Book review: Numero Zero

NUMERO ZERO from Umberto Eco is a novel of two stories: the shooting of Mussolini and his mistress in 1945, and that of Colonna, a writer in 1992 Milan who accepts the task of ghost-writing a journalist’s memoir.

The journalist in question — Braggadocio — is setting up a newspaper titled Domani (Tomorrow), financed by a magnate and not intended for actual publication.

Instead, the financier’s intention is to ruffle the feathers of the rich and powerful, in the hope they will bribe him to shut it down.

A neat set-up, until Braggadocio uncovers a conspiracy involving Mussolini’s death that turns out to be true...

Though it contains all the skilful twists and turns you’d expect from Eco, it’s certainly not one for those coming to him for the first time, and the pay-off isn’t sufficiently satisfying.

Nonetheless, the exploration of the nature of the media makes it a novel for our times.

Numero Zero

Umberto Eco

Harvill Secker, £16.99

ebook, £9.99