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Summary: MUST HAVE AND MUST NEED FOR SECONDARY ENGLISH CURRICULUM
Review: I plan to place this on my reading list - maybe not shoved in with the rest of the prescribed literature (Catcher In the Rye, et. al). I believe there should be a seperate class or set of weeks set aside for world literature. Writers write about the same issues love, loss, struggle, epiphany, jubilation - but the socioeconomic & cultural differences bring an even greater opportunity for knowledge to be gleaned. THE NAME OF THE ROSE presents the opportunity to acquaint students with the 14th century, life as a monk, roles of women and.... and... hey I am not writing you guys lesson plans. It would also provide an excellent assignment for children in magnet schools which concentrate on "foreign" languages. Such as a literal translation of sections of the book in its original Italian. I read the book a little less than 20 years ago when I was a high school student. It is one of those novels of which the page speaks of rain and you look out the window 5 minutes later (you think but it is really 1 hour later in reality) to check to see if the rain has stopped.
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Summary: Great book
Review: This book is full of suspense and intrigue. After I got through the first 100 pages which were somewhat slow, the book began to pick up and then it was great. If you are interested in mystery books than this is one of the best out there.
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Summary: Intelligent and superbly written
Review: If you enjoy learning about a subject when you read, read this book; it's interesting and historically acurate as well as being a smart mystery. The other wonderful thing about it is that it's a book about books, about the LOVE of books. The characters are interesting and round, and the reader enjoys following them, especially Adso, as they learn both about themselves and as they discover the mystery behind the murders at the abbey. One piece of advice: do get the Key to The Name of The Rose and keep it handy as you read. Many of the passages in Eco are in Latin, and they Key translates them for the reader. Without it, one may be a bit at a loss. (FYI -- if you liked this book, read The Club Dumas, by Reverte. Although not quite as sophisticated, it's well worth the read).
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Summary: Brain candy, a rare treat
Review: This is one of the best books I have read in years! It is like candy for the brain. Reading it was a pleasure. Eco has carefully crafted the story with several layers of detail. Read it as a detective story. Read it as a narrative on middle-age history. Read it as a parable describing the search for knowledge. The book speaks on many levels and most readers (especially those who love books) will find this book has much to say. I would also recommend getting the Key to The Name of the Rose, a useful text that will shed light on some of the more subtle aspects of the narrative; but read the first hundred pages before buying the key. If you like the book the key will only enhance the experience (and if you don't like the book the key will probably only serve to remind you of why you don't like the book). Give yourself plenty of time to read--and do not expect to soak it all in at once. Stories this good should be savoured slowly.
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Summary: Masterpiece of historical fiction
Review: I'm sure those who read this as a "mystery story" will not be disappointed, particularly since one would never have guessed the identity of the murderer, but there are far more layers to this brilliant work than that of a medieval detective tale. Umberto Eco incorporates his staggering knowledge of the period in incorporating accurate history (particularly regarding the inquisition), logic (William makes Sherlock Holmes look dense), and totally hilarious, subtle humour.I'll admit that, since I read Latin and have familiarity with the other languages which the "Babel tongued" Salvatore and others use, my sides have been splitting at the references more than would that of one who did not. Many of the references, in fact, are "inside jokes" which those who are well-versed in the history of the period (particularly the heresies) will greatly enjoy. It may have been more helpful were there an appendix translating the passages that are not in English, but, somehow, especially in Salvatore's monologues, by the time they are explained the humour would be lost. The character of Brother William is totally intriguing, and surely one of the most memorable in recent fiction. I would recommend this book particularly to those who wish some familiarity with the period (logic at the forefront) delivered in a totally painless and engagingly entertaining fashion. One learns the history and culture in spite of one's self, just "listening" to William. We book lovers, of course, will greatly enjoy reading of a period when (priceless) books were so cherished that a murderer's motive could be related to them.
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Summary: A virtual Middle Age
Review: This novel was fabricated in painstaking detail by a master in semiology.In this novel Eco gives us exactly the Middle Age we could imagine:fraught whit apocalyptic terrors,secretive monks,rich and spoiled Abates,fiery and inhuman inquisitors,superstitions,heresies.He then puts an Occamist predecessor of Sherlock Holmes and a young Wastson to investigate a mystery whit the most intriguing features:a closed environment (the Abbey) and a killer who appears to follow a pattern.How could he fail to produce a bestseller?Still,I've loved it.How could I not?
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Summary: Challenging, exhilarating, and simply sensational
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Eco's "The Name of the Rose" in three distinct and almost independent roles. As a mystery-thriller, the fast-moving, convoluted plot left me anxiously awaiting the next twist lurking in the pages ahead. As an account of history, Eco's detailed and, from what I understand, accurate portrayal of specific events during the Inquisition was intriguing and educational. Finally, as a matter of philosophy, the naturally interspersed philosophical dialogues among the monks were coherent and thought-provoking. "The Name of the Rose" is a challenging read. Eco, in his postscript, descibes the first hundred pages as a "penance", written for the purpose of "constructing a reader suitable for what comes afterward." Let there be no doubt that readers who endure their penance are rewarded ten-fold.
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Summary: A contemporary classic
Review: Deftly translated, superbly crafted and elegantly written, this is a splendid literary blockbuster. Eco marvellously displays his wealth of erudition in this towering contemporay classic.
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Summary: A Rewarding but Painstaking Read
Review: One reviewer here on Amazon was right on the money when he said that reading a novel by Umberto Eco instantly raises your IQ by a couple of points. The Name of the Rose has been my first encounter with Eco's work, and I was for the most part very impressed with his skillful murder mystery set in a 14th century Italian monastery. The novel works on many levels. It is a compelling murder mystery, as young narrator Adso of Elk accompanies the wise William of Baskerville as he uses logic and semiotics to not only solve a murder mystery, but to decipher labrynths and hidden secrets of the vast monastery library. Interwoven with the murder mystery is a virtual course on philosophy and late Middle Ages religion, as Eco provides detailed accounts of the histories of various sects, includes scholarly debate on topics such as the poverty of Christ, and a history of the Catholic Church leading to the establishment of a papacy in Avignon, France. One is reminded of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as William and Adso use logic and determination to piece together numerous bizarre deaths and occurences at the Abbey, while encountering obstacles and outright hostility by the Abbot and his librarian, to name a couple. The setting of the novel, and the glimpse into a culture that few of us can even imagine, is reason enough to read The Name of the Rose. The book is not without its faults however. I think the book should stand alone, (ie you should not have to buy a separate "reader's guide") and I was very frustrated at the numerous Latin phrases that are included throughout the novel with no translation. Perhaps this is more the fault of the translator than Eco himself, but it makes for a difficult reading experience. One does not need to know the meaning of every word in the book to follow the plot, but it is aggravating to stumble across paragraph-long passages or insciptions that are completely foreign to most readers, without so much as a footnote. There are also fairly long digressions involving topics of religious debate or history of minor sects that, in my opinion, were extraneous and contributed little overall to the success of the novel. However, overall, I thought the novel was rewarding, both informative and suspenseful.
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Summary: The Name of the Rose and its historical content
Review: As some reviewers have already noted, this book is no easy reading for anyone not well enough aquainted with mediaeval history. Nevertheless, it offers a good starting point for everbody who is interested in history, as hardly any other book describes the late middle ages as well as this book does. Umberto Eco precisely outlines the problems of the Benedictine order at those times. The only criticism I have to make is Eco's use of Bernado Gui (or Guidonis) as his evil inquisitioner; Gui, as a real historic figure, dealt with the Benguins but was by no means as stupid and cruel as he is described in this book. The philosophical parts of the book are exceptionally interesting but a bit out of place in Adso's thoughts. No man, living in the middle ages would ever have had such thoughts - this is 20th century philosophy. But apart from this criticism, the book is really worth reading and in my opinion one of the best books of this century. (Only the film is not worth watching as it is reduced to some stereotypes.)
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