Umberta Eco powieści profesorskie

Abstract

The object of this analysis are the currently available literary works of Umberto Eco’s as different manifestations of the so-called professorenroman (academic novel). Using the concept of the professorenroman as a starting point, the author claims that none of the Italian author’s novels falls within this genre. Moreover, the concepts of an academic novel or a campus novel are also insufficient when it comes to Eco’s books analysis. In order to popularise his own research Eco makes use of various literary, syncretic and non-literary genre patters, both the contemporary and the old ones. He is also often testing different theoretical literary concepts constructed by him or other authors. A characteristic feature of many of his novels is their cognitive over-informativeness, which on one hand hinders their reception, on the other signals methodological and methodical problems present in the study of humanities.