The Name Of The Rose

_The Name of the Rose_ is a challenging read: Eco infuses the dialogue with Latin, the primary plot doesn't really develop until after the first 100 pages, and he provides a superabundance of sub-plots and historical details. But where the journey is difficult, the rewards are tremendous - and I encourage readers who otherwise might consider leaving the book after the first dozens of pages to hang in there - the details Eco provides in the opening chapters are what make this such a marvelous, masterful work. Eco is writing on several levels: as a mystery, to be sure. Who is killing the monks at the abby and why? And why is there an apocalyptic theme to the deaths? What are the secrets being hidden by the monks, and how are they related to the crimes committed? But there is another level to the story: Brother William and his novice (Adso, the author of the story) are part of a larger theological mission regarding the nature of the Church - should it emphasize poverty? And if so, how does one reconcile this with the tremendous wealth and power the Church wields in the 14th century? (The backdrop of the story is set during the "Avignon Papacy" which resulted in two Popes claiming leadership of the Church). This conflict, in fact, may play a role in the murders; as a stand-alone issue, Eco not only shows remarkable historical accuracy, but also makes a commentary on the Church specifically and religion more generally. Yet Eco goes further still for those readers who are looking: while many of the characters and issues are drawn from history, Eco also gives a nod and wink to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in several respects - Brother William is "William of Baskerville"; the methods used by Brother William are identical to those used by Doyle's creation (deduction, inference and Occam's Razor - in fact, Occam is cited as an acquaintance of William's) - in fact, as the pair arrive at the abbey, the deductions William makes are too reminiscent to be overlooked. Further, the narrator writes as did Dr. Watson - _The Name of the Rose_ is essentially an account written by the investigator's side-kick. Eco's brilliance is also demonstrated in the organization of the book: it opens with the same lines as Genesis ("In the beginning was the word ...") and is broken up into seven days, each day divided into the monastic measurement of time (Matins, Lauds, Prime,Terce, Sext, Nomes, Vespers and Compline). This not only reinforces the sense of authenticity of the story, but it also draws readers into the rhythms and pattern of monastic life. The details of the monastery - and especially the library around which the investigation revolves - speaks to the conflict between reason (as exemplified by Brother William) and faith (as exemplified by the monks). This is a conflict that continues to the present and is related to the other issue of wealth and Christianity that is at the heart of the internal conflict within the Church in the 1300s. Perhaps my analysis is more than the casual reader is interested in, in which case Eco provides a top-notch mystery that is complicated, difficult to solve and rewarding in its conclusion. The only complaint I have plot-wise is the resolution: I was frustrated at the way in which Eco chose to end the mystery, if only because of my tremendous reverence for and love of the written word. That being said, the conclusion certainly does point to the value of monastic work in the Middle Ages, and the miracle that we have so many texts from the ancient world still extant. _The Name of the Rose_ is dense and sometimes difficult to read (because of Latin, because of the historical details, and yes, because the mystery itself is a real challenge). But it is truly a masterpiece of writing - I highly recommend it.

Review of The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco I bought this book after its title appeared three times in rapid succession in different articles I read. The most intriguing reference was in an article about one person’s pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago, in which she mentioned she’d hoped the cathedral would be like the one in The Name of the Rose. As I began the book, I was very confused about what I was reading. Was this a translation of an ancient manuscript? On the ISBN label, the book is categorized as FICTION/Mystery & Detective. But there is a preface, a note, and a prologue at the start of the book that make it seem as if the book is at least based on an ancient account. I still don’t know if that’s true or not. The story is told from the viewpoint of Adso of Melk, a 14th century Benedictine novice monk, who is assigned to be a scribe for a Franciscan monk, William of Baskerville, who was to investigate accusations of heresy at an Italian monastery. However, when he arrives, the abbot tells him about the death of a young monk at the abbey a few nights ago, and hopes that William can determine what happened to him. Over the next few nights, there are additional deaths. Something very evil is going on. The abbey is also home to a famous library. Strangely, no one is allowed in it except the librarian. If anyone wants to see a book, they tell the librarian, who gets it for them. Throughout the book, much church and political history is discussed, as well as many theological arguments, which all served to make my head spin. I didn’t understand much of it. This was during the time of the Spanish Inquisition. I’m not going to tell you much more of the plot, but it was interesting how William, with Adso’s assistance, discovers the truth of what is happening in the abbey. The ending disturbed me greatly. An interesting addition to the book is a section about the author’s process, and his notes and sketches in preparation for writing the story. He drew sketches of all the main characters, and architectural diagrams of the buildings of the abbey, including a layout of the entire complex. There are multiple sketches of the Aedificium, the large structure that contains the scriptorium (where manuscripts were hand-copied and illuminated) and the library, which was laid out like a labyrinth and required many tries to get an arrangement that satisfied Eco. Although there were sections that were very hard for me to read (the aforementioned historical and theological discussions), other parts of the more-than-500-page book had me totally engaged. I understand why this book is considered a classic. I don’t recommend it as a beach read, but if you enjoy deep reading combined with mystery, The Name of the Rose might be for you.

Upon picking up this book for the first time, I received several comments to the effect that this is a difficult, or erudite, book. I was surprised, as the beginning of the book definitely didn't have that vibe, but was almost instantly interesting, the characters immediately engaging. I consider myself a pretty capable reader, so the suggestions of difficulty didn't put me off, but I never really ran into anything I would consider dense or erudite. On the contrary, this book is a smashing good yarn, with excellent pacing and many twists and turns. It is firmly placed within its historical period, and I was surprised at how well the characters and plot are driven by the real sociopolitical and religio-political movements and sensibilities of the time period. This doesn't feel like Michael Crichton, but like an actual historical document (if documents from the middle ages were written with the same skill and mastery as the best modern novels). Eco knew his stuff when it came to medieval church history, and I learned a lot as well as recognized much of what I already knew (admittedly, not all that much). Of course, Eco took some liberties with history, however they are all within the realm of believability. William of Baskerville, the Sherlock Holmes-esque Franciscan monk who is the centerpiece of the story, is astoundingly well-read for a medieval monk, and has a passion for empirical reasoning in addition to a very nuanced faith - in all he's much more "enlightened" than your typical monk, however as such he's a very complex and interesting character, whom I identified with in many ways. Eco explores the medieval consciousness through the way William and the narrator, a young Benedictine novice, Adso, interact. Often the dialogue is the most interesting thing that is happening, even in spite of grisly murders, monkish infighting, and a secret labyrinth that is jealously guarded by mysterious means. Next to the historical authenticity and the character development and interaction, the pacing is the standout feature. For such a meaty book it was surprisingly hard to put down, and this is something many experienced authors have a harder time doing. Up until the end, which had plenty of action and plot-drama, but was (to me) a little bit ambiguous concerning character arcs, probably by design. I grew so attached to the characters that I was sorry to see them go - which counts as a win for the author!

In Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, Adso of Melk, an eighty- year old is recalling events from many years ago when William of Baskerville arrived at a Franciscan monastery and began to investigate a series of bizarre murders of monks. Eco's fictional murder mystery has historical basis, set during the 14th century Inquisition, where power and politics of the Church caused conflict, strife, and corruption. In a way William is battling two elements--an apparent code or path to the murders which could be interpreted through the use of symbols and a mysterious book, but also the shady characters within the abbey's walls. With an apparent "twisted mind" loose causing mayhem, William and his young novice, Adso (the book's narrator), attempt to solve the riddle and thus put an end to the mischief within the monastery. Except for being in a monastery, The Name of the Rose has the premise straight out of And Then There Were None, which each day bringing more murders and our investigator, William, using his didactic reasoning to put the pieces together. A heavy dosage of symbolic references to the Bible, the Book of Revelation, and numbers take us deeper into the mystery. Eco also uses the symbol of a labyrinth as a basis for the confusion, as the abbey's main building, with strange passages and entrances, is more confusing to navigate than the Winchester Mystery House. While I enjoyed the mystery and the novel's depth, several aspects irked me and ultimately made this book less enjoyable. For one, the philosophical digressions were overdone and came off as a cheap way for the author to "show off" about his knowledge rather than adding anything of critical value. These could have been seriously edited. Philosophy for purpose is one thing, but here the discussions go in circles on end (or maybe it was my head), a semiotic version of Who's on First. Rather than progressing the story or giving richness to the mystery, it seemed to work in the reverse, stalling every event leading up to it. Secondly, attention to detail is fine, but Eco goes overboard with minutiae and unnecessary details, and this bogs the story down. For example, his geographic descriptions of the building's layout are overdone to the point of tedium. I realize he wants to paint a picture in the reader's mind to enhance the story, but ten page descriptions are too much. Eco tries to defend his choice not to edit specific passages, specifically the first one hundred pages, by stating in his postscript that he wanted to make the first part of the book "a penance" for the reader, and that if the reader chose to give up, "so much the worse for him." Please. Still, The Name of the Rose has some interesting elements. The two protagonists, William and Adso, alone make the novel a worthwhile read. William of Baskerville is a Sherlock Holmes-like character, clever and smart, a free thinker, and has a dry sense of humor that adds a level of comic relief that sorely needed in this book. Adso tells us the story through two lenses, as an eighty-year-old man who will soon pass, and as an eighteen year old who is a bit naïve to the world. His narrative gives dimension to a story that would have been much dryer in omniscient, third-person narration. Not only that, but, as an inexperienced and innocent person amid disgusting, slimy and grotesque characters, he is a likeable character who a reader can easily identify with and root for. The Name of the Rose does have a fascinating premise, but, at times, it reads more like a dissertation and than a novel.

Umberto Eco's masterpiece, The Name of the Rose, has become one of my favorite books. I recommend this edition in particular due to the thirty plus pages of analysis and the author's response to feedback for the book. For anyone who enjoys mysteries, medieval Europe and/or religion (specifically Catholicism), this book is a must have. Please note, this is not an easy read: Latin phrases are placed throughout the novel (so if you don't know Latin you may want to keep a translator nearby), also some knowledge of the historical figures mentioned is helpful in better understanding the book -- but I believe it can be enjoyed even with out this. The story is told in the first person, by Adso a Benedictine Monk (who is recounting this story many years later) assigned as the assistant/scribe to Brother William of Baskerville. They have travelled to an Italian abbey to investigate reports of heresy and end-up investigating a series of bizarre murders. Eco has done a tremendous amount of research, resulting in a believable account of a ficitious event. He mentions historical figures and intertwines them with his fictional characters. Every detail of the abbey and its inhabitants has been meticulously crafted -- you won't find any annoying anachronisms here. In his postscript, the author himself notes that he was forced to move the story into the 14th century because, he "needed an investigator, English if possible, with a great gift of observation and a special sensitivity in interpreting evidence." Which was only possible in the Fanciscans only after Roger Bacon. You may be able to find a copy of the movie adaptation in your video store, starring Sean Connery as William and Christian Slater as Adso; but the book is so much better. Definitely pick-up a copy today.

I found this book to not be what I was looking for: medieval monk on the order of Sherlock Holmes who solves a great mystery. And yes, all that happens. However, the author, clearly profoundly intimate with church life and doctrines of the era take the reader through a sinuous journey which is at times lurid and profane to seemingly describe or perhaps justify the author’s own atheism. Not much of a denouement and no plethora of Latin quotes, clever prose, or lengthy — and I do mean lengthy —arguments can dress up this abject argument. Nonetheless, I am glad I read this book as I had wanted to do so for many years. I think the movie is superior.

Umberto Eco's first novel is notorious for being hard to read, with the first 100 pages having a reputation for discouraging all but the most determined reader. I did not find that to be the case, perhaps because I just finished reading Berman's magisterial History of Western Law, so understood the conflicts between Holy Roman Emperors and Popes that backgrounds the novel. And I'm married to a man who does theology and religious history for fun, so I was already up to speed on the many heretical sects of the 14th C (before the Black Death). Having the Sherlock Holmes books practically memorized as a child didn't hurt either. Absent that background I would have spent far more time looking up names and places than I did. And I'm sure I missed a bunch of intertextual jokes, although the Borges ones are pretty easy to spot. I recommend the Key to the Name of the Rose for translations of the many Latin passages (my high school Latin is very rusty) and some of the other background. For the prepared reader, this book is engaging to the point of losing oneself in another time and place, very well conjured up. The characters are vivid, if mostly unsympathetic and the interweaving of real historical personages with Eco's invented ones is seamless and effective. The themes of lust, for knowledge as well as the sins of the flesh, are resonant, the finale is suitably insightful, cathartic and tragic as well as terrifying and awesome.

I'm very tired and very exhausted by this book. But it was also very good. The nutshell is this is a murder mystery set in a fourteenth century Benedictine abbey, with Franciscan monk William of Baskerville and his Benedictine novice Adso of Melk on the case. And it's genuinely fun! A Holmesian romp set in medieval paranoia. But everything in this book is a conceit; the entire abbey vibrates with a deconstructive menace. Behind the beautifully described murals, the rich and perversely interesting history of the persecution of mendicant monks, and even the trappings of a wicked murder plot, there is a nagging metafiction suggestion that what you see is wrong, and darkness is inevitable. Honestly, I don't recommend this to everyone. This is my second Eco novel (after The Island of the Day Before), and this time around his writing is far more focused. That being said, Eco loves to indulge himself and deluge the reader with historical minutiae. The curious background character Salvatore speaks in an odd pidgin language, with mixes of bad Latin and whatever else he's happened upon. It's a book that requires work, and it is super easy to feel deflated when the climax hits. But I just spent two very enjoyable weeks chugging through it every night, intrigued by the tapestry, and I reckon I will think often about it for the upcoming months. Aside, as much as I appreciate Eco's erudite prose and keen eye for mixing philosophy, religion, and literature, I'm in awe of the translator, William Weaver. The English reads well and I can still feel the character of Umberto Eco -- and he had to contend with a mass web of Latin, French, German, and a lot of specialized medieval terms. I'm interested in the man behind the book, but I think I'm even more interested by the man in-between.