The Name of the Rose: including Postscript to the Name of the Rose

Rating:
Summary: Umberto Eco Has Arrived
Review: Umberto Eco's monumental 1980 novel The Name of the Rose has an unusual history. A long and multifaceted novel, it plunges readers directly into a Byzantine world of medieval politics and arcane religious intrigues.

Rating:
Summary: The Name of the Rose
Review: The year is 1327. A young novice, Adso, and his respected master, Brother William, are invited to an ancient abbey in Italy to discover the truth behind a curious suicide - or murder? - that has recently taken place. On top of this, two rival clerical factions, debating the legitimacy of a vow of poverty, are soon to be arriving at the abbey, and William's learned opinion is requested.

We view the unfolding events through the somewhat naive eyes of Adso. He is a youth plagued with the natural doubts and desires that afflict most every teenager, and on top of this, as the number of murders mount and the political intrigue heightens, he must tackle what seems to be an evil force of destruction, perverting the seven trumpets of the lord, and comes to terms with the not-so-perfect realities of life as a monk. There are times when Adso is unable to handle the unfolding events, retreating into visions and dreams, and occasionally breaking down. William is a strong guide, helping the young man face the realities that we all must face eventually - that our elders are not always our betters.

The murders take place at roughly one a day, each one more gruesome than the last. William and Adso are able to figure out that the murders all seem to be connected with the abbey's library, one of the richest and oldest in the Western world at the time. But unfortunately, the library is off-bounds, as per the abbot's instructions, and even when they do manage to enter the forbidden areas, the library reveals itself to be a labyrinth, filled with danger, mystery and knowledge.

Because we are viewing events 'as Adso', the young novice is a fairly passive character. He serves mostly to bounce questions off William so that the wise brother can solve the various puzzles he faces. William is an extremely intelligent man, able to solve difficult riddles with apparent ease, and we hold him in as much awe as does young Adso. Of course, the downside to this is that we, as the readers, are along for the ride, rather than helping to discover the mysteries for ourselves.

Which raises another problem. Eco is obviously a very intelligent man. Too many authors, writing in medieval times, 'cheat' by either poorly researching the times in which they are writing, or they gloss over places and events. Not so with Eco. He has an intimate knowledge of the time in which he is writing, and he is not afraid to share it with us. Whole chapters will be little more than history lessons, as we watch the Catholic churches in the final throes of its great power. Passages in Latin are casually thrown about by the narrator and the characters, and are not translated. Also, many of the logical puzzles are based heavily around obscure writings and scriptures, which has the unfortunate consequence that, unless you possess a Master's of medieval history, you will never figure the mysteries out on your own. Which, in a lesser author, might be a problem, but Eco manages to walk the fine line of intelligent writing and 'look at me, I am smart' literary boasting. We know he is smart, but we feel as though we are being warmly introduced to the knowledge he has, not beaten over the head with it. Adso functions as a fantastic foil for this sort of writing, as he is nearly as ignorant as we would be. Without the careful explanations of Brother William, we would both be lost.

The sub-plot dealing with the political intrigues of the church are very interesting, but unfortunately, they at times distract from the main story. It is quite possible to be so caught up in the debate on whether Jesus was poor or not that the murders piling up are forgotten, and when they return, with the requisite young monk screaming about the halls, it can seem forced. But at the same time, were these sections to be removed, the novel would suffer from not creating a full enough picture of fourteenth century Catholic life.

The ending is satisfying, and not entirely impossible to guess - though for perhaps the wrong reasons as those that William reasons - but again the problem of Eco's use of obscure medieval terminology and culture raises its head. For us, there can be no shared satisfaction in capturing the villain together, rather, we must sit back and congratulate William on his wisdom.

The main negative of the novel - Eco's intelligence - should not really be viewed too harshly. He is smart, and he does let us know that, but we are welcomed, not rejected for being ignorant. It is a delight to read the intelligent, witty conversations between monks who are extremely knowledgeable in their fields, and perhaps we can learn from that. And happily, through Adso, the comfortingly human, young and naive character, we are able to see this world with fresh eyes, and to be introduced to it rather than closed off.