Name of the Rose [Paperback]

 

 

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Umberto Eco is internationally renowned as an author, a philosopher, a literary critic and a historian. He is also a professor of Semiotics at the University of Bologna and lives in Milan. "The Name of the Rose", his debut novel, was first published in Italy in 1980 and became a bestseller throughout the world. It was also adapted for the big screen in 1986, a version that starred Sean Connery and Christian Slater.

"The Name of the Rose" is set in the fourteenth century and is told by Adso of Melk - an aged Benedictine Abbot looking back to a journey he took as a novice. Adso's father was a German nobleman loyal to Louis the Bavarian and arranged for the young Adso to travel with him to Italy - there, he hoped to see Louis crowned Holy Roman Emperor. However, with his father's time subsequently taken up with the Siege of Pisa, Adso was placed in the care of William of Baskerville - not only a shrewd, learned and wise Franciscan, but also a former Inquisitor. Together, the pair travel to a Benedictine abbey in the northern Italian mountains.

The arena in which William and Adso operate is at least as political as it is religious. There are great differences of opinion between the orders on a number of topics - the most relevant to the story involves a difference in opinion about poverty between the Franciscan Order and the Pope. Since the Pope and the Emperor don't see eye-to-eye either, Louis has obviously sided with the Franciscans. The Order's Head, Michael of Cesena, has been summoned several times to Avignon - where the Papal Court was held at the time - officially to deal conclusively with the matter. However, since many suspect this would actually involve Michael being charged with heresy, the Emperor feels it best if Michael travels as part of an official Imperial delegation. As the whole matter is proving increasingly difficult to deal with, a preliminary meeting has been arranged to lay out the opposing points of view. William has been appointed the Emperor's representative, and the meeting is taking place at the abbey to which he and Adso are travelling.

As it happens, the pair are given much more to think about than just the meeting. Not long before William and Adso arrived, one of the abbey's most skilled illuminators - Adelmo of Otranto - had been found dead at the foot of some cliffs beneath the abbey. The Abbot suspects the young monk was murdered, and asks William to investigate. Things are not made entirely easy for the pair : although Adelmo may have been pushed to his death from the upper floor of the library, they are forbidden from entering that area. Nevertheless, with the meeting imminent, they know it's vital to have everything cleared up as soon as possible - preferably with out any more deaths...

This is a hugely enjoyable book - the only real flaw is that it's occasionally a little over-descriptive. However, it makes a nice change to read a murder-mystery than relies solely on the skills of the investigator - particularly one as likeable as William - without any help from forensics, fingerprinting or DNA sampling. The 'back-story', relating to the meeting, added a nice political spin to things. It also added a certain amount of panic for some of the characters, as the Pope's representative is also a practising Inquisitor . Very highly recommended.

Umberto Eco doesn't just tell a story; this much is obvious from all of his novels, not the least of which is The Name of the Rose. He has crafted a wonderfully intriguing medieval murder mystery (at heart) and fleshed it out with splendid characters (especially the protagonist, who must rely on good ol'-fashioned detective work to crack the case), a well-realized backdrop of history and location, and incorporated cyptology and theology for good measure. Smart without being overwhelming, taut without being heavy-handed, historical without being boring, The Name of the Rose is not just one of Eco's best books, but one of the most enjoyable reads I've ever had.

Though at times painfully tedious in its detail of 14th century Catholic theology and annoyingly esoteric in its numerous passages in Latin, I feel I must give this book a positive recommendation. Its grand scope of chronicling such an obscure period, its depth of research, and its feeling of authenticity give this book the right to be considered an epic of modern fiction. As far as mysteries go, this one certainly is not the most intriguing. It drags at times, and the final revelations are neither startling nor intricate in their conception. But as a period piece, this is a 500-pound gorilla. It's amazing to think of the amount of scholarly research that went into the making of this novel. How many hours did Eco have to spend studying the writings of Aristotle, Aquinas, and who knows how many Franciscan and Benedictine theologians?

I have to admit I came close to putting this book down after 100 pages. I'm glad I didn't, though it was a struggle the whole way through. There were a few too many characters, and at times I couldn't keep track of all the different monks, but fortunately they start to get killed off pretty quickly so there are fewer to remember.

The underlying theme is an important one to me. The book explores the medieval notion that religious faith and intellectual pursuits should be mutually exclusive. Imagine living your life as a monk, working in a library surrounded by thousands of scholarly works, and spending your days copying texts that you don't understand. The preservation of knowledge is a noble goal, but so is the advancement of our understanding of the universe.

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4.0 out of 5 stars A Rose By Any Other Name...
No doubt many in our culture of break-neck pace forensics detective shows that always reach resolution in one hour will find this book too slow to get past the first chapter. Read more

Published on July 8 2009 by D Glover

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your time on this one
Wow. Looking at the number of 5 star reviews here, I can tell that I'm in the minority. But that's ok by me.

I confess. I couldn't finish this book. Read more

Published on May 18 2009 by NorthVan Dave

5.0 out of 5 stars Mystery Meets History
If you're into medieval times, murder and mystery then look no further. This book is hard to put down. I recommend it for a nice cool dark and windy fall day. Read more

Published on Sep 7 2008 by Leo Tampacopoulos

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a status symbol
I am confused by those who wrote that people only say they read this book because they want to sound smart. Read more

Published on Mar 24 2006 by Andrea

1.0 out of 5 stars Wow...
...I finally gave up on this book and came here to write a review, expecting that everyone would say the same thing: this book is a behemoth. Read more

Published on Jan 20 2006 by Mustanganna

4.0 out of 5 stars Nearly as complicated as Aristotle himself!
This book is not an easy read that can be read in one weekend or a whole week for that matter. This novel compares to Conrads "Heart Of Darkness" a novel of equal... Read more

Published on July 7 2004 by H. Mendoza

4.0 out of 5 stars And you thought nothing happened in the Middle Ages!
I read this book for the first time in college, for an Art History class. I devoured it in a week, completely caught by it, and thought I would end up reading it again sometime. Read more

Published on July 2 2004 by Jorge F. M

5.0 out of 5 stars "For it is a tale of books, not of everyday worries"
The Name of the Rose has gained such a reputation for its detail and erudition that its finest attribute too often goes unmentioned: for the lover of books and ideas, philosophy... Read more

Published on Jun 26 2004 by Cunctipotent Cunctator

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh Wonderment . . .This is such stuff as dreams are made on!
I hate mysteries. I really do. I'm terribly sorry but that is the honest to goodness truth. This is different; obviously or why in God's name would I have bothered to read... Read more

Published on May 13 2004 by pale_eye

4.0 out of 5 stars A rose by any other name?
First: An answer to a rather negative reviewer's cluelessness about the title. Obviously he/she didn't bother to read Eco's Postscript in which he says, among other things, "I... Read more

Published on May 11 2004 by Daniel Myers

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