Italian expat, here. Maybe I can help (even if I haven&#x27;t read it - yet:  I have read the Italian reviews when it was published).<p>You are correct in mentioning that it is &quot;not too different&quot; from Focault&#x27;s Pendulum. Let say that while F.P. was mostly about esoteric sects and the people who believe in supernatural, this one is more about conspiracy theories (Italian post-war history and politics are full of events that have never been explained in a satisfactory manner) and how media can use &quot;information&quot; no matter if it real or fabricated, to bargain for power.<p>The meta-themes about real and fake might be universally interesting, but I wonder if the book can really be enjoyed by readers that have not been living in Italy for at least two decades.