On September 13, 2016, I experienced the beautiful feelings of triumph and wonder as I allowed my right hand to close page six hundred forty-four of my now favourite novel; the sensation of the back cover gliding along my fingers was truly exquisite. The only thing more overwhelming than my feeling of splendor was the book itself, Foucault’s Pendulum. Exalted by critics as “the thinking man’s Da Vinci Code,” Umberto Eco’s prolific masterpiece of intellectual captivation is truly one of the best books that I have ever read. The book is certainly challenging, but not in an off-putting way. For the most part, one can search Wikipedia and get enough of an idea of background knowledge to have an idea of what is going on. For example, I was unfamiliar with many of the Knight orders mentioned, but after reading a little bit online when the names came up, I was ready to continue my adventure. I regret that I cannot fit more into this article, but this book is a plethora of wonderful ideas.

Casaubon, a doctor of philosophy (ironically showing a parallel to the author’s own degree in semiotics), narrates the novel as he recounts all of the events that brought him to the present moment. His present moment is not described until the end of the novel, so please do not ask me to give it away; however, I can tell you that chapter one begins by introducing the terrible plan that sparked out of control that set his world (and the world of the underground, I.E. the occult) on fire causing him to leave behind his family as he hides out in a museum waiting for the conspiracy to take place. Casaubon and his two friends/co-workers, Belbo and Diovtallevi, are at work in their publishing office, when a mysterious Colonel shares with them a conspiracy fragment of the Knights Templar. Casaubon is writing his thesis on the Templars at this time, and with Belbo bears witness to what will become the center of an underground conspiracy Plan of global proportions based on cultures, religions, and synchronicity. All of which will bring him to the moments above.

This is perhaps all I can impart with before venturing into terrible spoilers, so let us shift focus to the novel itself. Eco’s field of semiotics requires him to look at the world as possessing various symbols as a form of rhetoric and meaning making. A noble field and one that certainly has a relevance in communications; however, Eco approaches the dark side of his field here. One certain theme of this book is to be weary of how one interprets the world around them. To assign meaning to what is around one is certainly a powerful aspect of humanity, but if one does not wield that power carefully; they can end up in a great deal of trouble. Misinterpretation is more common than one would care to admit; more so, healthy skepticism helps combat such errors. The understanding of symbols is crucial to humans and embedded in all cultures, but what happens if they are all the same? On the other hand, what if meanings start being twisted or are manipulated?

The answer to the latter is chaos and disruption of proper order. Ultimately, Eco points out that people need symbols and need a certain faith in life to keep them driven. If one is to play with such meanings in the lives with others, it will lead to corruption of the world around them. Furthermore, one must have a respect for other cultures, religions, and their symbols. To try to impose their own on others is devious. To address the former question, all humans are humans (allow the sophomoric phrase, please); thus, all humans will have similarities. Synchronicity is nothing more than this; not a coincidence, but a uniting factor of life. With that in mind, it is very dangerous to think that all of it is really just saying the same thing or that it is saying nothing at all. Both viewpoints get the characters into great trouble. In addition to that, there are those that are seeking the hidden meanings. Ultimately, one must remember that they do not know such things. There are great like Dante or Plato that teach us great things, but they did not possess infallible knowledge. The book depicts various characters overwhelmed by the burning desire to have what men cannot: infallible powerful and the ability to prescribe their own meaning to the world. It is noble to seek knowledge and the truth, but not at the price of corruption.

Eco grants a very beautiful message with this book. He teaches the audience not to allow such pursuits to dominate one’s life. If allowed to, these pursuits will destroy that life. Casaubon reflects that the greatest triumph he makes is not inventing a Plan, intellectual triumph, and etcetera – but instead – having a child with a woman he loves. His harsh regret is that he must leave it behind due to what he has created with Belbo and Diovtallevi. The Audience should note the startling contrast between the two creations. Both his children, but only one serves to better himself and others; the Plan is ultimately a downfall and hoax, which destroys people and relationships.

He also teaches us a great deal about the powers of causes and “us vs. them” mentality. He shows how ideas can divide people. Whether it be overweening feminists or overweening communists, ideas can create various complexes in a person that lead to disharmony. Eco uses the Fascist revolution that he experienced in his life to demonstrate all of this. He depicts how ideas like this can enslave a person, and ponders if people really are just seeking such masters. He explains that one should not forget the “spiritual knighthood” that binds men together as they pursue what is rightfully the good. Various viewpoints cannot be allowed to divide people.

My closing thoughts on this book are that one should certainly read this. Do not be deterred by the various “knowledge barriers” of the book; the lessons are not reliant upon on the audience having great knowledge of the occult, fascism, medieval writings, or whatever. The lessons are reliant upon following the story and giving time for reflection. I will certainly have to read this book a second time – not just for pleasure, but because I know I missed a lot. This is truly how one should read books – not just read, but also re-read! In addition, Eco shows that being pedantic is a downfall of any man. I received so many valuable lesson from reading this book that I am truly grateful to Eco. He reminded me that the pursuit of knowledge and good is a life-long quest that cannot be rushed or revised. That one must be careful and skeptical of ideas – and when assigning belief to ideas, always remaining aware that one has not arrived at the perfect, one- way answer to the questions that plague humans. I learned that all men find truth in moments of life, and to enjoy their brevity, for art exists to capture such moments (as Robert Frost noted). Choices and consequences are the road of life; it is better to make choices (wrong or right) than to just spectate and criticize others. Finally, he taught me to not become lost in a world of ideas, work, or studies; there is a wonderful scene where Casaubon is in a field eating a peach (in a fashion reminiscent of T.S Eliot) and watching the beautiful sun and natural scenery around him. We are all liable to lose touch with reality around us, but to maintain that connection… here lies harmony.