by Umberto Eco
First published 1994
In this erudite collection, literary icon Umberto Eco dissects the polarized world of mass culture. Framed by the opposing camps of "apocalyptic" intellectuals who reject all popular media, and "integrated" intellectuals who are blind to their own complicity, Eco's essays explore everything from the enduring appeal of Charlie Brown to the rise and fall of countercultures. With sly humor and boundless curiosity, he examines how the distinction between highbrow and lowbrow has shifted - and whether it even matters anymore.
Genres: essays, literary-criticism, philosophy, non-fiction, academic, cultural-studies
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: academic
Setting: Italy
240 pages · Hardcover · Indiana University Press