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.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Detail
Review: Brilliant detail in the life and times of a medieval monestary. The characters in this book gave me a full appreciatiion for how and why people thought what they did. The best history lesson of the period that I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Please ignore an bad reviews of this book - here's the deal
Review: Let's start with the basics: This is a mystery novel. It is also a history lesson,a meditation on the abuses of power, and an argument for logic's inevitable triumph over ignorance. Not so bad so far, eh? How 'bout this - it's an enjoyable read. Honest. You will not be bored, I promise.Hell, you might even pick up a little extra knowledge about...oh, let's say the Cathars, for example. That's more than you'll pick up from Oprah's book-o-rama, or the latest CyberPunk tome. In the end, you'll wish that this book had been a few hundred pages longer - no, I'm not joking.
Rating: 
Summary: Far more accessible than you think
Review: This is long since recognized as a book that'll last and forever define its author, and I won't review it just to fawn at the shrine. I will, though, warn you not to become intimidated.This isn't the daunting challenge some reviewers make it out to be. Name of the Rose is an engaging read, and you don't need to become bogged down trying to completely understand the religious and political subtexts in order to appreciate it. It's a splendid, enjoyable book if you approach it as one. Nobody's testing you later. Enjoy it. Personally I find Adso and William of Occam, the central characters, to be closer to stock genre characters than they should be. This isn't a harsh criticism; just an explanation of that last star denied. (I've read this four times, too, so once for each star I guess.) People who read Umberto Eco really should appreciate Italo Calvino too. Calvino is far sparer, if you want a graceful read for the park. Neither author's strength is characterization, and they have similarly quirky voices, at least as I read them.
Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL AND INTRIGUING
Review: If I had to make a list of my top 25 novels this would definitely be on that list. It is a wonderful and intriguing mystery set in a fourteenth century monestary. It is my all-time favourite murder mystery. The writing is incredible and the characterization wonderful. Yes, it's long, but boy what fun! Read it and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Minds and Hearts remain, only the age has changed
Review: The book provokes much thought. It does not entertain, bur rather becomes part of the reader. One hears the sounds of the chant ,of the feet on their way to vespers, the sounds of the garden at dawn or dusk. The book is the "feel" of an era.... not a judgement, but a visit. Who are we to judge , but only to partake, to be part of . Does a catharsis take place upon reading this book? I believe it does, this has nothign to do with likeing or disliking the book. There have always been sinners and saints in the church and times are the same... then or now. The beauty and mystical tradtions are painted and sounded for the reader. i best liked the review that said""Stat rosa pristina nomine, nomina nuda tenemus". Literaly it can be translated as "The ancient rose subsists thanks to its name, we have only bare names". It is an ancient sentence often quoted by s.c. nominalist philosophers of Middle Ages who thought that our mind isn't able to discover the true essence of things and so it isn't able a fortiori to have the minimum idea of God. In fact in medieval philosophy God was often compared to the figure of a rose" This was fasintation to me. A book to read again!The Latin was a great work out for the brain.
Rating:
Summary: So Many Books, All "Not As Good As The Name of the Rose"
Review: If I have to name the few rare books whose impact on me has not diminished over time, I'd include "1984", "The Lord of the Flies", "The Name of the Rose", and "Age of Innocence". Umberto Eco's masterpiece towers over everything else in the categories of historical fiction, mystery, and thrillers. It will challenge you intellectually, yet also thrill you out of your breath. When you are done, you may feel a bit depressed that the book is over. As a partial remedy, follow up with "An Instance of the Finger Post", which displays much of the former's brilliance.
Rating:
Summary: A Notch Below a materpeice
Review: The Name of the Rose is clearly more than just a mystery tale. It reflects not only Eco's analysis of the Avignon papal period but also his thoughts on contemporary Italian culture. Readers of a French virtual bookstore recently voted the book the third greatest of the century. That is where the legend surrounding eco supercedes reality- at moments in the book, Eco's amazing intelligence and lengthy details get the better of him and hinder the powerful momentum that the book offers. This is not a quality of the book, and forces me to give it four instead of five stars. All in all, everyone should read this book.
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