The Name of the Rose

536 pages

English language

Published Aug. 13, 1994 by Harcourt Brace.

ISBN:
978-0-15-600131-1
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Goodreads:
119073

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4 stars (152 reviews)

It is the year 1327. Franciscans in an Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, but Brother William of Baskerville’s investigation is suddenly overshadowed by seven bizarre deaths.

32 editions

Review of 'The Name of the Rose' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

It's a murder mystery set in a 14th century Italian monastery. It's Eco's thesis on symbols and faith. It drags at times, but the whole picture is such a well constructed story that gives you a great basis to appreciate Eco's later works (which are sometimes a response to this book's success).

Review of 'The name of the rose' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Will I ever be able to articulate what I got out of this book? I don’t even know how to start. I’m reading it more as an allegory that illustrates - and creates a template for - how to consider a complicated, murky, state of politics, which could be applied to almost any moment in the last several decades. Centuries, even. Most of human history, really. Of course, it’s also just a whodunnit, so you don’t even really need to grapple with all of that, or even take note of it, if you don’t want to. It’s there, though. And I very much appreciate it.

Review of 'The Name of the Rose' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

I honestly couldn't finish this book. I'm trying not to be overly critical and to give it the benefit of the doubt considering its 40 years old and a translation to boot, but after getting 350 pages into it, I started to dread picking it up and to me that's a strong sign it's time to move on.

The actual core mystery plot, and even the two main characters, were interesting and fun to read about but the author spends so much time on the minutiae of 1300s Catholic politics that I had trouble staying focused. I almost nodded off more than once. In the end I had to skip paragraphs just to keep from drowning in the sea of text rife with untranslated Latin, tangential names and places and nuanced theological argument about tiny aspects of Christianity that only a monk would fret over.

The worst part is that …

Review of 'Postscript to The name of the rose' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I first read Umberto Eco’s bestselling book in 1985, in Greek translation. I read it again, around 2000, the English translation this time, and, while I was learning Italian, I made an attempt to read it in its original language, albeit unsuccessfully. I don’t think I read more than 20 pages. I went back to Greek and English translations.

Needless to say, I love this book. A monastic library built as a labyrinth in Italy during the Middle Ages, a lost book of Aristotelian philosophy devoted to laughter and comedy, raging theological debates over the question of ownership of property by Christ and the apostles and a series of murders that the Franciscan monk, William of Baskerville attempts to solve with the help of his young student Adso of Melk. The highly intelligent, curious, and voracious reader William of Baskerville is essentially a medieval Sherlock Holmes in a monastery, and …

Review of 'The Name of the Rose' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

It took me a while to get into the story, but in the end I enjoyed it.

You might find yourself bogged down with Eco's need to show you how much he knows about monks, religious rites, and history. Descriptions are everywhere--you practically drown in them. But wade through it all and you will find Brother William, a Medieval-era Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Adso. William notices details that others overlook. He comes to the monastery as they have just discovered a suicide. Several deaths follow as William and Adso work together to figure out what is happening. The monks are quite naughty, and the mystery is solid.

It wasn't a quick read due to the tremendous amount of details Eco adds, but it is a good book. Now off to watch the movie!

Review of 'The Name of the Rose' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

прослухав аудіоверсію французького перекладу. як детективна пригода — ок, хоча і надто повільна та багатослівна як на любителів сучасного детективу, але це компенсується своєрідним шармом повільної оповідки про життя середньовічного монастиря, історичне та політичне підгрунтя непростих стосунків монахів.

Review of 'The name of the rose' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Unlike Foucault's Pendulum which is a wild romp through the history of conspiracies, The Name of the Rose is a mystery set so deeply in Catholic Church historical controversy that your read will be greatly enhanced by outside resources unless you are intimately familiar with the times and fractures within the Church.

I would recommend not only this book, but the companion The Key to the Name of the Rose by Adele J. Haft and Robert J. White.

Now lest the idea of reading one tome while keeping another handy for reference sounds too much like schoolwork, let me offer an out; the mystery itself is enough to justify reading this book alone at a sitting, (have food sent in). It is tightly crafted, offers all necessary clues to the reader (no cheating on the protagonist's part), and offers plenty of characterization to satisfy anyone.

However, to understand why the …

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Subjects

  • Monastic and religious life -- Italy -- History -- Middle Ages, 600-1500 -- Fiction
  • Monastic libraries -- Italy -- Fiction
  • Italy -- Church history -- 476-1400 -- Fiction

Lists