Rating: 
Summary: One of the Best Historical Mysteries Ever Written
Review: As a mystery author with my debut novel in its initial release, I consider Umberto Eco's THE NAME OF THE ROSE to be one of the finest historical mysteries ever written. William of Baskerville is sent to a monastery during the 14th century to investigate the death of a monk. While he is investigating that death, several other deaths occur. Before you know it, you are reading one of the best mysteries written in the last quarter-century. Eco captures the time and the place of his story perfectly. He knows his history. He knows the church of his chosen era. His characters are perfectly rendered. He knows his people. His plot is magnificent. He knows how to tell a story. THE NAME OF THE ROSE is a mystery like few others. Excellent beyond belief.
Rating:
Summary: Great Mystery
Review: I thought this book was excellent. When I first picked it up I was a little intimidated by it's length-502 pages! But when I had finished it, it didn't seem like it was that long. This is a fascinating tale of murder in a monastery in medievel Europe. It has a few boring parts but trust me, reading them is worth it. In fact one of the religious discussions the monks have turns into a fight and is actually pretty funny. But the best part of this book is the mystery. It is spooky at times and there are many omens and creepy goings-on. All in all a great read.
Rating:
Summary: A Truly Wonderful Book
Review: The Name of the Rose is one of my absolute favorite books. The mystery is first-class, and the story is engrossing. William and his apprentice journey through the abbot's domain in an attempt to figure out what's going on.I don't want to give too much away, so I won't say too much else, other than a word of advice: Keep a Latin dictionary handy. Eco has a tendency to use long Latin passages, which most people simply won't be able to understand. Eco's usage of Latin does lend something to the book--but only if it's comprehensible by the reader.
Rating: 
Summary: excellent mystery almost spoiled by over-intellectual prose
Review: 'The Name of the Rose' by Umberto Eco is a most unusual novel. Firstly, its setting (14th century Italy, life among monks) is not one associated with popular novels. It is also a finely crafted 'whodunnit' while also educating the reader, often to fine detail, on the lives and times of a turbulent era where religion and politics were closely associated with fear and death. I suppose the most impressive aspect of 'The Name of the Rose' is how it captures the feeling, fear, tastes and smells of its medieval characters and their creepy surroundings. But all is not well. Umberto Eco is obviously a brilliant man, an expert in his field (medieval studies, not literature). He often tries too hard to explain the theological upheavals of 14th century Europe which, at least for this reader, was a bit too intellectual .. and distracting. Fortunately just when you thought Eco was going way off on a tangent he re-focuses his attention on the plot. So with patience one can easily work through the slow spots. However for those who have a keen interest in the history of the Roman Catholic church and medieval Europe I imagine you'll not only closely read these 'boring' sections but actually study and debate them. My other, albeit minor, complaint is Umberto Eco's regular use of Latin. Of course I can see where the use of Latin can be used for emphasis (..after all, we're talking about dialogue between monks). But I don't understand why he doesn't give us the courtesy of providing translation, if only my means of footnotes. It is as if Umberto Eco want so show the reader how smart he is. Silly, because his intelligence is plainly clear anyway. Bottom line: a good mystery in a creepy and unusual setting. One also gets a good history lesson on religious upheavals of 14th century Europe. However the book would have been much more enjoyable if Mr. Eco targetted it to folks, like me, without doctorates in medieval studies.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book -- one of my favorites
Review: Umberto Eco's masterpiece, The Name of the Rose, has become one of my favorite books. I recommend this edition in particular due to the thirty plus pages of analysis and the author's response to feedback for the book. For anyone who enjoys mysteries, medieval Europe and/or religion (specifically Catholicism), this book is a must have. Please note, this is not an easy read: Latin phrases are placed throughout the novel (so if you don't know Latin you may want to keep a translator nearby), also some knowledge of the historical figures mentioned is helpful in better understanding the book -- but I believe it can be enjoyed even with out this. The story is told in the first person, by Adso a Benedictine Monk (who is recounting this story many years later) assigned as the assistant/scribe to Brother William of Baskerville. They have travelled to an Italian abbey to investigate reports of heresy and end-up investigating a series of bizarre murders. Eco has done a tremendous amount of research, resulting in a believable account of a ficitious event. He mentions historical figures and intertwines them with his fictional characters. Every detail of the abbey and its inhabitants has been meticulously crafted -- you won't find any annoying anachronisms here. In his postscript, the author himself notes that he was forced to move the story into the 14th century because, he "needed an investigator, English if possible, with a great gift of observation and a special sensitivity in interpreting evidence." Which was only possible in the Fanciscans only after Roger Bacon. You may be able to find a copy of the movie adaptation in your video store, starring Sean Connery as William and Christian Slater as Adso; but the book is so much better. Definitely pick-up a copy today.
Rating:
Summary: Thrilling
Review: You will not sleep comfortablely until you finish that book. For such a book of great litrerature, I cannot find anything to say. Just read it and walk in the mysterious labyrinths by the help of Eco's wonderful descriptions.
Rating:
Summary: AudioBook read by Theodore Bikel
Review: I won't comment here on the story "The Name of The Rose" which has been covered in over 100 other reviews, and which I may discuss in my own review column. This review is about the Abridged version recorded by Theodore Bikel. I remember sitting on my father's lap and listening to the radio. "The Creaking Door" "The Shadow" "The Green Hornet" And I remember being read to, wonderful adult books with "hard words." Audio-only is a form of entertainment that is enjoying a Renaissance today -- perhaps because our jobs consist of staring at a computer screen all day and we want to be entertained with our eyes closed after that. Or perhaps because we get stuck in traffic and use that time to "read". Or now, you can download some of these audio-books into your pc or palm-top, or burn the recording into a CD and take it anywhere. "The Name of the Rose" is 4 audio tapes, 45 minutes to a side. Each piece starts with some marvelous Medieval church chanting --and goes directly to the voice of Theodore Bikel. Then ends with more church music. There are no other "FX". On this tape, Bikel only reads -- this is not like some of the audio-books that have been recorded for Star Trek spinoff novels, where several actors play the characters, as in a radio drama, complete with sound effects. This tape is a single voice - but oh, what a voice! What a reader! I doubt anyone else could have brought this book alive for us. You want this tape if you loved reading the book because this reading illuminates the meaning of the story in new ways. Bikel also has a number of other books he's recorded. Search "Theodore Bikel" for the page full of them. Bikel reads in the First Person, as Brother William's assistant, and gives us a deep insight into the character of Brother William, the ex-Inquisitor with a mind like a scientist. It could not possibly have been read better. And I suspect the abridgement could not have been done better -- but still because this is such a long novel, with so much philosophical material in it, the condensation creates a problem the author probably winces at. As a professional writer and writing teacher at simegen.com, I want to explain what happened in this abridgement, and thus perhaps help you to decide if you want to buy these tapes. Some of the reviews of the novel note (either with praise or vexation) that the novel contains long passages about various Monkish orders and their philosophies and rival theologies. Some reviews note the long passages of description, either with delight at how this transports you to the ancient world, or with frustration at how it impedes the mystery narrative. Some love the philosophy, as dense as it is, and some find it too opaque. There is a reason the author supplied all this extra detail, all this discussion and background and history. There is a reason this novel is as long as it is in print. There are seven characters who die, and even more suspects. It's a complex mystery -- no, it is 7 mystery novels in one, because from the available evidence you don't know how many crimes or criminals or accidents you might be dealing with. Each murder requires the mystery-reader to know something of the victim's own background, and something of the backgrounds of the suspects in order for the reader to have a fair chance at guessing the solution to the mystery. This is not only difficult to write, it's very difficult to read. You must keep all the characters straight in your mind and juggle them all against an unfamiliar background. The material which some readers found intrinsically fascinating and revealing and others found boring or distracting is the material which the writer designed to help the reader keep everyone straight -- and which feeds the reader the information necessary to solve the crime themselves. And of course, some of that material is just amusing and distracting -- designed to make the reader guess wrongly at who murdered whom and why. In the abridged audio version the "extra" material that contains the philosophy, backgrounds of the various orders, and intricate descriptions had to be condensed or deleted. It is whittled to the barest bones. The result is too many characters crammed too closely together, without thinking or breathing space, and without context. Well, no not wholly without context. The bare essentials are still there - the abridgement is well done -- it's still possible to solve the mystery before the detective does. And Bikel's reading adds nuance and depth beyond the mere words. I cried over the library burning, even though I knew it was coming. But to keep the characters and their names straight, juggle the mystery clues in your head, and follow the philosophy -- well, it takes some concentration. But, hey, you can do it with your sore eyes closed. Yes, this is the kind of audio-book to use for that hour before bedtime when you'd love to read yourself to sleep, but just can't make your eyes focus anymore. But you won't fall asleep to Bikel's reading. He makes every word a 'can't put it down' experience. Then having been transported away from your everyday cares, you'll be ready to sleep. I don't think these tapes are the best choice for "reading" while driving. You can't afford to miss any of the words or you'll lose track of the story and never understand the solution to the mystery. But if you're on a long cross-country drive, this is the right book to take into a motel with your portable tape player. You won't go to sleep with that white-line unrolling behind your eyelids - you'll be in a vaulted chapel with sunlight streaming through stained glass windows and monks chanting devoutly while plotting murder. You'll wake up gnawing on the problem the mystery poses and have something to think about while driving the next day, knowing you have another installment for the evening. The 8 45-minute sides are enough to take you from New York to Los Angeles without breaking the speed limit. Live Long and Prosper, Jacqueline Lichtenberg
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: This is a book that can be read on many many different levels -- as many reviewers have already pointed out, it can be historic and theologic book, it can be read as a piece of philosophy, as well as a crime story. But something that really makes this book unique in my eyes, is that for a careful and patient reader it offers endless small discoveries -- Eco has dropped lots and lots of hints for readers to find. The name of William of Baskerville (Arthur Conan Doyle and his Sherlock Holmes) is probably one of the most obvious out of them, But there is plenty of more -- only after having read Borges' "The Library of Babel" a few months ago it dawned to me why was the old librarian's name Jorge,. and I am sure there's still plenty of what I haven't discovered yet.
Rating:
Summary: What a wonderful book
Review: To begin, the translation is absolutely suberb. It's difficult to tell that it was written in Italian. Eco's research, writing ability, and story telling were combined to create a wonderful book. The Name of the Rose is difficult to put down...and on the other hand, you may have to put it down once in a while to ponder some of the ideas in the book. The book is very deep, much more than just a plot. I've seen extensions of the book mentioned here and there (for example, misogyny) that hadn't previously jumped out at me. If you have any interest in European History, the Catholic Church, or philosophy, among other topics, you will enjoy this book. Some of the philosophical ideas in the book challenged me, although a philosophy major might think they're no big deal. I won't specifically mention any details of the plot. You'll spend some time studying the floor plan of the library, and the monastery as well. Enough - go find the book and read it! econ
Rating:
Summary: Mayhem in the Monastery
Review: "The Name of the Rose" is a great period novel by an aweseomely talented writer, set in early 14th century when the Inquisition was in full swing. An English monk, Brother William of Baskerville, and his young assistant Adso of Melk, arrive at a monastery with the largest library in Christendom to investigate a series of puzzling assassinations that seem to have an uncanny coincidence with the plagues fortold in the Book of Revelations. A central argument of the book is the the all-encompassing love of Christ, as represented by William, versus the narrow-mindedness of medieval Catholicism as practiced by too many of the clergy, most egregiously in this story by Brother Bernard Gui, the diabolical Dominican inquisitor who seems more like an agent of the devil than a representative of Christ. Another argument, and related to the first, is the ongoing battle between knowledge, as represented by science, again in the persona of William, and ignorance, as represented by narrow-minded religion in the persona of the blind Spanish monk Jorge of Burgos who is literally and figuratively blind to the light. Eco takes the reader right into the heart of the time and the place; he makes us feel what it is like to live in a 14th century monastery, and in an inspired touch he names the chapters in the book by the canonical hours in which the action happens (matins, lauds, prime, terce, etc.) William of Baskerville is a medieval Sherlock without the attitude; he is humble yet shrewd, intelligent, sensible, honest, and open-minded enough to understand that monks are as human and fallible as everyone else. The book is a learning experience as well as a reading experience, and earns top scores on both counts.
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