Foucault's Pendulum - Chapters 1 through 80

Foucault's Pendulum continues to be one of my favorite books ever. This mix of masonic ritual, Templar theory, religious history, mystery comes complete with incredibly deep characters and very integral sub-plots. There's a long history of people getting intimidated by the book, really, for no other reason that it deals with an incredible amount of terminology, often in Latin, French, Portuguese or Spanish. I love this book... loved it the first time I read it and like it even more now.

I've gotten to the point in which the protagonists (the editors/researchers of Garamond Press) are in the throngs of completing their Plan. The Plan essentially is just an invented plot of diabolical minutia that the Garamond Press gang put together and published seeing if, in fact, the Templars would come out to "play." They are tempting the Diabolicals to come out of their hiding by offering them a secret that does not exist. Certain parts of the Plan have been put together by "Abulafia," Jacopo Belbo's computer. Right now, you can cut the tension with a sawing blade. I can't wait to get to the end. The last few chapters really get lyrical and demonstrates that Umberto Eco is a genius in the ranks of Joseph Roth, Knut Hamsun, Herman Hesse, and even Roque Dalton.

I've been away because like a fool I decided to complete the requirements for a M.Ed. degree this summer. The only reason I am doing it is because I am only being charged 30% of all tuition and fees. I wonder if B.A. + M.A. + M.Ed. = Ph.D. Nah, just kidding... I am really not that interested.