The Island of the Day Before

The Island of the Day Before
1st edition (Italian)
Author(s)	Umberto Eco
Original title	L’isola del giorno prima
Translator	William Weaver
Country	Italy
Language	Italian
Genre(s)	Novel
Publisher	Secker & Warburg (UK) Harcourt (US)
Publication date	1994
Published in English	1995
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	513 pp
ISBN	ISBN 0-436-20270-0 (UK) 0151001510 (US)
OCLC Number	33328715
Preceded by	Foucault's Pendulum
Followed by	Baudolino

The Island of the Day Before (L'isola del giorno prima) is a 1994 novel by Umberto Eco. This work contains references to Eco's previous novels. In one example, there is a mention of a crucial plot point from Eco's first novel The Name of the Rose.

Plot summary

It is the story of a 17th century Italian nobleman, Roberto della Griva, who is the only survivor of a shipwreck during a fierce storm. He finds himself washed up on an abandoned ship in a harbour through which, he convinces himself, runs the International Date Line. Although he can see land, his inability to swim leaves him marooned and he begins to reminisce about his life and his love. He becomes obsessed about his allegedly evil twin brother, who is split from his own persona through a process reminiscent of the doppelganger effect, and thus accusing him of all the bad things that happened in his life. The brother takes blame mainly for his bad choices and is present to sweeten the disappointments of life. Through this reminiscence he becomes convinced that all his troubles will end, if only he can reach the land. The story is told from the point of view of a modern editor who has sorted through the man's papers. Exactly how the papers were preserved and eventually handed down to the editor remains a point of conjecture.