A Theory of Semiotics (Advances in Semiotics)

I have to admit that it was only on my third try that I was able to persevere finally to the end. The book is voluminous to say the least and perhaps more complex than it needs to be. While it isn't for the faint of heart, it did much to extend my knowledge of a subject I thought I'd already a solid handle on.Prior to tackling this, I'd recommend checking out Mythologies by Roland Barthes or in any event something that offers more by way of example. This text is quite abstract and difficult at times to follow. Still, it's a work of considerable merit.

I stepped off the edge of normal thinking and rose to new heights of awareness. I have appreciated Mr. Eco as an author of great books, but I see him now as Dr. Eco, the man who makes words speak new meaning. When I listen to people, friends, family, (yes and God forgive me, TV talking heads) I no longer hear what they say, I see they are trying to express ideas with words they do not control. I just wish I could control them, the words, as Dr. Eco does. An excellent read, and excellant study and a great way to build your mind. Thank you Dr. Eco, mille gracie, mille, mille gracie.

Sure this a bit more rigorous than I would have wished! Still, for the scholar, the aficionado or the dilettante (I’m a dilettante), Eco is always a delight to read, and I wanted to read him on his day-job turf. The layers of history, schools of thought, and intellectual hair-splitting are a great source of enjoyment.The complicated stuff is really complicated and overwhelmingly difficult, but I like a challenge.

Necessary if you are trying to understand what Eco is trying to accomplish in his work including his works of fiction. He has the best command of the literature of any academic ,or writer I know.

Very good explanation about semiotics. It is not written in a simple language but it is possible to get sense about this subject.

The book was informative but hard to read. The author obviously knows the English language very well, but doesn't seem to know the most effective ways to communicate with it. Ironically the book is all about communication.

The Italian Umberto Eco is a towering figure. A literary critic, novelist, and semiotician (studying symbols and symbol systems), he gained international recognition with "The Name of the Rose" (1980) in which he brought the study of semiotics to fiction. In this book, "Theory of Semiotics", he makes his contribution to the theoretical study of signs encompassing all cultural phenomena. His focus is on the development of a methodology of communication.Like Roland Barthes, Eco starts from the foundations of semiotics in Saussure (Course in General Linguistics: who developed the idea of sign-systems and the sign/signified distinction, as well as the distinction between langue/parole - language and speech) and Claude Levi-Strauss (Structural Anthropology). Yet Eco surpasses this tradition to move into new territory, recognizing the limits to structuralism and Saussure's ideas. He recognizes, for example, that meaning is not merely governed by structure, but also interactively constructed by the reader/interpreter, who often inserts or fills-in missing meaning to construct a coherent picture.Those interested in an introductory work to this fascinating field should be pointed to Eco's work "Semiotics and the Philosophy of Language" which is easier to start with.

My son wanted this book by Umberto Eco. I was glad to find it on Amazon as it seems books by Eco are quite difficult to come by.As for the subject matter of the book - you simply can’t go wrong with Eco in my opinion.

Nice book

If you're not already versed in the jargon of language and symbols, I would recommend a primer before tackling this book.

good