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Title: The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, William Weaver ISBN: 0-436-20128-3 Publisher: Secker & Warburg Pub. Date: 26 October, 1992 Format: Paperback |
Average Customer Rating: 4.59 (190 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Holmes v Borges revisited
Comment: This novel captures the human spirit in all its paradoxical splendor. The story is a mystery about mystery with wonderful literary references, some subtle, some even more subtle. It may be read casually or it may serve as the central book in a course on medieval history and theology. Eco evokes a sense of vastness and awe of the infinite in his fictional account of serial murders of monks living in a medieval monastary, murders which on the surface seem historically insignificant. There is a strong sense that the author worked very hard in weaving this tale, ever crafty and inventive, ever watchful of his creation and all who dwell there; yet at times the tale seems to tell itself, rather, the writer was merely re-iterating a story told to him. The margins dividing fact and fiction become arbitrary and all that remains is our belief (or suspension of disbelief) in the story. Indeed, important literary and philosophical questions remain unanswered in the end despite the conclusion of the murder-mystery. Our curiosity and need for an answer are temporarily satiated, until we realize that while the story is over the mystery continues. This book is obviously the result of painstaking labor and momentous inspiration, the finite and infinite united in art. Wonderful stuff.
Rating: 4
Summary: A Rewarding but Painstaking Read
Comment: 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.
Rating: 5
Summary: "For it is a tale of books, not of everyday worries"
Comment: The Name of the Rose has gained such a reputation for its detail and erudition that its finest attribute too often goes unmentioned: for the lover of books and ideas, philosophy and history, this book is fun. If you are intrigued by the idea of being immersed in a 14th century monastery, solving a murder mystery, and pondering questions about language, knowledge, and meaning along the way, then you will likely enjoy this book. If you aren't, you won't.
Yes, there are some obscure references (or, I should say, I noticed a few obscure references and have good reason to believe there are many more I did not notice) and, yes, there is some untranslated Latin. If the rest of the book interests you, these matters at the very least will not much hinder you; they will probably make the book that much better to reread. Mr. Eco approvingly quotes John Barth in the postscript: "My own analogy [in describing his "ideal postmodern author"] would be with good jazz or classical music: one finds much on successive listenings or close examination of the score that one didn't catch the first time through; but the first time through should be so ravishing--and not just to specialists--that one delights in the replay." With The Name of the Rose, Eco lives up to this criterion.
Intelligent books (or books perceived intelligent) tend to attract flatterers--people who fancy themselves clever for having read and praised a good book--and their inverse--people who fancy themselves clever for dispraising a book that flatterers praise. The Name of the Rose has attracted such chatter, and this is a shame--it is too good a book to simply be "gotten through." It is difficult in the sense that it is rich and worth thinking about; it is only as hard a read as the head that reads it.
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