Foucault's Pendulum: worth reading? Airplane book? If not, can someone recommend some airplane books?

Eco's The Name of the Rose is one of my favorite books. I do not, however, recommend Foucault's Pendulum unless you are super interested in the Templars, the Freemasons, etc. I did not find the main characters engaging and the background information on the various groups -- whether fact or fiction -- really dragged on. Even though I was not enjoying the book, I felt compelled to continue.

Maybe because I was a lot younger then, but I was disturbed by the ending and had nightmares about it for awhile. If you have not read The Name of the Rose, that would be much better for an airplane.It is a murder mystery that takes place in a medieval monastery which houses an important library. There is a lot of background, historical information that I found interesting, e.g. , the Inquisition.

But if it gets tedious, you can skip it without losing that much. Another classic, Le Carre's The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, is great for a trip. Also any of the Smiley trilogy beginning with Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.