Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, a medieval mystery set in an Italian monastery, is a difficult read but rich in history. Eco fills his story with vivid and detailed descriptions of the culture, lifestyle and issues facing monks in the early thirteen hundreds. Eco even provides a map of the monastery, its grounds and a layout of the labyrinth of the library, which becomes central to the mystery.
Brother William of Baskerville, a Franciscan, arrives with his scribe and novice Adso at the very rich abbey just after a young monk has died from a tall from one of the towers. Was he pushed or did he jump?
Soon Brother William and Adso are confronted with two more murders. Instead of help from the resident, monks, William and Adso are hindered in their efforts by secretive scripts, underlying plots by disgruntled brothers and a library that is fiercely guarded by the librarian.
William and Adso manage to find their way into the forbidden library and promptly get lost in its labyrinthine corridors and rooms. Adso discovers one of the snares set by the librarian the hard way. Painstakingly, they map the layout, which reveals even more secrets kept from most of the brethren. The body count rises and they are faced with an impatient abbot, ready for them to leave.
Eco’s plot is borne of religious ideals and opinions of the time period. But the mystery is only a secondary story as Eco adds many additional stories that confuse and overwhelm the reader. He takes great lengths to illustrate both sides of the debate on what constitutes heresy. A good portion is given to Adso’s unexpected tryst with a beautiful peasant girl who delivers her body to the monks in exchange for food.. A meeting to reconcile certain religious differences between Pope John XXII and the Emperor last a good chunk of the book.
Eco impresses the reader with an extensive knowledge of medieval literature and the religious climate but if one is not on equal footing as the author, the story seems to ramble.
The Name of the Rose is well-written but definitely not a cozy read. Perhaps a good knowledge of medieval religious societies would make it more enjoyable for the reader. It certainly warrants a second look since the reader will not have to be reintroduced to the main characters and can focus more on the story.
Brother William of Baskerville, a Franciscan, arrives with his scribe and novice Adso at the very rich abbey just after a young monk has died from a tall from one of the towers. Was he pushed or did he jump?
Soon Brother William and Adso are confronted with two more murders. Instead of help from the resident, monks, William and Adso are hindered in their efforts by secretive scripts, underlying plots by disgruntled brothers and a library that is fiercely guarded by the librarian.
William and Adso manage to find their way into the forbidden library and promptly get lost in its labyrinthine corridors and rooms. Adso discovers one of the snares set by the librarian the hard way. Painstakingly, they map the layout, which reveals even more secrets kept from most of the brethren. The body count rises and they are faced with an impatient abbot, ready for them to leave.
Eco’s plot is borne of religious ideals and opinions of the time period. But the mystery is only a secondary story as Eco adds many additional stories that confuse and overwhelm the reader. He takes great lengths to illustrate both sides of the debate on what constitutes heresy. A good portion is given to Adso’s unexpected tryst with a beautiful peasant girl who delivers her body to the monks in exchange for food.. A meeting to reconcile certain religious differences between Pope John XXII and the Emperor last a good chunk of the book.
Eco impresses the reader with an extensive knowledge of medieval literature and the religious climate but if one is not on equal footing as the author, the story seems to ramble.
The Name of the Rose is well-written but definitely not a cozy read. Perhaps a good knowledge of medieval religious societies would make it more enjoyable for the reader. It certainly warrants a second look since the reader will not have to be reintroduced to the main characters and can focus more on the story.
2 comments:
it is a good novel
I enjoyed it very much too, Cheese. The movie was a good representation of the novel, but had to cut so much out because of the length, I suppose. Sean Connery was a great selection for William of Baskerville.
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