The Name of the Rose: including Postscript to the Name of the Rose

by Umberto Eco

book data

10,329 ratings, 4.08 average rating, 896 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		38%
4		38%
3		17%
2		4%
1		1%

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published

September 28th 1994 (first published 1980) by Harvest Books

binding

Paperback, 552 pages

characters

William, Adso of Melk

setting

Italy

isbn

0156001314 (isbn13: 9780156001311)

description

It is the year 1327. Franciscans in an Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, but Brother William of Baskerville’s investigation is suddenly overshado...more

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03/11/08

Jason Pettus rated it:

Read in March, 2008

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)

The CCLaP 100: In which I read a hundred so-called "classics" and then write reports on whether or not I think they deserve the label
Book #7: The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco

The story in a nutshell:
In one of the more fascinating stories of how a noveli...more

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04/20/08

Tim rated it:

Read in December, 1985

If I had to spend a year on a desert island and was only allowed to take one book, this would be it.

At the time of its publication, one reviewer described `The Name of the Rose' as "a book about everything". At first glance, it may seem to be a book largely about obscure Fourteenth Century religious controversies, heresies and sects, with a murder mystery mixed in. But this is a book that rewards repeat readings (I've just finished it for the seventh time), and the heart o...more If I had to spend a year on a desert island and was only allowed to take one book, this would be it.

At the time of its publication, one reviewer described `The Name of the Rose' as "a book about everything". At first glance, it may seem to be a book largely about obscure Fourteenth Century religious controversies, heresies and sects, with a murder mystery mixed in. But this is a book that rewards repeat readings (I've just finished it for the seventh time), and the heart of the novel is in its exposition of semiotics - the world as a blizzard of signs and life and thought as their constant interpretation. Just as Brother William of Baskerville guides the naïve Adso through the world of the monastery and the wider world of knowledge and reason, so Eco guides the reader through a story where few things are what they seem and everything can be read several ways.

Even the `obscure Fourteenth Century sects', which many readers find bewildering, dull or both, represent far more than they seem at first glance. The long controversy over the poverty of Christ and its application in the medieval Church forms the focus for a wide-ranging analysis of how ideals can motivate and inspire different people in different ways. In this novel we find skeptics (like William), mystical non-conformists (like Umbertino de Casale), terrorists and revolutionaries (like the Dolcinite heretics) and rigid fundamentalists (like Jorge and Bernard Gui). At the time of its first publication, the parallels between the book's religious politics and modern manifestations of the same ways of thinking, including Cold War political expediency and terrorists like the Red Brigades, would have been obvious to Italian readers. These days, in the wake of 9/11 and the Iraq War, Eco's analysis has not lost any of its resonance.

Some warnings for new readers - if you think (the truly appalling) `The Da Vinci Code' was "masterful writing", you probably want to save yourself time and effort and read something else. It's not as daunting as many make out, but "Rose" is far from a light read. Eco also deliberately made the first 100 pages a difficult read, but stick with it. All those obscure politics and odd names do make some sense after a while.

Secondly, many reviewers have complained about the untranslated Latin passages. Despite what some of them have said, these are rarely more than a line or two and usually short lines at that. Medievalists will recognise most of them anyway (they are quotes from the Vulgate, Occam and Aquinas and so on, and usually famous ones), but non-specialists will usually get the essence of them from their contexts. In almost all cases they are roughly translated or paraphrased in the dialogue that precedes or follows them anyway, so they aren't actually `untranslated' at all - they just look that way.

Thirdly, people who approach this novel merely as a medieval whodunit a la the Brother Caedfel mysteries are likely to find `Rose' a strain. While the mystery story forms the basis of the plot, there is a lot more to this novel than plot. Some have said they found the mystery clichéd and derivative of other mysteries. Ummm ... yes - Eco is a postmodernist. It's *meant* to be derivative.

The real joy of this novel is its layers of meaning, which is why it's one that can be read and re-read with new discoveries every time. It's a delight to read and great exercise for the mind and spirit, as well as a counter to those who think the Middle Ages was simply a period of superstition and ignorance. Far from being an anachronism or a prefigurement of more `enlightened' times, William of Baskerville represents the medieval voices of reason, innovation and logic that are ignored by most popular representations of this badly misunderstood period.

A must read - but with your brain well and truly in high gear.
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12/06/07

Silvana rated it:

bookshelves: bookmooch, classics, own

Read in October, 2007

recommends it for: everyone

What a mesmerizing (yet sometimes confusing) book. Five hundred pages, not including the introduction and post-script.

It is basically consisted of two main plots. First was the mysterious murders of monks in an Italian Franciscan abbey on the 14th century, in which a former Inquisitor named William of Baskerville and his novice turned detectives to solve the murders. Second was the so-called historic meeting between Franciscan leaders (favored by the Roman Emperor) and their archenemy,...more What a mesmerizing (yet sometimes confusing) book. Five hundred pages, not including the introduction and post-script.

It is basically consisted of two main plots. First was the mysterious murders of monks in an Italian Franciscan abbey on the 14th century, in which a former Inquisitor named William of Baskerville and his novice turned detectives to solve the murders. Second was the so-called historic meeting between Franciscan leaders (favored by the Roman Emperor) and their archenemy, representatives of the Pope John who resided then in Avignon. Organizing the meeting was actually the main duty of William.

I have to admit that my interest lies deeper in the first plot. It's just more simple. The murders were somewhat arranged in certain fashions, mimicking the prophesied events during the sounding of seven trumpets in the Apocalypse. Plus, the Abbey itself, with all its rich legacies and precious relics, holds many secrets and intrigues; with the center of attention was its amazing library that no one can enter except the librarian. The library was said to be the most complete library in Europe, contained not only teachings on the Scriptures but also those of heretics, magicians, alchemists, etc.

William of Baskerville, our monk-detective, presented a unique character with his use of logic and modern tools. His novice, Adso of Melk, well, he's your typical boyscout, but suffering from a number of delusions and inner battles (the curse of youth, perhaps). They both embarked on a fascinating adventure in the abbey, trying to solve the mystery of the library and its almost innumerable labyrinths, deciphering symbols, facing bizarre monks ranging from hostile, mysterious, frightened, excessively curious and most of all, they all have motives for killing. Most of the victims were connected to the library. Suffice to say, the murders is caused by something in the library, which should not be seen by others.

The second plot? Well, couldn't say I really understand the narratives and dialogues, since they mostly involved theological debates whether monks were allowed to be poor. The Pope said the Franciscans were heretics while the accused said the Pope was corrupt. My brain is just not strong enough for that kind of thing. I love the quarreling part though, when the monks lost their temper, because it's so damn funny.

Despite some desperate efforts from my parts to skip some pages of this book due to my lack of understanding, I still say this book has its own grandeur. Perhaps because if there's an existing library as magnificent as the one in the abbey, I shall be very interested to have to a visit there. Seduction does not always come from human flesh or splendid treasures, but also in knowledge. And sometimes it's even more dangerous.

Will I read other Eco's works? Yeah sure, why not. Next would be the Foucault's Pendulum.(less)

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07/23/07

Adriana rated it:

Read in June, 2007

I had wanted to read The Name of the Rose for a long time, mostly because I enjoy both fiction and non-fiction about the Middle Ages, and also because of its importance as a piece of modern Italian literature. Although I liked it for the most part, I have to admit that it disappointed me in many ways. As a mystery novel, I was expecting it to be a fast-paced page-turner, whereas in reality The Name of the Rose is very slow and ponderous. I appreciate the attention to detail and the minute and...more

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12/07/08

Laura rated it:

bookshelves: fiction, history, mystery

Read in December, 2008

This book is both astonishingly difficult and extremely rewarding. I had six years of Latin in middle and high school and have taken a course on medieval philosophy and I still found this one both challenging and satisfying. Anyone willing to put the work in is going to adore this one.
WARNING, however: this is not a trashy medieval-conspiracy novel. This is not a thriller. It is an excellent book and a perfect mystery, but it is still set in the 14th century and all of the characters are st...more

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11/12/08

QuiGenusHumanumIngenioSuperavit rated it:

(review of other edition)

bookshelves: dont-worry-be-happy, i-m-lovin--it, look-at-me-concentration-hocuspocus

Misteri dan Keagungan.
Selama membaca novel tebal Eco ini hanya ada dua kata ini yg melekat dalam benak saya. Bagaimana tidak, dengan keahlian yg setingkat di atas brilian, Eco meramu teror pembunuhan dengan berbagai bumbu mulai dari budaya, sejarah, sains, filsafat, hingga semiotika yang memabukkan, bahkan dimulai sejak dari kata pengantarnya. Begitu kentalnya bumbu racikan Eco, saya yang semula ingin menamatkan buku ini dalam sehari-dua hari terpaksa mesti memolorkan jadwal agar bisa men...more Misteri dan Keagungan.
Selama membaca novel tebal Eco ini hanya ada dua kata ini yg melekat dalam benak saya. Bagaimana tidak, dengan keahlian yg setingkat di atas brilian, Eco meramu teror pembunuhan dengan berbagai bumbu mulai dari budaya, sejarah, sains, filsafat, hingga semiotika yang memabukkan, bahkan dimulai sejak dari kata pengantarnya. Begitu kentalnya bumbu racikan Eco, saya yang semula ingin menamatkan buku ini dalam sehari-dua hari terpaksa mesti memolorkan jadwal agar bisa menikmati kelezatan buku ini secara perlahan dan menyesapnya dengan baik.

Sebagai novel tentang pembunuhan, TNotR nyaris sempurna dengan ketegangan serta lautan teka-tekinya. Ketegangan ala cerita thriller tampil dengan menawan di novel ini. Yang semakin membuat TNotR memikat adalah William, sang detektif, ternyata memiliki kemampuan menakjubkan ala Holmes. Bahkan di bab pertama buku TNotR, pada hari kedatangannya bersama Adso ke biara, William telah membuat analisis mengagumkan saat dia mendeskripsikan kondisi seekor kuda putih dengan sangat tepat—lebih mirip ramalan dan khayalan daripada analisis detektif—padahal dia sendiri belum melihatnya. Hanya ada satu tokoh lain di bumi yang punya kemampuan serupa, Sherlock Holmes. Bahkan, cara analisis William mirip dengan analisis Holmes saat Holmes mendeskripsikan sebuah topi lusuh dalam cerita “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle” di buku “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, dimana, dengan bekal keping informasi sederhana dari sebuah topi lusuh, Holmes dapat memperkirakan kondisi si pemilik hingga level keadaan psikologis/mental dan kehidupan rumah tangganya.

Tapi bukan ketegangan dan misteri semata barang jualan TNotR. Bisa dikatakan, ini hanya sekedar pembungkus untuk isi yang jauh lebih memikat. TNotR menawarkan sajian sejarah, budaya, filsafat, teologis, intrik penafsiran agama, sains, seni, arsitektur, bahasa, politik, dan tentu saja keahlian spesialis Eco, semiotik. Kesemuanya, dipadukan dengan kemampuan linguistik yang kaya, menjadikan TNotR sebagai novel detektif paling berbeda, paling spesial bahkan mungkin yang terbaik sepanjang masa.

Tentu saja TNotR bukan cerita detektif biasa. Pemilihan setting yang cemerlang—bahkan Eco memikirkan juga mengapa biaranya mesti ada di tempat yang tinggi serta detail waktu yang ‘selaras’ dengan sejarah—membuat TNotR semakin memukau. TNotR menceritakan tentang seorang biarawan muda Adso dari Melk yang ditemani mentornya, William dari Baskerville, seorang fans berat Bacon, datang ke biara untuk menyelidiki tuduhan bahwa biara tersebut telah melakukan bidah. Tetapi saat mereka sampai di biara misterius tersebut, biara tersebut memiliki misteri yang lebih kelam daripada sekedar tuduhan bidah. Pada hari kedatangan mereka ke biara, mereka sudah disodori misteri tewasnya biarawan yang diduga bunuh diri. Tetapi pembunuhan itu bukan akhir. Pada hari-hari berikutnya, selama tujuh hari, setiap hari, satu orang birawan tewas. Dan disinilah dunia TNotR menampilkan atraksi memukaunya. Tanpa henti hingga halaman terakhir. Adso, yang masih anak bawang dan memuja silogisme, berusaha memecahkan misteri pembunuhan itu dengan cara deduksi-induksi ala Aristoteles dan dia gagal. William, sang mentor, menawarkan solusi yang lebih tepat, abduksi ala Roger Bacon, untuk dapat memecahkan misteri pembunuhan tersebut. Dan, selama tujuh hari pemecahan kasus itu, berbagai intrik menyelimuti cerita TNotR, semakin mewarnai kekayaan novel ini.

Well, menceritakan ulang dan mengulas isi bukunya, mungkin akan mengasilkan tulisan yang sangat panjang—makanya ada buku The Key to TNotR—tapi secara umum, buku ini memang sangat luar biasa. TNotR adalah semacam ledakan intelektual seorang Eco. Begitu mencengangkannya isi buku ini sampai-sampai saya terpukau dengan yang namanya ‘semiotika’. Akibatnya, saya mulai hunting buku mengenai semiotika, mulai dari Semiotika for Beginners yang ringan, sampai bukunya Yasraf A. P yang jelimet. Dan gara-gara buku ini pula saya nekat mengambil mata kuliah dasar umum Pengantar Semiotika yang tadinya dikira bakal seasyik TNotR, ternyata.... T_T. Untung masih dapat nilai A :P

Layaknya semua buku, bagaimanapun TNotR memiliki kekurangan—menurut saya. Yang terlihat jelas adalah cerita detektifnya sekedar ‘bungkusan’ saja. Ini mengakibatkan aroma misteri TNotR menjadi agak hambar. Bahkan, setelah hari ketiga dalam cerita, nyaris tidak ada petunjuk tentang siapa pelaku pembunuhan, ceritanya hanya diisi dengan cerita lain yang ‘tidak mengarah pada petunjuk’. Bisa dikatakan miskin petunjuk. Meski demikian—berkat pengalaman membaca semua serial Holmes dan 60-an buku Agatha—saya bisa menebak siapa pelaku pembunuhnya beserta motifnya bahkan sejak hari keempat! ^_^

Saya sudah curiga, pembunuhan yang apokaliptik itu hanya sekedar tipuan saja. Soalnya terlalu aneh, untuk seorang William, jika ia belum menyadari kalau pembunuhan ini tidak berkaitan dengan bencana biblika (atau Eco sudah lupa kalau William rekaannya adalah jenius?) Untung TNotR bukan novel detektif biasa. Kalau iya, pasti saya tidak akan menamatkannya, toh sudah ketebak motif dan pelaku pembunuhannya. Well, jadi itu sedikit kekurangan TNotR menurut saya. Eco kurang mengeksplorasi misterinya. Bahkan terkesan plot misterinya kedodoran sepanjang cerita. Bagaimanapun, di luar itu semua, TNotR adalah sempurna. Kekayaan linguistiknya nyaris mendekati taraf buku puisi-prosa. Eco pasti lebih dari sekedar jenius karena bisa menghasilkan mahakarya ini. Tidak ada kata atau kalimat yang dibuang percuma. Semuanya memiliki makna dan metafor yang berkesan. Seperti yang dikatakan oleh salah satu tokoh dalam buku ini, Jorge dari Burgos,

Verba vana aut risui apta non loqui

Tidak berbicara dengan kata-kata yang mubazir dan pantas untuk ditertawakan

Secara umum, buku ini strongly recommended buat dibaca siapa saja

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05/18/07

Erika rated it:

I became addicted to this book like crackmonasticicane. What I mean is, large chunks of medieval Papist theology notwithstanding, this book was responsible for a renewed passion for long novels.

I picked up this book for a medium lame reason - it is THE ECO, MASTER OF SEMIOTICS. Plus I wanted to impress my old professors. Just kidding. Sort of.

One frustrating aspect about this book is the translation from the Italian, although I believe I read the definitive English edit...more

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07/13/07

Annis Marney rated it:

Read in July, 1993

I remember reading tis book like it was yesterday. I had the luxury of lying on a raft in a pool for nearly a week just before I started my second year of teaching high school English and wanted to read something that wasn't for school. Easily one of the best books I've ever read. I tried to read some of Umberto Eco's more literary criticism-oriented stuff (Foucault's Pendulum) in college and almost suffocated. I'm glad I didn't hold it against him and went ahead and picked this up anyway. It's...more

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06/23/07

Jean rated it:

bookshelves: all-time-favorites

Read in June, 2007

WOW! There are so many reasons to read this book. First of all, your vocabulary will increase by a minimum of 1,000 words. Also, you get medieval history and latin lessons. While these features occasionally make the story difficult to wade through, they add another dimension to an already interesting murder mystery. They also make the voice of the narrator, Adso of Melk, more authentic.

So there are bizarre murders taking place in a fourteenth century abbey. What I love is that ...more

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06/19/07

Eve rated it:

(review of isbn 0307264890)

bookshelves: fiction, historical-fiction

Read in July, 2007

I hate to say it, but this book just made me feel ignorant. I kept feeling like Eco was making all sorts of subtle comments about Catholic history and doctrine that I was missing due to my unfamiliarity with medieval Christianity. It also bothered me that the hero, William, is such a modern, rationalist thinker, devoted to such enlightened causes as secularism, religious pluralism, and the scientific method. These ideas are given 14th century trappings (the secularism is really "imperial...more

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02/27/09

Christy rated it:

I think my brain is still fizzling from this very intense metaphysical drama/ murder mystery/ theological puzzle/ etc. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and was entrapped in the medieval period for a five days straight, but the fact that Eco wrote it as a novel putting flesh on a rumination of cosmological theories and ideals (which is not how I affirm fiction to act) soured his literary triumph (for me).

The body of the novel is posited as a translation of a manuscript written by a Benedict...more I think my brain is still fizzling from this very intense metaphysical drama/ murder mystery/ theological puzzle/ etc. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and was entrapped in the medieval period for a five days straight, but the fact that Eco wrote it as a novel putting flesh on a rumination of cosmological theories and ideals (which is not how I affirm fiction to act) soured his literary triumph (for me).

The body of the novel is posited as a translation of a manuscript written by a Benedictine monk in the fourteenth century, Adso of Melk. In the manuscript, Adso finally sets to rest what happened in his years as a novice, being the disciple of the famed English logician and monk, Brother William of Baskerville, who was called upon to investigate sinister happenings at a wealthy Italian Benedictine abbey. Brother William, having been an Inquisitor of the Roman Catholic Church (before the Spanish Inquisition, but nevertheless dealing very largely with heresy), comes from Oxford and is a disciple of Roger Bacon. If William is portrayed through his sharp observations and support of reason as the Sherlock Holmes of the ecclesiastical and monastic communities, Adso is his young Watson.

Eco's novel is relentlessly researched and believable. One can only imagine he'd lived such a life, being so thorough in presenting the world of a fourteenth century monk, the hours of prayer and work (Ora et labora) in the scriptorium, the detailed hierarchy of the order, the differences between the Franciscan and Cluniac communities, the political circles of power and corruption in the Holy Roman Empire, the schism between the pope in Avignon and the pope in Rome - but above all, Eco's medieval voice is authentic and consistent. His characters feel the desperation of living in the middle ages. They are learned, but feel the burden of knowledge, the possibility of blasphemy, the seductions of heresy, of pride and of power. In this claustrophobic circle, there is no room for the underprivileged, poverty is potentially heretical, and the Devil lurks everywhere in the guise of a Lilith-like woman.

Authority is absolute, sin requires penance, and heresy demands torture or death by fire. Salvation and illumination rests in literacy, and these Benedectines prize their learning, their precious vellum scrolls and manuscripts above all else. Beyond the schisms, the theological and philosophical banter, beyond the apocalyptic-style murders, the intrigue, and hidden vices of the monks, this novel is about the labyrinthine library at night.

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08/31/08

Ben Babcock rated it:

bookshelves: 2008-read, 2008-top10, historical-fiction, literary-pretentious, mystery, own, religion-fiction

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in December, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

It took me a long time to finish this book (perhaps the longest time it's ever taken me to read a book). Umberto Eco sets out not just to provide another pulp fiction fodder for the masses, but to construct a richly-textured story--or rather, history--with elements of mystery, rhetoric, and religion. As a result of the book's depth, not to mention its lengthy passages of medieval rhetoric, I started this in October and am only now finishing it; I read other books on the side to keep myself occ...more It took me a long time to finish this book (perhaps the longest time it's ever taken me to read a book). Umberto Eco sets out not just to provide another pulp fiction fodder for the masses, but to construct a richly-textured story--or rather, history--with elements of mystery, rhetoric, and religion. As a result of the book's depth, not to mention its lengthy passages of medieval rhetoric, I started this in October and am only now finishing it; I read other books on the side to keep myself occupied. But the length of time it takes me to read a book is irrelevant, as long as I enjoy it. And that I did.

By including discussions of contemporary events outside the secluded setting of the novel, Eco manages to draw me into 1327. The characters in the book are not cardboard cutouts, modern people wearing the clothing of fourteenth century monks but otherwise curiously resembling our own friends and family. Instead, their language, habits (no pun intended), and thought processes are those of fourteenth century monks. Yet at the same time, none of these digressions distract too much from the main plot. Sure, they may not be directly related to the mystery, but none of them feel artificially-induced for the sake of educating the reader about a particular facet of medieval life. Each conversation originates as a logical consequence of an event within the world of the novel. It helps that the narrator is, at the time of the events, a novice monk, companion to the protagonist--a Watson to William of Baskerville's Holmes would be the most obvious comparison, although not entirely accurate.

And what of our two main characters? Adso of Melk is everything a narrator needs to be. By having him tell the story much later in life, Eco can use the older, narrating Adso as a filter for the experiences of his younger self. We also get to see what life was like for a novice monk in the fourteenth century, the challenges he faces in an uncertain religious climate, and the temptations embodied by physical lust.

Adso's mentor, William of Baskerville, is a self-professed follower of Roger Bacon and William of Occam's schools of scientific method and deduction. As such, Eco devotes a good deal of dialogue to extolling the virtues of deductive reasoning and its function for an inquisitor. And this is the part where my estimation of The Name of the Rose rises from "enjoyable" to "clever": Eco has William spend so much time explaining his deductive methods that one becomes convinced he is a fourteenth century Shakespeare, and that a solution to the story's crime will naturally be forthcoming. So when it turns out that William actually fails, Eco's devotion to deduction provides a counterpoint to his exploration of a lack of order in the universe. Naturally, this is a problem for a monk who believes that there is a God who has a divine plan for every being in Creation. The existence of reasoning monks like William of Baskerville is therefore a quandary--how do they reconcile their two ideologies? Thus, Eco manages to raise quintessential metaphysical issues while still wrapping them around the nougaty goodness of an interesting plot.

For some, the length of the book and the ponderous pace of the first several chapters would make them discard it with a sigh of disinterest. I admit that at times I laboured to get through some of the particularly dense passages. Yet I persevered, and in the end, I feel rewarded. In fact, the failure of William to solve the crime in a timely fashion feels superior to the typical formula of a Christie or Conan Doyle mystery; I don't feel patronized because the detective has figured out the mystery when I could not. Rather, I enjoyed the journey for what it was: a dialogue between mentor and student, couched in a multiple-murder mystery at a monastery.

Eco explains his reasoning for writing The Name of the Rose (as well as his reasoning behind the title) in the postscript included in this edition. I liked the book; I loved the postscript. Not only did it make me appreciate parts of the book better, but I concur with many of Eco's remarks, not only as a reader, but as a writer. One part that I found particularly interesting was where he explains that he intentionally made the first one hundred pages a "penitential obstacle ... for the purpose of constructing a reader suitable for what comes afterward." This is something that many authors and readers often forget: not every story is meant for every person. People are, thankfully, infinitely diverse and different. Trying to cater to the tastes of everyone results in a very bland result. After all, reading a book is an investment. In order to deliver on that investment, the author wants to ensure that anyone still reading near the end of the book will enjoy the ending. The best way to do that is to weed out any other types of people near the beginning.

It's likely that I'll re-read this book in the future--several times, perhaps--and discover even deeper levels of meaning. These won't necessarily be the same interpretations you draw from the book; they might not even be the interpretations Eco intentionally designed for the book. That's the great thing about books so laden with symbolism and detail like The Name of the Rose: readers can find what they want in the book, without the burden of having to guess at what the author intends for us to find. Because after all, reading fiction--even active, thoughtful, intellectual reading of fiction--should not be a chore. While its length and rhetorical nature make The Name of the Rose seem like a chore on a superficial level, a closer examination reveals that it is instead a very enjoyable experience, as long as one keeps an open mind.(less)

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03/13/08

Garrett rated it:

Read in April, 2009

A monk, William, and his novice companion, Adso, show up at an Italian abbey just in time to be presented with a puzzling murder. Luckily the pair works like a medieval incarnation of Sherlock and Watson (complete with Adso--the Watson precursor--as narrator). The story is interesting and holds its own. However, this is not what makes The Name of the Rose fantastic. Umberto Eco manages to capture the time and place convincingly. I noticed as I read that Eco never lapsed or lost focus. The dialog...more

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12/31/07

Rob rated it:

Read in January, 2008

This was an interesting book, though I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I was expecting to, and I'm not entirely sure why.
It's a medieval murder mystery that takes place in a monastery. Written in the first person, Eco does a masterful job of writing just as a 14th century monk novice would probably have written. This makes for very educated and original reading (the book is full of historical assessments and theological monologues), but also means there is a lot of listing, attention ...more

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11/05/07

Jessica rated it:

(review of isbn 0151446474)

bookshelves: fiction

Read in January, 2008

Forget The DaVinci Code, Umberto Eco did it first. This murder mystery set within the arcane world of monks living in 1327 is densely layered with Christian history, medieval trivia, and a whole lot of gore. It is fascinating to read something set nearly 700 years ago, and yet written with a modern writer's cognizance. Our hero, William of Baskerville (Sherlock's hound perhaps?), relies on deductive reasoning to reveal the equally cunning mastermind behind all the murders at the abbey. Our narra...more

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10/09/07

Micah rated it:

Read in October, 2007

recommends it for: Medieval buffs, and mystery fans who dig theology (can anyone say niche?)

If you are fascinated by the medieval period, like mysteries, occasionally get into absurd arguments with Catholics about their insane theology (is it bad form to be offensive on goodreads? Let’s find out), this may be the book for you.
Wrapped in a who-done-it murder mystery, Eco explores the minds, and attitudes of the intelligentsia of the early 14th century: i.e. freakin’ monks. The main character is Sherlock—I mean William of Baskerville, a brilliant master of deductive reason...more

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09/03/07

Ole S rated it:

Has a copy to sell/swap

recommends it for: anyone who enjoys "the chase"

After a steep and slow hundred-page-or-so "initiation" into a richly imagined medieval abbey, Eco plunges the reader into an abyss of breathtaking intrigue. William of Baskerville, a relentlessly careful thinker in the tradition of the Franciscan
monk and natural philosopher Roger Bacon, arrives at the Italian monastery to lend support to a desperate mission to bring the haughty delegates of the tyrranical Pope to an understanding and acceptance of the Franciscan movement's embr...more

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06/03/07

Gregory Nelson rated it:

bookshelves: canonclassics

Read in February, 1986

recommends it for: Adults, History, Philosophy, Mystery, Religion

Societal control manifold stems from and yields control of common knowledge to coerce the cooperative thought-worlds of a population hugely stratified with perverse and barbaric outcomes. What ashes and dust get blown into the impending ages from our own may not be what we most desired or expected. Professor Eco masterfully and cryptically elucidates the knowledge to power continuum set in this medieval monastic library and microcosm. This is one to read as you cannot quit, and the story has tak...more

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02/04/08

Gavin rated it:

bookshelves: detective

Read in January, 1993

Practically the perfect murder mystery book, The Name of the Rose rules supreme as both a mind numbingly great whodunit and a look at life in a medieval monastery. The first few chapters are designed to be tiring, but the reward comes when Brother William begins to really get his teeth into the mysterious goings on at the monastery that he's visiting. If Eco ever revives the characters in this novel I'd be the first in line to get my hands on it, it would appear unlikely that he will though, mor...more

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03/16/07

Jafar rated it:

(review of isbn 0307264890)

This book made me realize that I’m too generous with the stars that I give away. I look at my books here and I see quite a few five-stars. Maybe I should go back and downgrade them all. Or maybe I should have another category of seven-star books (like that seven-star hotel in Dubai) for this and a very few others. The Name of the Rose is that kind of book. It’s one of those absolute pinnacles of literature that make you think why you bother reading anything else. (Like, why did I read The Wh...more

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