How To Travel With Salmon & Other Essays: Amazon.ca: Umberto Eco: Books

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From Publishers Weekly

In this collection of parodies, satires and whimsical mini-essays written over the last 30 years, Italian novelist/critic Eco (The Name of the Rose) takes readers on a delightful romp through the absurdities of modern life. A curmudgeonly cosmospolite, he waxes irate at his pet peeves, which include American trains, taxi drivers in New York City and Paris, soccer fans and cellular phones. He mockingly deconstructs Western movies, art catalogues, library regulations and, with tongue in cheek, proffers advice on how to take intelligent vacations and how to become a Knight of Malta. Eco parodies science fiction in a tale of intergalactic sex and espionage, and spoofs detective fiction in an account of "the perfect crime." Serious issues that emerge from the antics include how the mass media confuses reality and fiction, and how our "consumer civilization" turns adults into children whose endless needs require constant gratification. First serial to Esquire.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Written mostly between 1975 and 1991, these how-to miniessays (how to eat in flight, how to go through customs, how to deal with the taxi driver) are in the same vein as Misreadings (LJ 5/1/93). Generally, they are shorter, like monologs by a somewhat amusing and not too garrulous conversationalist. The persona presumes to be self-deprecating but is actually fatuous, pleased to be recognized on the street by television viewers and happily aware that readers will not have had all his opportunities for travel, fame, and affluence. On the whole, this persona is rather snide vis-a-vis officialdom, the service occupations, and the masses. The closest counterpart in U.S. journalism is Calvin Trilling, but this is a Trilling without any good nature or affection. As translator, Weaver has made some inspired word choices. For literary collections.
Marilyn Gaddis Rose, SUNY-Binghamton
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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15 Reviews

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4.7 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars The witty traveler, Jan 22 2004

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Munir F. Bhatti (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: How To Travel With Salmon & Other Essays (Paperback)

This collection of essays combines travel with intellectual barbs. The book journeys from the surreal, such as the logistics of manipulating life-sized maps of a territory, to the all-too-real and malodorous such as the title story of the hotel with the broken computer, overly attentive housekeeping, and thus a slowly decaying fish. And the book will please word-fetishists, as the sentences are cleverly assembled.

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4.0 out of 5 stars What is like to travel with Umberto Eco, Dec 9 2003

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Irina Iacobescu (Dubai, UAE) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: How To Travel With Salmon & Other Essays (Paperback)

I knew Umberto Eco from his previous books like Foucault's Pendulum and The Name of the Rose. Both of them are very documented and serious writings and I have to admit I was a bit reserved at the idea of Umberto Eco writing humorous essays.

But it was enough for me to read only the first story (How to Travel with a Salmon) and I decided I had to read the whole book.
This is the book that will give you a nice feeling, sometimes will make you even laugh out loud, as it is written with a lot of wit and sense of humour.
It is suitable for someone who wants a light reading and intelligent at the same time.

I was pleasantly surprised to meet the playful side of Mr. Eco which resulted in light satires at the address of some social institutions, bureaucracy and habits that people have. It is a delightful reading that I bet, you don't want to miss.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Eco does stand-up comedy in a book..., Jun 13 2003

By

Takis Tz. (InYourHead) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How To Travel With Salmon & Other Essays (Paperback)

In this collection of short essays published in a span of over 30 years in various magazines, Eco takes all kinds of themes in a mood for parody and satire.
Dealt with here are various modern day commodities (phones, gadgets etc.) as well as ...trains, buses, libraries, waiters, and in general themes that bear no connection with them ..
Reading this book through is not much different than being engaged in conversation with a very witty person who's got an opinion on everybody and everything and has a very special way to deliver it on top of it.
Some of the subjets of these essays may seem a bit out of time (times have indeed changed since some of these were written) but the humor is the prevailant factor here, a caustic humor characteristic of Eco anyway.
If you've gotten to know this brilliant author and mind through his classics such as "Foucault's pendulum" and "The name of the rose" you might find yourself surprised with what's on offer on this book. It's a style you might've not expected, but this does in no way mean you'll be dissapointed. On the extreme contrary!
Great book, reads through like a breeze, and so packed with hilarious lines/conclusion/observations that you'll surely return to it many times.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Hysterical!
Though some of the essays may seem a bit dated, they are ALL very clever and worthwhile. I suggest this lighthearted book to anyone, particularly to fans of Eco. Read more

Published on Dec 16 2002 by Jon A. Nielsen

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and intelligent
The Italian author Umberto Eco has written several humorous articles in his career. This book is acollection of the classics. Read more

Published on Feb 1 2002 by Mikael Kuoppala