Book Review: ‘Numero Zero’
Umberto Eco, according to his bio on the inside cover, is some sort of literary genius who received Italy’s highest award for that field. Of course, the saying “lost in translation” exists for a reason. “Numero Zero,” his newest novel, hinges on the reader having a similar frame of reference as its characters do. As the setting is Italy in the ’90s, I wonder how much success the book can achieve on this side of the ocean.
“Numero Zero’s” protagonist is an out of work writer named Colonna. He is contacted by a shady man named Simei who wants to start a newspaper. Colonna will ghostwrite a book about the newspaper, and in return be given a large amount of money. Once Colonna comes on board, he meets the other employees for the paper, which is, in reality, quite manipulative of its readers. While there are five or six writers, the reader only needs to worry about two. Maia is the only female on the staff, so of course she is obligated to become Colonna’s love interest. Braggadocio, on the other hand, confides in Colonna his insane theories on the infamous leader Mussolini. According to him, Mussolini was not actually killed, but instead used a body double to escape and further his Fascist ideals. If his theories are correct, it could amount to a huge scoop for the newspaper, but what Braggadocio has in enthusiasm he lacks in evidence. Colonna is almost always working with Simei and his staff, romancing Maia, or listening to Braggadocio, and as such the majority of the book takes place during these events.
I enjoyed the newspaper segments, if only to see the methods behind manipulating news. Simei teaches his staff about tricks to sway the reader’s opinion while the newspaper still appears unbiased. His newspaper is politically charged, financed by a third party, and misleading, but I still find his character likeable because it’s interesting to learn about these methods a writer can use. The Maia segments are alright; it’s certainly not the worst written romance I’ve encountered. I think Maia’s character is given enough development that it’s reasonable for Colonna to be attracted to her. The problem is going the other way. I wasn’t convinced that Maia would fall for Colonna like she does, because he’s just as amoral as Simei in some regards. For being the “plot” of the novel, Mussolini doesn’t come into the picture until a good way into the book. I put plot in quotes because there’s no real conflict: Braggadocio gives his two cents, Colonna thinks it’s a little weird, and they part to do it again the next day. Eventually the stakes are raised, but their conversations still boil down to this.
As this book is translated from Italian, there are many, many Italian names that Braggadocio throws around. I’m not sure translating the novel was the best idea, as its entire plot hinges on the reader having a solid knowledge of Italian history. As Braggadocio unearths more on his theory, things get progressively less and less relatable from the perspective of the reader, who is far removed from the time and country the novel takes place in. It turns out that the author had served in World War II, so it’s understandable that he might want to write about those events. I just feel like those events are alienating to those who didn’t live through them like the author did.
“Numero Zero” has some interesting conversations between some clever characters, but it also has some tiring ones about subject matter an American reader might not understand. There is some merit to checking it out to see the behind-the-scenes aspect of a newspaper, but other than that I think the book should have stayed in its native country.
Jeremy Farbman is a junior at Mt. Lebanon High School.