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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A 20th century classic, 23 Aug 2007
The first time I tried to read this book as a 19 year old student desperately trying to impress my peers I abandoned it after less than a hundred pages as I found just too hard going. Several years later and at the insistence of several friends I tried again, this time determined to see it through to the end. It was, and remains, a revelation.
First of all, dispel any thoughts of the rather tame and dreary film that cam out in the 80s as it just did not do justice to this remarkable novel. Yes, it is frighteningly dark and sinister but there's a real warmth and kindly wisdom about Willaim of Baskerville and an endearing naivety from his young charge, Adso, to help the reader through the very grimmest of the plot developments.
While the setting provides a suitably unsettling backdrop to the grisly goings on, the heart of this book is in it's characters from the pious abbott, the disturbing Salvatore, the sinister Jorge and the downright terrifying Bernardo Gui of the dreaded Inquisition, all of whom are fleshed out with their own stories. Adso asks he questions the reader wants answered in a Dr Watson type way, while sleuthy William of Baskerville ( a none too subtle tip of the deerstalker hat to Arthur Conan Doyle by the author) provides the answers... and answers them with riddles.
The Name Of The Rose sheds a glimemr of light on a disturbing period of European history when plague and famine were a constant concern and religious fanatacism was the real power governing people's lives. While set several centuries ago, the theme of dogmatic zealots throwing their weight around to the peril of ordinary people is all too familiar in today's troubled times and modern day parallels are, sadly, all too easy to draw. That said, Umberto Eco does not launch an unbridled attack upon religion as he is very sympathetic to the genuine faith of many of the characters. Instead he targets those with blind faith who do not question themselves and use "the will of God" to subjugate and punish others, whether it is the men of the Inquisition or the heretical Cathars. That's not say it's a book about religion as that would miss out the murder mystery element, the sex, the architecture, the red herrings, etc.
Umberto Eco's The Name Of The Rose is a magnificent book of masterly storytelling and enlightening prose. Yes, it's hard work to get into, but then many great books are and the rewards are worth the effort so don't be put off. Ideal reading material for dark winter nights.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Reader - The Detective, 7 April 2008
In the Name of the Rose, is in many ways a frustrating book to read, because the reader required as much perseverance as the monk-turned-detective protagonist, William. It is a very top heavy book, complete with Latin phraseology, which in spite of Umberto Eco's obvious gift for narrative, is testing to navigate; many will begin and not finish. However, if you are a curious sort, and love to unravel a good mystery, you will no doubt continue - seven deaths is no mean body count for a secluded monastery - and finally reap the rewards of crossing the halfway point. The unravelling of the plot is brilliant - it questions stereotypes, tests faith, interrogates purity and most of all entertains. The labyrinth at the centre of the monastery is in many ways a metaphor for how the plot unfolds, with one final room that one finds oneself outside, but cannot enter.
For the lazy readers, a tip; each chapter has a summary of its contents and so you can actually decide to skip some chapters if you want to get to the meat. In all honesty some chapters just serve to illustrate the intelligence of William of Baskerville or to discuss other works (underlining Eco's post-modernist outlook), so you can do that without missing much. This is exactly what I did my first time, but I enjoyed the end so much that I went back to do the hard work.
I recommend this book if you want an enjoyable but challenging literary read; if you want untaxing entertainment, forget it - or maybe watch the film.
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A gripping read!, 10 Feb 2000
By A Customer
People will probably either love or hate this book. Those expecting a straight forward medieval 'whodunnit' in the tradition of Ellis Peters might be in for a little surprize, as Umberto Eco adds a great deal of background information (history, theology, linguistics) to his murder mystery. For Adso, the narrator of the work, there is much more to discover than just the identity of the murderer.I would also like to reassure readers, who might think that knowledge of Latin is essential to understanding and enjoying this work. It is not. A good grasp of Latin will add to the enjoyment, no doubt, but the casual reader can just skip through the quotations. What is given in Latin is background information, also making the work more authentic. However, nothing relevant to the actual plot is hidden from the reader who only knows vernacular languages. All in all a gripping read, which will change the reader's perception of libraries for ever!
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