no Truth at all in any of his stories, nevertheless the journey is worth the destination.
    • 5/5
      One of the best stories I’ve ever heard.
      Great reading!
    • 3/5
      Mooie en zeer gevarieerde vertelling (diverse registers; benadert nog het dichtst 1001 nacht). Toch minder hechte structuur en diepgang dan de Naam van de Roos. Wel probleem van waarheid en verzinsel weer centraal.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed reading this novel, It tells an imaginative and fascinating story, but I struggled to become really engaged with it.
    • 3/5
      Quite a yarn, but too long. Some really good subjects tackled by Eco, of historical story telling and its inaccuracies, of religious relics and their prominence. Ultimately it's meandering leaves one disappointed, even if the narrative is very good in parts. Eco revels in the richness of the descriptive and its all too self-indulgent for my liking.
    • 5/5
      A symphony of words. So creative. So beautiful. You don't want the book to end. Medium fast read hut u slow down to catch the beauty of the language. Cannot wait to read another book by him.
    • 3/5
      The story centers around the (re)making of the legend of Prester John (cf. The Travels of John Mandeville) and the wonders of the east, as known to the mind of the medieval scholastic. To me, the plot lacked the momentum of The Name of the Rose, but Eco's verbal playfulness, polysemy and knowledge of European history kept me delightfully charmed throughout.
    • 4/5
      In this light-hearted novel the eponymous Baudolino, a resourceful cross between Voltaire's Candide and Thomas Berger's "Little Big Man," is an energetic enough narrator who regales his tired hearer (one Niketas Choniates) with the story of Baudolino's agreeably misspent youth, his chance meeting with warlord emperor Frederick Barbarossa, and the remarkable events that follow when Frederick effectively adopts the clever stripling ( After forming bonds with several fellow students (including a moony would-be "Poet," a love-starved half-Moor, and a pragmatic rabbinical scholar), Baudolino sets out to write a history of his benefactor's exploits, assists in the defense of a defiant city built to withstand Frederick's impending sacking, and devises a plan to locate the legendary Holy "Grasal" (a.k. grail). The narrative continued in that vein and seldom disappointed this reader.
    • 1/5
      Not my thing.
    • 2/5
      Started out promising. A fictional character joining Emperor Fredrick's court in the latter part of the 1100's. The first half of the book was mostly entertaining but after that it became inane fantasy fiction. I was tempted not to finish the book, perhaps only the third in my life I had no interest in completing. But I forced myself to scan the last 1/3 of the book. Can't say there was anything much satisfying in it. Kinda sad that such a celebrated author would write such ridiculous stuff.
    • 4/5
      The chance mention of the possible existence of a man named Prebster Johanne by an old monk named Otto to a young man with an amazing ability to create stories turns into an entire life story about the search for this man.The story opens with the sack of Constantinople. A noble man, Niketas, is caught outside and is in danger of being killed by the hordes when he is rescued by Baudolino. In exchange for the safety of him and his family, Niketas records Baudolino's story which begins when he is adopted by Emperor Frederick. Along with the story of how he becomes acquainted with his cohorts Abdul, the Poet, Boron, Rabbi Solomon, Kyot, Zosimos, and Ardzrouni. Along with concocting a story to get them on the road to find Prester John, they also have lively discussions about scientific and religious matters.Baudolino is a charming liar. Even as we see him weave his tales we enjoy his naivete and faith that things around him are true and real. While some books have amazing first lines, I feel the final lines of this book, while gentle, have a huge and powerful truth that made me very happy that I have read this book.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Is this a fantasy? It's hard to say with any certainty. Undoubtedly we see many fantastic and magical things as Baudolino recounts his journeys, but Baudolino's a liar.

      We meet Baudolino in 1204, as Constantinople is being sacked and burned by the Fourth Crusade. He rescues a high-ranking court official and historian, Niketas Choniates--a real person who did survive the sack of the city and subsequently wrote a history of Byzantium including the story of the sack. He then asks Niketas to listen to his own story, so that he can work out the meaning of it--if any.

      Calling this an unreliable narrative is a gross understatement. Baudolino himself says that he habitually confuses what he wants to see with what he does see, and has often told colorful tales rather than the boring truth. An additional layer of unreliability is added by the fact that he's telling this tale entirely from memory, the journal he had kept for years having been lost in the course of his journeys. So this is a tale told from unreliable memory, most of it years after the fact, of an habitual liar.

      As a young boy in twelfth-century Italy, Baudolino sets out on the road to fortune and adventure by telling a passing foreign knight that St. Baudolino has appeared to him and told him that Frederick Barbarossa would conquer Terdona (with which he was then at war.) Since the passing knight is Frederick Barbarossa, this prediction naturally goes down very well. In short order, Baudolino has thoroughly charme d the emperor, and is adopted as his son. He is raised in Frederick's court, and eventually, having no taste for war, is sent to Paris to study and returns to be a ministerial of the imperial court. There are elements of secret history to the story, as Baudolino becomes responsible for the founding of the city of Alessandria and the canonization of Charlemagne, amongst other things. In alternating sections, we get the story of Baudolino's rescue of Niketas and his family and their escape from Constantinople, and Baudolino's lifetime of colorful adventures, including his lifelong fascination with the fabled kingdom of Prester John. After Frederick's death, this fascination leads to Baudolino and a group of good friends and more dubious allies setting out for the distant east, following one expedition member's memories of a map claiming to show the way. In the course of their journey, they meet most of the creatures out of the more fantastic mediaeval bestiaries, including unicorns, but also skiapods ponces, and blemmyae, and encounter other wonders.

      One of those "other wonders" is a raging river of stone, cutting off the route to Prester John's kingdom. Baudolino's Jewish companion, Rabbi Solomon, had told them of this wonder and its features that make it an unc rossable obstacle: the river flows with a powerful current for six days, and stops completely on the Sabbath. Jews, of course, cannot cross it on the Sabbath. Gentiles could, but when the stones stop, an impassable barrier of flames springs up on both riverbanks. They reach river, look in vain for a way to cross it at or above its source, and eventually give up, travelling downriver again to wait for its Sabbath stoppage. When this happens on schedule, they wait for the flames--and nothing happens:

      "So you see you mustn't always believe what they tell you," Baudolino concluded. "We live in a world where people invent the most incredible stories. Solomon, this is a tale you Jews put into circulation to prevent Christians from coming to these parts."

      Well, Baudolino--and Eco--certainly ought to know, at least about people inventing incredible stories.

      This is a beautifully written book, a delight to read, and there's no need to wonder, as with Isabel Allende's City of the Beasts, whether Eco was well served by his translator.
    • 5/5
      Baudolino is an interesting character. His lies, his truths, his whims and ideas are bright and creative. I expect nothing less from the master Mr. Eco.
    • 2/5
      2.5 really... it was entertaining in parts, but not completely engaging
    • 3/5
      There were parts of this that were really fun and fantastic (as in full of fantasy), but then there were other parts that were just way too slow and couldn't hold my attention. The narrator, though, had a very smooth and pleasant voice, so that helped during those down moments.
    • 4/5
      This is a work of historic fiction, or so I thought. The character Baudolino is the adopted son of Frederick Barbarossa. He recounts his life to Niketas Choniates. Baudolino is a work of fiction, but the world he lives in is real. The first half of the book reads just like I expected. The story follows Baudolino's life and for the most part seems like there is no purpose of this book except being a fake biography. There are some wars and some family matters, but no real purpose. Then the 2nd half of the book starts and it gets weird, in a good way. Once Baudolino starts his journey it becomes way more exciting and I had to keep reading and reading. It breaks away from historical fiction and starts leaning towards fantasy. But all the interactions and discussions Baudolino has seems like an analogies to religion and civilization. Umberto Eco imparts his philosophy in a tactful and creative way. This is an excellent book!
    • 3/5
      A picaresque tour across the Mediterranean and on to China. Our hero likes the Buddhists best, but he has to come home eventually. I think that Eco is better in Italian than English, and without the murder mystery, this book is a good deal less popular.
    • 4/5
      Baudolino is an Italian peasant living in the 1200s who is both a gifted story teller and a compulsive liar. The book is told through Baudolino's retelling of the events of his life to a Byzantine court official who he saves during one of the Crusades. The trick to this book is figuring out what is true, what is false, and if it even matters. As a young man, Baudolino falls into favor with the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa who sends him to Paris to study. Baudolino has a natural talent for learning languages. He meets several friends there and they become obsessed with the idea of the existence of Prester John, a mythical priest who supposedly rules in the East. Eventually, they contrive a way to go on a journey to find Prester John. They have many adventures along the way and this all becomes more and more fantastic.This book is one of Eco's most readable novels because he manages to stay relatively on track with the plot instead of having multiple diversions in each chapter. There is still a lot of play with words and obscure historical references (many of which I'm sure I didn't get), but this book has a lot of life, humor, and a sense of fun.My favorite line in this book is the last. Niketas, the byzantine official who listened to Baudolino's story with the intent of helping to write his biography, is talking to a wise man about how he can possibly write out Baudolino's story with any credibility. The wise man cautions him not to tell the story. When Niketas expresses his regret, the wise man saysYou surely don't believe you're the only writer of stories in the world. Sooner or later, someone -- a greater liar than Baudolino -- will tell it.
    • 5/5
      Great book. Absolutely hilarious at times, other times really sad, and almost all the time you can't tell if Baudolino is lying or telling the truth lol.
    • 1/5
      Couldn't get into it. This is my last flirtation with Eco.
    • 3/5
      Not a bad book, but not his best. maybe it's the translation, but it did not have the bite or pace of The Rose or the Pendulum.
    • 5/5
      Decameron-like philosophical fable of adventure set during the time of Frederick Barbarossa as told by a liar to a Greek chronicler while Constantinople burns down around them.Eco is showing us that religious myths arise from political need to suit the requirements of the actors on history’s stage; that history is story and story is exaggeration, and exaggerations are really just plain lies invented by the more intelligent among us to suit the occasion or solve a problem.An unreliable narrator is employed to illustrate the unreliable nature of history, which deals in facts, and religious history, which deals in a tissue of fantastic myths and superstitions largely concocted to give provenance to false “relics” that meant economic and political power accrued to the cities and rulers who held them. Masterful, gargantuan tale tracing the adventures of Baudolino from his adoption by Barbarossa after his father sells him, to his education in Paris, to his days of ghost-writing poetry, to his exploits as Barbarossa’s envoy/spy, to his yearnings for the mythical kingdom of Prester John, to his love for a Gnostic sylph, to his deeds as a Crusader and sacker of cities.Don’t look for an easy read when reading Eco; hang on for the ride and try to keep up if the story, with all it digressions, seems to get away from you. Great book -- almost but not quite as good as "The Name of the Rose" -- by one of the greatest living authors of our time.
    • 5/5
      Baudolino will no doubt be my favorite Umberto Eco book. From the very beginning it stood out as something distinctly memorable among the other books he's written.Baudolino is a young man (at least, at the beginning of the tale) who has two noteworthy talents: he can learn any language after minimal exposure, even a brief conversation; he is also a liar par excellence. He becomes a favorite of Emperor Frederik, who sends the youth to Paris for an education. While there, Baudolino begins forming friendships with an unlikely group of people - a rabbi, a knight known as The Poet, an infidel, amongst others. Together they create evidence of the existence of Prester John, who was (mythologically speaking) a great Christian priest/king who ruled over a huge kingdom east of the lands of the Moorish infidels. Ultimately, Baudolino and his band of followers undertake to find Prester John, initially to legitimatize the rule of Emperor Frederik, but really to prove that he does, in fact, exist.Unlike Eco's other works, Baudolino lacks much of the high-powered scholastic verbosity that permeates most of his other writings. That's not to say there are no extended exegeses here, but this is perhaps the most accessible book Eco has written. It is witty, intelligent and captivating. If you have avoided Eco because of the extensive scholastic passages he is prone to write, Baudolino is the book for you.I highly recommend this book.
    • 4/5
      No, it's no Name of the Rose. It's not much of a who-dun-it. It's more a who-maybe-made-up this myth, legend or scrap of religious faith. The text meanders, to say the least. For me, as with David Liss's books, it's enough just to pick up the look and feel of the period--how people made houses or designed new cities, the food and clothing, the languages, the organization of a medieval university (that would be Paris), etc. Then there's the constant near state-of-war between Italian peoples that, after all are linguistically or ethnically very close--like so many peoples of Asia today! But there's also a re-telling or re-twisting of real history. I did read about this period in my 20s--the names of popes and warrior kings, the religious arguments, Nestorians, the two popes period, etc. are somewhat familiar --but for sure this book would have been better enjoyed after a recent skim of a history book. You'd also be better equipped to catch the blasphemous or heretical assertions. Did I mention that it's often funny?Nonetheless, believe it or not, this is a very entertaining book to carry around when you're on the move or constantly interrupted. There really aren't that many characters. Or, maybe there are but the book moves so sedately that you can pick it up whenever and immediately remember the situation and cast of current characters.
    • 2/5
      Baudolino feels more like a contrived and expanded homage to Borges, if not also a prolapse of The Name of the Rose. Here we are not privy to Eco the complicated weaver of a tale as we find in Foucault's Pendulum, but a more tired Italian-academic sentimentalist.
    • 3/5
      Substance: Full of information and atmosphere about 12th century Europe and Constantinople, with a deliberate blurring of fact and mythology taken as fact at the time. The engaging protagonist, an inveterate liar who seems to have been responsible for most of the major historical events of the period, discovers that he gets into the most trouble when he tells the truth. Eco takes 300 pages to get to the central mystery (death of Frederick Barbarossa) and 200 more to produce the solution.Style: An easy narrative voice that makes learned discourses enjoyable and exotic imaginings plausible.Notes: see pages 232 and 518 on the crux of life's decisions.
    • 5/5
      This was a fantastic read in every sense. Eco managed to make this interesting on levels that aren't always his strong suit--enchanting characters, plot, themes, real suspense. I was really not expecting this work to live up to the level of The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum--or expected that it would somehow exhaust the breadth of the interesting and novel intellectual puzzles or concepts that Eco had to offer his readers through fiction. Needless to say, I was glad to find that standard upheld. This work raises some fascinating question about the nature of truth and testimony, reality, history, social progress, the nature of faith, narrative as a concept, the nature of language as a communication device, translation, and cause and effect. There are a great number of subtle intellectual references cast into a sparkling narrative with a real and almost linear plot (something of a surprise coming from Eco, I think) and some of the most humorous--if dark--and creative historical redescriptions I have ever happened upon. I also get the sense that there's a bit of biography hidden in this work for Baudolino's fellow Alessandrian Umberto Eco.
    • 5/5
      Baudolino is in his sixties when he saves a minister of Constantinople during its sacking by the Fourth Crusade. This provides opportunity for him to recount his life story, one that begins as a historical fiction centered in the Holy Roman Emperor in the company of Barbarossa, but lends itself to fantasy once he engages upon a journey that leads him into an unlikely version of the middle east and India.I liked The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum, but this novel was easily the most fun to read. Loads of humour and pathos + brain candy = a rare find, but here it is. As with the author's other novels there is much playfulness incorporating European legends of the Middle Ages, here centered mostly upon the mythical realm of Prester John, and the Holy Grail. The narrator is wonderfully unreliable by his own confession. He openly admits to viewing lying as bringing things into being, merely by bearing false witness to them. There's an interesting, sharply defined progression from the first half of the story when Baudolino could be given benefit of the doubt (as what he says fits well with historical fact), into the latter half where he is clearly making everything up. Ironically Niketas appears to find his tale more credible in this latter half, even as it becomes increasingly wondrous (a similar theme was apparent in Foucault's Pendulum). Regardless of the facts or fiction contained in Baudolino's story, it always conveys a great deal of heart and he is eminently likeable as a character to the last. The author has taught us love for a liar, and respect for a liar's method of introducing wonder into the world, not unlike my appreciation for this talented writer.
    • 4/5
      This is another diverting instance of Eco playing around with history, mythology, and ideas like a kid with Legos or something. This one is nominally set in 12th Century Byzantium and Northern Italy, but pulls in all kinds of crazy stuff from the early Sorbonne to the court of Frederick Barbarossa to the Assasins to the greater part of a mythological bestiary. The main thrust is the use of the Prester John myth as a political tool for Barbarossa's attempts to expand his power, but as with most of Eco's work, people soon start believing their own tales, and the protagonists set off on a quest for John's mythical kingdom, where all kinds of mythological and quasi-historical madness ensues. If you like Eco's other stuff, you'll definitely enjoy this one too.