Foucault's PendulumFoucault's Pendulum
Score Classic
What it's about
Umberto Eco, the Italian scholar of signs and meaning, leads readers through the darkest corners of history in this novel.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It's an extraordinary, erudite novel from the author of The Name of the Rose.
You'll love it if you liked
The Name of the Rose
The Da Vinci Code
FiccionesGood to know
It's dense and full of learned detail. It rewards patience.
By the numbers
- Readers49 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller29 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Gripping
More by Umberto Eco
If you like this, read next
The Godfather
The Pillars of the Earth
The Robots of Dawn
Melmoth the Wanderer
The Midwich Cuckoos
Uncle SilasExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is Foucault's Pendulum worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #1,900 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Foucault's Pendulum about?
Umberto Eco, the Italian scholar of signs and meaning, leads readers through the darkest corners of history in this novel.
How long does it take to read Foucault's Pendulum?
About 16 hours (641 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Foucault's Pendulum?
If you liked it, try The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown or Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges.