Rating: 
Summary: Overall, remarkable
Review: I was drawn to this book because of comparisons to An Instance of the Fingerpost, which I enjoyed. Aside from being a historical mystery, I am not sure what this book does have in common with Instance, but nevertheless I greatly enjoyed it. I could tell as soon as I started it that I was going to like the writing style, (I don't know how much of that was Umberto Eco and how much was the translator, William Weaver), and that helped me to make it all the way through the rather intimidating book. I personally feel that saying much about the plot would take away from the enjoyment of experiencing the story unravel, so I will restrict myself to my overall impressions of the book. First and foremost, in my mind anyway, it is extremely entertaining. Although I haven't read any of them, I would guess I enjoyed this book in much the same way people are enjoying Harry Potter's books. (Believe it or not, I doubt her books could be any more fantastical than Name of the Rose.) Also, even if I will forget the facts all too soon, The Name of the Rose left me with a vivid impression of religion in Europe in the early 14th century. The only drawbacks of it, I found, were that at some times it seems overly erudite (Eco includes a few lengthy debates that seem rather unnecessary) and at other brief times it seems almost raunchy. (I assume the raunchiness comes from some limitations of the translation from Italian to English.) Finally, I would encourage people to try to make it through the book without the Key to the Name of the Rose. I used it, and found that it only slowed me down. Very seldom did the translations of the abundant Italian phrases in the novel provide any important revelations. To conclude, though, while it is certainly not for everybody, I would say that The Name of the Rose is a great choice for anyone who is looking for a lengthy, complex, intellectual and remarkably clever mystery.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully erudite and philosophically engaging
Review: The Name of the Rose is indeed a wonderful book, a philosophical inquiry in the guise of a period mystery. The joke is that the book turns out to be something of an anti-mystery, in which Eco jokes with the systematizing impulse so common in detective fiction. As in Foucault's Pendulum, Eco spends a great deal of time here indulging his passion for medieval religious esoterica; the book's first hundred pages or so of descriptive material require a bit of slogging, as Eco himself has recognized, but the remainder of the novel certainly rewards the initial difficulty. I must take issue, incidentally, with the strained readings that have been offered in some of the reviews below. The Name of the Rose is by no means a "roman a clef" as some have implied below. The allusions to Sherlock Holmes, Borges, etc. are there, yes, but one should not attribute to them undue significance. Eco is a semiotician by training and profession, and as such he is naturally inclined to insert clever intertextual bits of business into his novels. Postmodern literary theory deals with books as a deeply self-referential, almost closed set, and Eco's literary references are little more than a gesture in that direction. They are playful, not central, and should not be asked to bear the weight of arduous interpretation.
Rating:
Summary: Splendid masterpiece
Review: I first read about the novel in a article published in a local newspaper, I was intrigued by what was written and that what made me buy the book. This is truly a masterpiece, but when I ask myself why, what makes it so great? I am not a critic so I cannot go on complementing about how splendid the novel is, all I can say is whenever I remember the story I remember the feelings and emotions that has filled me when I read it the first time. Although It would have been much better if this translation also included translation to the Latin passages that appears frequently in the story.
Rating:
Summary: the perfect novel
Review: Contrary to what some people say, it is not necessary to be an expert on medieval history etc. to appreciate certain parts of the novel. the more involved parts of the novel about medieval history etc. teach you about the subject. If Eco assumed to much out of a reader he would not be considered a good novelist. anyway be prepared to contemplate many thought provoking ideas, learn about the politics of the Roman Catholic church in the middle ages, go through a day in the life of a medieval monk, and if this was not great enough you get to enjoy an intricate and thrilling plot.
Rating:
Summary: timeless as the Monastic life
Review: The book was first recommended to me in the late 1970's (by my dermotologist!). I read it then and many times since. Eco captured me and has me forever looking for his name on a book. Many say the book is too difficult to read, too many "things" to know, that may be, bit whoever said that reading was an easy task. The book (as all of Eco's books do) makes you think, recall, learn and argue points of intellectual importance. Is the book of humour a metaphor, or is it just plain old 11th century Italian Jansenism? I recommend the book, as I do all of Eco's books, with the following cavet, don't read this as you would a grocery store romance, your mind will have to work!
Rating:
Summary: il nome della Jesus
Review: I love William Baskerville. What else can I say ? Great, fantastic, wonderful, FAB story ! Re-read it 20 times and quote it very often. Wonderful Russian edition with helpfull comments.
Rating:
Summary: Like an Onion - sharp with many layers.
Review: The beauty of this book lies in its multiple layers. Like an onion, you peel away a layer only to find another below it. On one level, it is a straightforward murder mystery as William of Baskerville with the "aid" of Adso of Melk tries to identify the perpetrator of a series of ghastly murders at a medieval Benedictine abbey. And a rollicking good mystery it is too. Then as you peer deeper, you realise that Eco is having some fun with sly parodies, Sherlock Holmes being the most obvious. You also come to appreciate how Eco uses the murder and its dramatis personae as actors in a Greek tragedy, each arguing a philosophical interpretation which his persnality embodies. Its one of those cases where you not only enjoy the book, but raise your hat in silent tribute to the skill of the author. Eco is also very good at atmosphere and manages to recreate the intrigues, petty politics and religious fanaticism of the Inquisition era and its effect on a disparate grouping of people, united (if so) only by a love of learning and a shared view of God. The terrible conflagration which destroys the Library is perhaps Eco's most telling point of all and hits you hard. Do not get put off by the philosophical discussions or the occasional meanderings of reason, try to understand why Eco is bringing them up. And do not fear the Latin and Greek. Get hold of an annotated translation and I promise you your enjoyment will be multiplied. Yes, this book demands some work; it is not a commuter novel. But it is well worth the effort.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant writing, thrilling mystery
Review: Don't be put off by Eco's erudtion and medieval setting. This is a classic detective novel, summed up perfectly by Renoir (see below). Not only will you be drawn into 14th century Italy, you will learn about the what Eco is really talking about -- the semiotics of detective writing. Throughout all the arcane writing, Eco is talking about his theory of semiotics -- signs, to teach his readers how to cull the most important clues from his works. This is high brow entertainment -- I recommend the most annotated version you can find. Not many readers will be all that familiar with 14th century conventions, but with good footnotes, this book becomes all the more accessible. Eco is worth reading as one of the foremost literary critics/writers of his day.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest novel of the 20th Century?
Review: It may take the passage of time to answer the question in the title of this review but, for myself, the answer is a resounding "Yes". I have read and re-read this amazing book so many times that I have lost count! I admire the work on many levels, the least important being its guise as a mystery. I believe it can be interepreted in many different ways because it has so much to offer. In my opinion it is actually a book about books and their influence through history and ultimately about the censorship of the ideas found in books. Fear of ideas and books is at the heart of the murders and is the reason for the ultimate catastrophe -- the burning of the monastery library. Jorge de Burgos takes upon himself the role of censor and the logical outcome of his worldview is murder and destruction. (Echoes of Nazism, perhaps?) It is also a book about the effects ideas have when lived out in people's lives, how a good idea, such as St. Francis' love of poverty, can become twisted by fanaticism. It is also filled with a sly sense of humor (the resemblance of the William of Baskerville/Adso duo to Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson is one example). As an art historian I was highly amused to read St. Bernard of Clairvaux's condemnation of the artistic milieux of the Abbey of Cluny quoted just where it ought to be, as a commentary on the decoration of the abbey church. Also amusing is the idea of this fictional monastery as a microcosm of the emerging European Union, with representative monks from many countries on hand. The scholarly debates have much to say to our contemporary world, for, at their base, they are often still current. However, I do agree with some of the criticisms expressed about the lack of explanatory notes. For those without the necessary background in languages and a reasonably good knowledge of medieval history it may indeed by a tough book to get involved in, as I have found in the case of friends to whom I have recommended the book. But for anyone with that knowledge, and for those without it who are willing to persevere, this has to be one of the greatest books written in the 20th century, if not the greatest. It is certainly the most magical.
Rating:
Summary: MOODY AND ATMOSPHERIC, WITH BRILLIANT TOUCHES OF COMEDY
Review: It is November, 1327. Adso of Melk, the narrator, has accompanied William of Baskerville to a remote, wealthy Franciscan abbey in the mountains of northern Italy. Upon arriving, William discovers that a murder has taken place and the body of the monk, Adelmo, has been discovered outside the abbey walls. The abbot, Abo, is very concerned and charges William with solving the murders. For, not only is the safety of the monks in jeopardy, a papal delegation from Pope John XXII in Avignon could well use the murders as an excuse for investigating the abbey, something Abo definitely wants to avoid. By the time the papal delegation, led by two inquisitors arrives, the situation at the abbey has worsened. Two more monks are dead and two more die soon afterward. The abbot's worst fears are realized when the papal inquisitors learn he has been sheltering monks who were once followers of the condemed heretic, Fra Dolcino. Although the abott dismisses Willliam, he remains and a few hours later, the mystery is solved, two more monks have died and the monastery has been consumed by fire. The Name of the Rose is first and foremost a mystery of the highest order, and it is possible to enjoy it on that level alone. But it is also a charming roman a clef, something I think many readers have missed. We don't have to look far to realize Sherlock Holmes in the guise of William of Baskerville or Adso as Dr. Watson. The blind Spaniard, Jorge of Burgos is easily recognized as the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges. Eco also challenges us by thinly disguising figures from postwar Italian politics as various other members of the abbey. The figures in the book thus correspond to other figures in different books or in real life. Each figure also represents a metaphysical concept: William, reason; Adso, mysticism; Jorge, evil, and then, in true medieval fashion, characters are thus pitted one against the other as opposing forces. I hate to see comparisons of this marvelous work of literature to Iain Pears's, An Instance of the Fingerpost. The books are as unlike as night is to day. While An Instance of the Fingerpost goes to great lengths to point out that ultimate truth does exist and can, indeed, be realized, The Name of the Rose is, at its heart, a book about uncertainty, especially the uncertainty of truth. In An Instance of the Fingerpost, the reader is asked to interpret a collection of signs and symbols, which, when interpreted in the one correct manner, will inevitably lead to the identity and motive of the criminal, i.e., the truth. In The Name of the Rose, the search for ultimate truth is far more ambiguous. Near the end of the book, William tells Adso that many hypotheses, false though they may be, can still lead one to a correct solution. And, while certainty is what's pursued in An Instance of the Fingerpost, certainty remains an impossibility in The Name of the Rose. As William says to Adso, "The only truth lies in learning to free ourselves from the insane passion for the truth." Umberto Eco's strength lies in his plotting and his layering. His books are like a collection of boxes, each one opening to reveal yet another and another. I found no such layering in An Instance of the Fingerpost. And, finally, while An Instance of the Fingerpost was certainly a phenomenon, The Name of the Rose is definitely much more. This book is literature, a timeless classic to be enjoyed by many generations yet to come.
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