Umberto Eco: Master of semiotic study (+birth)

On January 5, 1932, Umberto Eco, a novelist, literary critic, philosopher, semiotician and university professor, was born in northern Italy.

During his childhood, Eco spent many hours in his grandfather's cellar, where he began to learn about literature; he read the old man's collection, which included Jules Verne, Marco Polo and Charles Darwin.

His talent covered various fields, and he is known for his novel The Name of the Rose. But Eco was a pioneer in the field of semiotics and cultural studies.

He analyzed both language and religious icons, banners, clothing, musical scores and even cartoons. While teaching at the University of Burgundy, he published more than 20 nonfiction books on these issues.

His later novels have several protagonists who have their roots in history, such as: a clairvoyant crusader in the Middle Ages, a castaway from the 1600s and a physicist from the 19th century. All of these novels also caused readers to absorb large doses of semiotic reflections along with compelling fictional stories.

Eco always worked maintaining a balance between history, reality and fantasy. He is considered to be one of the most interesting thinkers of the 20th century in Europe.

Mazo News Team