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The Name of the Rose

Umberto Eco

Start date: March 1, 2020

Finish date: March 31, 2020

Discussion: 2020 Historical Fict. Tournament

Discussion leader: Christopher

Why we're reading this: 2020 Historical Fiction Tournament
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2020 Historical Fict. Tournament

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What Members Thought

Feb 01, 2010 El rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: permanent-collection, 1001-books-list, big-effing-books

I read this in high school for a history project, and upon completing the project my history teacher accused me of having one or both of my older brothers in writing it for me. While my brothers, apparently, were geniuses, I was somewhat of an underachiever at the time and long lived in their great academic shadows; my interest in Eco (and I'm sure because I was exhibiting interest in anything), the fact that I read the entire book and did a kick-ass report on it made my teacher question my skil I read this in high school for a history project, and upon completing the project my history teacher accused me of having one or both of my older brothers in writing it for me. While my brothers, apparently, were geniuses, I was somewhat of an underachiever at the time and long lived in their great academic shadows; my interest in Eco (and I'm sure because I was exhibiting interest in anything), the fact that I read the entire book and did a kick-ass report on it made my teacher question my skills. Harumph. I've had a mental block towards this book ever since, though secretly I've loved it. I've always been scared to discuss my love of it since then because I just don't care to go into Round Two of the Plagiarized or Not Plagiarized? battle. (For the record, my history teacher did finally come around and it went no further than a few snippy weeks of me shooting him daggers with my eyes in class until we resolved our differences.)

William of Baskerville is a 14th-century Franciscan monk who is asked to help investigate the strange and suspicious outbreak of mysterious deaths. William has with him his assistant, Adso, and together they discuss the murders and other secrets of the abbey. What makes this a thousand times better than something like (pfft) Dan Brown is that Umberto Eco is a freaking genius. He is, amongst other things, a master of Semiotics - which is overwhelmingly obvious in this book in particular (as well as in Foucault's Pendulum). In all fairness to my history teacher, a lot of the signs, symbols and religious and historical context were lost on me at the time of my first reading. I picked up even more now, and was able to breeze through the parts that had bogged me down before. As far as the signs and symbols go, I have to admit my fascination came from extensive Margaret Atwood readings, and now with many of her books under my belt I came to Name of the Rose with a whole new insight into symbolism.

The story takes place over only seven days, but these are seven action-packed days, even when the most "action" William and Adso partake in are lengthy discussions and debates about heresy, and whether or not laughter is a form of heresy. These arguments often left me breathless - that this one man, Umberto Eco, was able to create this literary masterpiece, and develop such a fascinating character as William. This is not to say that the entire novel is pure originality - Eco has borrowed from and paid homage to probably more pieces of literature and other authors than I even could count or recognize. I love Eco even more for his love of literature. This is a book about books and libraries and the power of the written word, and it also just happens to be about some mystery. That's a classy combination. ...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Sera rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, favorites, 1001-books, own, mystery

Eco is a brilliant writer and storyteller, because he was able to take the politics of religion and interweave it with a mystery against a backdrop of medieval times. The complexity of this work may be daunting reading to some, because it is not the type of book that can be read in one sitting. It's better read in smaller doses so that what is happening can sink in, especially because there is much theory intertwined with the overall story.

William is a an excellent protaganist who articulates th ...more

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Oct 29, 2023 Wendy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: in-translation, 2023, historical-fiction, 1001-books, popery, mystery-suspense

Murder in a 14th Century abbey makes for an aesthetic October read. Franciscan poverty, Latin asides, and papal politics notwithstanding, this was a more plotty story than I expected -- sort of a blend of Possession with The Pillars of the Earth and The Da Vinci Code. However, I found myself engrossed with the historical details of the scriptorium, the marginalia of ancient manuscripts, and the construction of ancient reading lenses, and I appreciated how much thought the author put into ensurin ...more

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Oct 13, 2014 Dawn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, own

When mentioning the genre of historical mysteries this book always tops the list of books you are supposed to read. So I finally got around to doing just that.

While this in no doubt a dense book filled with debates on 14th century theology including the stimulating question, “Did Christ laugh?” I found myself fascinated. I love religious history and books, both of which are key subjects in this mystery. Issues of heresy, black magic and a secret book make for a pretty good mystery but for me th ...more

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Jun 27, 2015 Irene rated it liked it

On one level, this is a murder mystery set in a 14th century monastery with a hidden library and a secret book. But, with the enormous amount of time dedicated to obscure ecclesial debates and philosophical discussions, this novel is about the meaning of truth, the place of knowledge, even the perception of God. I can certainly recognize the quality of the writing, but a murder mystery did not work as a conduit for conveying existential questions. I simply could not keep my eye on so many juggli ...more

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Oct 24, 2007 Meghan rated it liked it

Shelves: movie, own, mystery, rg-bookclub, classics, historical-fiction, modern-classics, italian, crime, religious

A fine murder mystery set in the Middle Ages full of theological queries and the costs of search for truth (and justice). I am happy to say I called it, even though not really understanding why--Brother William would berate my inability to deduce with any sort of God-given logic.

Eco is most famous for this tome and it's not hard to see why it has been enjoyed for so many years. It reads like a jolly good Sherlock Holmes murder mystery with all the religious and architectural historical fiction o ...more

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