I guess I would call this book a farce. It is about a gentleman named Baudolino in the late 1100s. He is the son of a poor farmer who meets the King in the forest (unknowingly). The King is amused by the child and decides to adopt him. So Baudolino is raised in a castle and becomes great friends and confidant of the king.
Baudolino has many adventures - including going off to war and a crusade to find Prestor John (Presbyterian John) to give him a holy relic. (Prestor John, being a holy relic himself would be the rightful owner of the relic in Baudolino's possession.)
So Baudolino sets off with his merry gentlemen to find Prestor John and while traveling the great wild world, he finds himself in strange lands where all kinds of unknown animals exist - for example, the unicorn.
I am glad I read this 2nd book of Umberto Ecos, because if I'd stuck with the first book I read, I would have never realized what a great author Eco really is.
Rating: 8 / 10
ISBN: 0151006903
Publisher: Harcourt
Edition: First American edition