Name of the Rose
Imagine a medieval Benedictine monastery, with cellarers, herbalists, gardeners, librarians, young novices. One after the other, half a dozen monks are found murdered in the most bizarre ways, and the reader very quickly finds out that the monastery, supposedly a place of piety and tranquility is the place of sin and corruption. William of Baskerville, a learned Franciscan who is sent to solve the mystery finds himself involved in the frightening events inside the abbey. This is the story of "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco. It is the year 1327 when William of Baskerville and his young scribe (Adso of Melk, who narrates the story many years later) arrive at the monastery. The monastery contains the greatest library of Christianity. The monks live "by books and for books" (351), however, only the librarian and his assistant are allowed to enter the stacks in the labyrinth of the library. The reason is that there are thousands of books by pagan, Jewish, Arab authors, and the librarian has the sovereign power to decide whose mind is mature enough to view these "heresies" (340). Naturally, the forbidden library, like heaven, becomes the place that all the monks crave for. Stra
This is a wonderful book. The author does so much more than just tell a story. "The Name of the Rose" is an exciting and thrilling book, in which the principal mystery is the truth itself. Before they solve the mystery of the murders, the main characters have to encounter many philosophical questions about faith, the truth of the Christian Church, and the many different truths of numerous heresies. Who is right, the heretics who argue against private ownership in the name of Christ who never owned anything, or the Inquisitors of the Christian Church who burn them alive? The questions and controversies are for the reader to answer, or, rather, to consider, because there are no ultimate solutions. The monastery is the place that seems to breed sinister plots while it supposedly remains one of the best and richest dwellings of the spirit of God. Horrible crimes that take place are committed for very noble purposes. Brother William solves the mystery, like Sherlock Holmes, often having to disobey the rules of the monastery in order to find the murderer. Adso questions whether William, his teacher, has lost his faith. The old biblical problem, whether passion for knowledge is a sin, f
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Approximate Word count = 800
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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