The Name of the Rose

Umberto Eco

Sep 1994 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

“Explodes with pyrotechnic inventions, literally as well as figuratively. Hold on till the end.”—New York Times

“Whether you're into Sherlock Holmes, Montaillou, Borges, the nouvelle critique, the Rule of St. Benedict, metaphysics, library design, or The Thing from the Crypt, you'll love it. Who can that miss out?”—Sunday Times (London)

The beloved internationally bestselling historical mystery about a brilliant monk called upon to solve a series of baffling murders in a fourteenth-century Italian abbey

Italy, 1347. While Brother William of Baskerville is investigating accusations of heresy at a wealthy abbey, his inquiries are disrupted by a series of bizarre deaths. Turning his practiced detective skills to finding the killer, he relies on logic (Aristotle), theology (Thomas Aquinas), empirical insights (Roger Bacon), and his own wry humor and ferocious curiosity. With the aid of his young apprentice, William scours the abbey, from its stables to the labyrinthine library, piecing together evidence, and deciphering cryptic symbols and coded manuscripts to uncover the truth about this place where "the most interesting things happen at night."

Ratings and reviews

It took me ages to even begin reading the book, originally being lured in by the title. Then, upon reading the book, it took 100 pages to even get into wanting to read the book. Why? Eco's writing style is so pedantic that my adolescent brain will get so tired of trying to absorb these details that it becomes easily distracted. Once I got into it, however, I came to adore it, despite how difficult it is to understand the deeper meaning behind the story. Not perfect, but it's definitely better than most.

This was the first book I read by Eco. I have been a fan ever since. When you get tired of the formulaic novels churned out by authors who all use the same chart system - give this one a try

No matter if you watched the movie which is very good this book take your breath away from the beginning to the end, learning a lot in the process

About the author

Umberto Eco (1932–2016) was the author of numerous essay collections and seven novels, including The Name of the Rose, The Prague Cemetery, and Inventing the Enemy. He received Italy’s highest literary award, the Premio Strega; was named a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by the French government; and was an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.