In Umberto Eco's novel Baudolino, the protagonist reflects on his ability to make people - including himself - believe anything that he says: "When you say something you've imagined, and others then say that's exactly how it is, you end up believing it yourself." Eco's ambitious but ultimately flawed new novel, The Prague Cemetery, takes as its subject the disastrous consequences of mass-credulity and self-deception. Set in the 19th century, amid the epic European political developments of that age, the novel recounts the life of Simone Simonini, a forger and a spy - and one of the most unpleasant fictional characters ever created.
The narrative is told through a series of diary entries written by Simonini in Paris in the late 1890s. He has undergone a severe memory loss due to an unremembered traumatic experience. In the diary, Simonini attempts to reconstruct his life. The reader learns of his years in Turin as a forger of wills; his recruitment as a spy by the Piedmontese government; his adventures in Naples in 1860 where he meets and spies on Garibaldi's invading army; his remove to Paris, where he informs on the members of the Paris Commune in 1870; and his later involvement in the Dreyfus affair in the 1890s.
Interwoven with these journal entries is a set of mysterious, querulous notes by a second character, Abbe Dalla Piccola, which comment on Simonini's narrative and question its veracity. Simonini is fearfully unsure of how Dalla Piccola has access to his diary and speculates that he may be living secretly in the same apartment. He finds a cleric's outfit, a wig and a false beard in his cupboard, leading him to wonder whether he and Dalla Piccola are the same person. This air of confusion and incipient madness feeds into the climactic final passages of the novel, which detail Simonini's efforts to spread conspiracy theories about Freemasonry and, on a horribly larger scale, about Jewish people.
In his recent book of lectures, Confessions of a Young Novelist, Eco has written of how his novels characteristically offer themselves to be read on two levels. First, there is the excitement and drama of the action and events, which may be enjoyed (or not) for their own sake; second, there is what he calls a "metanarrative", where a reader may detect and interpret deeper theoretical themes existing in ironic interplay with the surface narrative. These themes are usually connected with Eco's interests as a theorist of literary texts - in which role he has written with considerable distinction, intelligence, and influence for the past 50 years (for far longer, indeed, than he has written novels; hence his playful description of himself as a "young" novelist).
Eco's major theme as a theorist has been the question of how readers may interpret texts with imaginative responsibility - that is, how they may respond with a kind of creative intelligence that does not fall into what Eco calls "over-interpretation". In Eco's first, and most famous, novel, The Name of the Rose, these concerns are dramatised in the narrative of the monk-detective William of Baskerville, who interprets signs and clues in order to solve a murder. Eco's second novel, Foucault's Pendulum, examines the dangers of over-interpretation in a narrative that (like The Prague Cemetery) focuses on conspiracy theories. More recently, the semi-autobiographical novel The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana shows an amnesiac narrator trying to recollect his life by interpreting the wide variety of texts, both highbrow and popular, that he remembers reading.
The Prague Cemetery combines many of the strengths of Eco's previous novels. It shows the ease and plausibility of historical reconstruction displayed in The Name of the Rose and Baudolino; it generates a high level of dramatic excitement out of subject matter involving conspiratorial plots, as did Foucault's Pendulum; and, like The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, it makes telling narrative use of the confusions and sudden recollections of a narrator who is struggling to manage a faulty memory. In addition, it assimilates Eco's interests in over-interpretation and complex narrative techniques into a subject of greater historical importance than anything he has previously treated in his fiction: the development of widespread, extreme anti-Semitism.
Early in his diary, Simonini suggests that he should be considered not in regard to his actions but to his "passions". These passions are a set of hatreds for every nationality and race he encounters. It is clear that they emerge out of his total detachment and withdrawal from society, even when he finds himself at the heart of great historical events.
Eco has often shown an interest in conveying isolated consciousnesses in his fiction (see, for instance, the humanely inquisitive but marooned protagonist of The Island of the Day Before, and the narrator of The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, who becomes trapped in his memories as the novel progresses). Although The Prague Cemetery powerfully evokes the bustle and claustrophobia of 19th-century city life, Simonini is always an intensely isolated figure, given to disguising himself ("the thought that people had no idea who I really was gave me a sense of superiority. I had a secret"). Through his work as a forger and spy, he develops a love of secrecy for its own sake. He sees in the world a widespread "desire for conspiracy" that he ascribes (in a rare moment of psychological insight) to people's wish to find a "culprit" for "misfortunes" that no one believes "are attributable to their own shortcomings".
One of the achievements of the novel is the way in which it charts Simonini's descent from his calculated falsifying of reality in his work as a forger of wills and a spy to his loss of a sense of reality later in his life as he becomes obsessed with his own conspiracy theories. Simonini knows well that a conspiracy is most successful when it is a total, rather than a partial, fabrication ("if a [forged] document is to be convincing, it must be created ex novo"); and as the novel progresses he becomes a victim of his own adeptness at misinformation. Simonini becomes so entranced by his own anti-Semitic forgeries that they foster and strengthen his hatred of Jewish people.
In his essays, Eco has written revealingly of the complex ways in which anti-Semitism developed in the 19th century through a combination of the deliberate forging of texts and misreadings of fictional texts. The Prague Cemetery brilliantly dramatises these events. Its formidably complicated plot, with its dark ironies (such as when Simonini becomes incensed when one of his anti-Semitic forgeries is plagiarised), well conveys the labyrinthine processes of willed deception and malign credulity that characterised the growth of 19th- and 20th-century anti-Semitism.
As the novel moves towards its conclusion, and Simonini's sense of reality becomes less and less secure, his narrative becomes hallucinatory, moving in sudden illogical turns, as he tries to recapture his efforts to spread extreme conspiracies about Freemasonry. One detects the influence of Gérard de Nerval's novel, Sylvie - about which Eco has written admiringly - in the dreamlike quality of this latter part of the novel. Indeed, as it becomes steadily harder to distinguish reality from delusion in Simonini's account, one senses that Eco is attempting to make a more general point about the nature of fictional texts: namely, to what extent can a novel be said to contain "truth"? In Confessions of a Young Novelist, Eco argued that a novel is most valuable and truthful when it represents fictional characters with whom we may sympathise. Eco contends that "our view of the actual world is as imperfect as the view that fictional characters have of their world"; fictional characters are in this sense "supreme examples of the 'real' human condition". In this way, Eco argues, we may "identify" with fictional characters.
And yet, it is the very imperfection of Simonini's vision of the world, his delusions, and his deep hatreds, that prevents the reader from identifying with him. Furthermore, depth of character in this novel is often substituted by sudden, impassioned declarations of distress and discomfort ("I have a fever, I fear, my forehead is burning"; "I'm frightened"; "my mind is confused").
The extraordinary opening pages of the novel, in which Siminoni lists the objects of his hatred in ferocious detail, create an unforgettably powerful fictional voice and consciousness. But this immediate source of the novel's great strength is also its underlying flaw. The very moments when Eco most successfully conveys the strange illogic of racial prejudice also ensure that the reader resists the protagonist and never feels sympathy for him.
It may seem ungrateful and even unfair to criticise Eco for this failure, considering the restraints that the nature of Siminoni's malevolence places on the author's presentation of him. Eco was surely aware that the effectiveness of this presentation would prevent the reader from feeling sympathy for Siminoni. But it is also likely that Eco would acknowledge what is lost in this failure: sympathy's role in enabling a fictional character to represent the "real" human condition. Ultimately, this loss represents a flaw in the novel, in spite of its great ambition and power.
Matthew Peters is a freelance critic. His reviews have appeared in the Times Literary Supplement, the Boston Globe, and Essays in Criticism.
FIGHT CARD
Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
Mohammed Adil Al Debi v Moaz Abdelgawad (Bantamweight)
Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
Marlon Ribeiro v Mehdi Oubahammou (Welterweight)
Brad Stanton v Mohamed El Boukhari (Super welterweight
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
Roll of honour: Who won what in 2018/19?
West Asia Premiership: Winners – Bahrain; Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership: Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Winners – Dubai Hurricanes; Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Conference: Winners – Dubai Tigers; Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers
Match info
What: Fifa Club World Cup play-off
Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
When: Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The years Ramadan fell in May
The%20trailblazers
%3Cp%3ESixteen%20boys%20and%2015%20girls%20have%20gone%20on%20from%20Go-Pro%20Academy%20in%20Dubai%20to%20either%20professional%20contracts%20abroad%20or%20scholarships%20in%20the%20United%20States.%20Here%20are%20two%20of%20the%20most%20prominent.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGeorgia%20Gibson%20(Newcastle%20United)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20reason%20the%20academy%20in%20Dubai%20first%20set%20up%20a%20girls%E2%80%99%20programme%20was%20to%20help%20Gibson%20reach%20her%20potential.%20Now%20she%20plays%20professionally%20for%20Newcastle%20United%20in%20the%20UK.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMackenzie%20Hunt%20(Everton)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAttended%20DESS%20in%20Dubai%2C%20before%20heading%20to%20the%20UK%20to%20join%20Everton%20full%20time%20as%20a%20teenager.%20He%20was%20on%20the%20bench%20for%20the%20first%20team%20as%20recently%20as%20their%20fixture%20against%20Brighton%20on%20February%2024.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Schedule for show courts
Centre Court - from 4pm UAE time
Johanna Konta (6) v Donna Vekic
Andy Murray (1) v Dustin Brown
Rafael Nadal (4) v Donald Young
Court 1 - from 4pm UAE time
Kei Nishikori (9) v Sergiy Stakhovsky
Qiang Wang v Venus Williams (10)
Beatriz Haddad Maia v Simona Halep (2)
Court 2 - from 2.30pm
Heather Watson v Anastasija Sevastova (18)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12) v Simone Bolelli
Florian Mayer v Marin Cilic (7)
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Smart words at Make Smart Cool
Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night.
Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning.
Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector.
Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The specs: 2018 Renault Megane
Price, base / as tested Dh52,900 / Dh59,200
Engine 1.6L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission Continuously variable transmission
Power 115hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 156Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.6L / 100km
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh234,000 - Dh329,000
On sale: now
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The UAE squad for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
The jiu-jitsu men’s team: Faisal Al Ketbi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Yahia Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Obaid Al Nuaimi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Mansoori, Saeed Al Mazroui, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Qubaisi, Salem Al Suwaidi, Khalfan Belhol, Saood Al Hammadi.
Women’s team: Mouza Al Shamsi, Wadeema Al Yafei, Reem Al Hashmi, Mahra Al Hanaei, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Hessa Thani, Salwa Al Ali.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
RIDE%20ON
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Larry%20Yang%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Jackie%20Chan%2C%20Liu%20Haocun%2C%20Kevin%20Guo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
