• William of Baskerville, a Franciscan monk, and his novice Adso arrive at a Benedictine abbey in Italy to attend a theological debate but are soon tasked with investigating a mysterious death, which is believed to be a sign of the Apocalypse by the monks.
• As more deaths occur in the abbey, William employs logic, empirical observation, and a proto-scientific approach to deduce the cause, delving into the abbey's labyrinthine library, its politics, and the dangerous heretical texts that lie within.
• The series of murders are revealed to be related to a rare book by Aristotle on comedy, deemed heretical by the Church. The murderer, the blind librarian Jorge of Burgos, sees laughter as a threat to faith and has been killing to suppress the book. In the climax, the library is consumed by flames, destroying countless invaluable texts, and the abbey's order structure is irrevocably broken.
"The Name of the Rose" thus stands as a powerful commentary on the dangers of censorship, the fragility of knowledge, and the eternal dance between faith and reason.
In 1327, Franciscan monk William of Baskerville and his novice, Adso of Melk, visited a Benedictine monastery in northern Italy for a theological debate but became embroiled in investigating a series of mysterious deaths. The heart of the mystery lies in the abbey's vast and labyrinthine library, containing forbidden texts. The murders are tied to a lost work of Aristotle on comedy, seen as dangerous because it promotes laughter, which could undermine faith. The elderly librarian, Jorge of Burgos, believing in the threat of this text, commits the murders and ultimately sets the library aflame to destroy the book. Umberto Eco's novel masterfully intertwines a suspenseful mystery with profound philosophical and theological discussions on truth, signs, and the tension between faith and reason.
In 1327, the Franciscan monk William of Baskerville and his young novice, Adso of Melk, arrived at a Benedictine monastery in northern Italy to participate in a theological debate. However, their visit quickly turns dark as they become embroiled in a series of mysterious deaths within the abbey. William, with his sharp analytical mind and knowledge of logic, assumes the role of detective.
As they investigate, the duo discovers that the abbey houses a vast and labyrinthine library, which is virtually inaccessible to all but a few of the monks. This library becomes central to the mystery, containing rare and possibly heretical texts.
Throughout the novel, William and Adso uncover tensions and power struggles within the abbey and the larger Christian world. These conflicts revolve around issues of heresy, the poverty of Christ, and the interpretation of signs and symbols.
The solution to the murders lies in a forbidden book – a lost work of Aristotle on comedy. This text is considered dangerous because it promotes laughter, which the murderer, the old blind librarian Jorge of Burgos, believes undermines the faith. Jorge has been willing to kill to prevent the spread of this dangerous idea. In a climactic confrontation in the library, Jorge sets the book and the entire library aflame, causing an irreparable loss of knowledge.
The story is framed as a memoir written by Adso in his old age, looking back on the unforgettable events of his youth.
Umberto Eco, a semiotician by profession, delves deeply into medieval philosophy, theology, and hermeneutics, giving the novel profound layers of meaning. His portrayal of the tensions between faith and reason, heresy and orthodoxy, and the limits of interpretation make the narrative much more than a historical mystery.
Eco's detailed and rich portrayal of 14th-century monastic life is immersive. From the architectural details of the abbey to the rituals, politics, and daily routines of its inhabitants, the novel is a window into a bygone era.
At its heart, "The Name of the Rose" is a detective story. Yet, it's elevated by its intellectual underpinnings, making the journey of solving the mystery an allegory for the quest for truth in a world overshadowed by religious dogma.
Umberto Eco didn't initially set out to write a bestselling novel with "The Name of the Rose." His primary intention was to write a book that his friends would enjoy. In an interview, he once said he wanted to "reproduce for the reader the pleasure" he experienced while reading detective novels. To his surprise, this scholarly and dense detective story set in a medieval monastery became an unexpected bestseller, selling millions of copies worldwide and proving that intricate, intellectual narratives can capture the imagination of a broad audience.