I enjoy the writings of Umberto Eco especially his novels like "Foucault's pendulum" and the "the name of the rose". I think his nonfiction is enjoyable too. His fascination with conspiracism and arcana is appealing to me and is characteristic of our age. I think his growing up under fascism made him sensitive to conspiranoiac nonsense as the modus operandi of a lot of nefarious politics in the modern era. In fact, conspiratorial thinking may in the end do democracy in ultimately but Eco understands why it fascinates so many.

Update 3/13/24 Eco goes from topic to topic with loose associations. It is enjoyable for the richness of the allusions. I enjoy it but I am never sure what to make or take away. He can talk about batman in one breath and Thomas Aquinas in another. It is a kaleidoscope much like our media environment.