The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana #
Author Umberto EcoDate June 16, 2025Rating 4/5
I wasn’t really sure what I was expecting when I started this book. A while back I heard the author Umberto Eco described as “the thinking man’s” Dan Brown. I found this book at a used bookstore nearby, but didn’t realize how different this one is to his other, more popular novels.
Coming from someone who knows little about the author himself, this book feels autobiographical. Of course it isn’t actually autobiographical, but it does discuss living in Italy during WW2. This is, I imagine, a shared experience with the author himself, who perhaps by writing certain lengths of this book had the chance to excavate memories and feelings or thoughts of the time.
On occasion this book can feel somewhat ramble-y, and often this book feels very mysterious. It’s hard to explain or really discuss much about this book really, I think you just have to read it. I’m glad I read it.