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O nome da rosa
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O nome da rosa
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O nome da rosa
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O nome da rosa

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Durante a última semana de novembro de 1327, em um mosteiro franciscano na Itália, paira a suspeita de que os monges estejam cometendo heresias. O frei Guilherme de Baskerville é, então, enviado para investigar o caso, mas tem sua missão interrompida por excêntricos assassinatos. A morte, em circunstâncias insólitas, de sete monges em sete dias, conduz uma narrativa violenta, que atrai o leitor por seu humor, crueldade e erotismo.
LanguagePortuguês
PublisherRecord
Release dateMay 15, 2011
ISBN9788501094193
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O nome da rosa
Author

Umberto Eco

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.

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Rating: 4.197891896214662 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A masterpiece.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Medieval monks arguing the finer points of papal intrigue, some murders at the abbey, and a phantasmal library - wonderfully done, and translated at that.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Mysteries are generally not my thing, but I actually really enjoyed this book for the most part. The central mystery was exciting and involving, and the way everything was tied up with literature was enjoyable for me as a book nerd. I will admit that as a non-Christian the periodic lengthy theological events kinda lost me, but not to the point that it interfered with my overall enjoyment of the book too much. I read (and write) a lot of historical fiction, but usually not stuff that's set this far in the past, and Eco did an impressively good job with really making the reader feel fully immersed in that medieval world.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Knap postmodernistisch meesterwerk. De leerling-monnik Adso van Melk verzeilt in een moorddetective. Knappe mengeling van genres. Erudiet. En nog spannend bovendien.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book is heavy on the history, but the conclusion, which stunned me, was well worth the demanding read.But because I read it a touch impatiently the first time round, I feel compelled to read it a second time.Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very enjoyable. William of Baskerville was a great character, a cross between Dumbledore and Sherlock Holmes.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Brilliant book. The details of medieval monastic life are thoroughly described and it is these that give the novel its essence. The murders are solved in a fascinating away.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco is, at the most simple level, the story of a medieval Franciscan Sherlock and his Dominican Watson setting out to solve a series of murders at an Italian monastery. These murders center on a mysterious library and a missing book. Eco makes use of an incredible vocabulary; I kept thinking that finding the necessary English words must have been an extended treasure hunt for his translator. Eco also uses language to create strong, complex, overwhelming visual effects, conveying powerfully the art and architecture of the place and the intense impact they had on his assistant. The actual, so to speak “factual” ending of the story made me angry. Anyone who knows the ending can imagine why I would be upset. I was also angry because I felt I had been “had”. Eco had completely tricked me regarding the storyline he actually intended. Now that I have recovered my aplomb, I am amused and still shaking my head at Eco’s cleverness and at the extent to which the book I read had been my own creation. The material was there but the focus was my own. It will be interesting to go back and read TNOTR again sometime, knowing what I now know about it. I think it would be hard to read this book just for the mystery story, as there is just too much else going on. Having read it, I am strongly tempted to tackle his others, but cautiously.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    As a murder mystery, it fulfills its function perfectly: it makes us search through for clues, drops red herrings constantly, delays significantly enough to display fully our epistemophilia, 'strip-teases' the answer, and proffers enough allusions to make us feel remarkably intelligent at its conclusion. However, where it stretches beyond the confines of genre, seeking too much to enter the realms of sexuality or religious history, it fails to maintain interest of tone or reader. It relegates itself to a mediocrity between genres.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of my favorite books of all time.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    If you read this novel looking for the eerie murder mystery you remember from the film adaptation, you’ll find it—plus much more. Eco weaves this mysterious tale of monastic serial murder around the philosophical and theological schism that tore the Catholic church apart in the 14th century. Consequently, lengthy passages of the novel are devoted to religious debates concerning the poverty of Christ and whether the Franciscan devotion to it is appropriate, considering the Pope’s fondness for material possessions, wealth, and glamour in general. If you’re not already familiar with this historical context (and I wasn’t), you’ll need to invest considerable time and energy researching the state of the Catholic church in the middle of the 14th century.The good news is that it’ll be time and energy well invested, for the truth behind the murders in the monastery has much to do with the nature of religious knowledge and the problematic connection between truth and faith, as well as the determination of who holds the privilege to decide how and with whom various forms of knowledge are shared. Ultimately, the power struggle in the monastery—a microcosm of the power struggle within the church itself—lies at the bottom of the mystery, which is eventually solved by the Franciscan monk, William of Baskerville (a clever nod to the locale of one of Sherlock Holmes’ most well-known cases).If you don’t mind navigating through the web of intellectual rhetoric and history (and if you’re reading an Eco novel, what else would you expect?), you’ll be rewarded with a compelling tale of misbehaving monks.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I've read this book several times and several different ways--as a detective novel, it is quite interesting, with lots of interesting side lines. But it's also a novel about theology, the corruptions of power, the nameless poor striving for something out of life, and more. Some of the digressions are long, but they're really interesting if you give them a chance.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I really wanted to love this book. The monastery/library setting was superbly detailed and Eco is one of the few who can pull off the balance of philosophy and symbolism necessary to carry the reader along. However, the pace slows considerably and there are too many annoyingly predictable "twists and turns" that would be more suitable for a cheap mystery novel. Simply put, there isn't enough story to this labyrinth and, at best, this is a book of well written moments with scholastic fluff in between. Eco's postscript to this book is over-thought and overestimates the book's importance. Until he can craft a plot, he has not earned the right to fling untranslated Latin at me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked The Name of The Rose. I think having a degree in Theology (or related subjects) would make me like it a lot more. Nevertheless, I still liked it.The Name of the Rose is a 13th century murder mystery told in the voice of a monk writing about 7 days from his youth he would never forget. I don’t know that many 13th century monks, but from what I can tell, the tone and style of the book is incredibly well done. At first it is so well done that it becomes irritating, but after a few chapters it is hard to imagine the story being told in any other way. Even though the book has very few jokes, the tone leads to plenty of really funny moments as undignified moments are being told of in a “dignified” manner, as well as a handful of beautifully absurd “proper” descriptions of things that are anything but. The two main characters of the story, and at times the plot, seems to follow the tried and tested Sherlock Holmes formula, perhaps just a tad too shamelessly at times. Still, the plot is solid, engaging, and exciting.Seeing as the story takes place in an abbey, and is told by a monk, discussions of a religious nature are to be expected. For the most part I found them rather fascinating. There are plenty of interesting thoughts on religion, morals, literature, knowledge, and different ways of handling, using, and interpreting all of these things. This will always be a balancing act. There should be enough philosophy to add to the story, but not as much as to bore the reader/detract from the flow. A few times The Name of the Rose falls of this tight-rope rather badly. There are places where, in my opinion, pages of discussion takes place that adds nothing to the story at all. I’m sure I’m probably missing something, but some places, especially where historical religious figures are discussed, the inclusion of the discussions seems a little forced. That said, on balance, I found the “philosophical stuff” to add much more than it detracted.Overall I thought the book was good, but inconsistent. There are plenty of really fantastic moments. There are also plenty of moments that are… well, boring, but these are made up for by the good times. It’s not an easy read, it’s at times a frustrating read, but when all is said and done, I think it is a very worthwhile read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3* for enjoyment
    5* for quality

    Eco is brilliant, but perhaps too much so for me. He is an amazing philosopher. The central arguments around the political and the theoretical aspects of heresy might be interesting to those who enjoy that type of discourse but for me, it was outside my area of interest. The arguments he makes and biblical references were a lot to absorb, and I had to be in tip-top mental shape during my reading. Although not a long book, plan on spending some time reading each chapter.

    The mystery that is a sideline (I wouldn't call it the central part) of the story, was my favorite part. I enjoyed the deductive reasoning and the Sherlockian feel.

    The Latin throughout was a small hindrance but I could generally get the gist of what was being said. I spent some time looking up the different philosophies and monks in order to get a better understanding of each. I highly recommend this for those who don't have a lot of background in medieval history. It helped to clarify for me the stances that the monks took.

    A small complaint style-wise is in Eco's love of lists, some paragraphs were lines and lines of information which I thought could have been pared down.

    This is a future re-read in order to truly appreciate this incredible work
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The learned & scholarly author, Umberto Eco has heaped mystery upon mystery in this epic tale. This book may be considered esoteric, as it does take more of an effort to read. However, the reader shall be rewarded! The reader will learn the depravities of 14th century. He will also become apprised of examples of how the Catholic church warped the message of Jesus Christ. The book is a venerable deposit of knowledge that gives the mind a justified work-out.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    -- Driving home from work I listened to a radio interview with Umberto Eco, & a couple hrs. later I found his first novel in library Woman at circulation desk loves NAME OF THE ROSE & thought it might be too difficult for me. She said the writing as well as plot are complicated. (I didn't tell her I'm an English lit major.} I think everybody should exercise their minds as well as bodies. We talked about reading at least 100 pages. NAME OF THE ROSE is an enjoyable book. It's one to be read with fireplace not on beach. --
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    One of the first, and best, of the current crop of literary thrillers out there. Tough to get into at first, but keep going, it'll grab you.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Name of the Rose was a wildly interesting read that I'm glad I finally got around to reading. From a high level, the book is the story of a monk and his young assistant (novice) investigating a string of murders in a monastery in the 13th century. However, giving a "high level" overview of this book is a little misleading because there is just so, so, so much going on with this book. I read Foucault's Pendulum last year and the nature of the research and depth of this book is similar, but overall Name of the Rose is more accessible and likely to find a wider audience than Foucault's Pendulum.A quote from Eco indicated that the book has three primary ways to be read: First, to read just for the plot. Second, to be read from a historical standpoint and learn about the workings and debates of the medieval church. Third, to be read as an intertextual novel.The book follows a monk, William of Baskerville, and his assistant, Adso, as they travel to a monastery for the purpose of participating in a debate on a piece of church doctrine (the poverty of Christ) which was causing unrest and dissension among the various monastic orders. This particular issue, and many of the other conversations among the monks, is based on true historical events. The attention to detail and accuracy is one of the many things that impressed me a lot about this book and about Eco's writing in general. Reading some of the commentary of the book, it's explained how Eco went about determining the setting, the year and even the time of year for the book based on keeping true to research and data. Furthermore, the nature of the elements he wanted to include "forced" Eco to set his novel in a different century than the one he was already proficiently studied in (I believe the article indicated that Eco was well studied in 14th Century history)...but in order to keep the novel accurate, he set the novel in a different year and thus had to do more research.As I mentioned at the beginning, the main plot follows the investigations of William and Adso as they try to solve a string of grisly murders within the monastery. We're also taken alongside them in the debate and discussion about theology and, as a later part of the investigation, get to see the nature of a medieval Inquisition.The intertextuality of the story stood out to me quickly as William and Adso approached the monastery at the beginning and William deduced the "mystery" of a lost horse and then explained his deductive reasoning to Adso. I was quickly reminded of Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Indeed, William's home (Baskerville) served as another tribute to Holmes. The format of the narration is also similar to the way Watson narrates the Holmes adventures. In a large degree, William and Adso are presented as a sort of medieval Sherlock and Watson. William is sometimes quirky and snarky but also has a very methodical deductive process that seems to get results.Some of the other intertextual references were less obvious. I thought about a possible relation between Jorge of Burgos (one of the main monks) to the author Jorge Luis Borges. I haven't read enough of his work to see comparisons or tributes or anything, but in the commentary I read, it indicated that Eco definitely wanted to give a nod to Borges. There were a few other potential intertextual references that were less known to me, but also very interesting. The title of the book is apparently an intertextual reference to lines of a poem quoted at the very end of the book. I don't understand the full relationship, but it is an added element to shine on the depth of meticulous research that Eco uses in his writing.Overall, I found that the depth and detail of the novel was very, very intriguing but it also slowed down my reading progress at times. Especially when the text explored the elements of theological elements such as the nature of heresy, the poverty of Christ, the relationship between the Pope and the Emperor, etc., I felt myself get bogged down a bit. Part of me wanted to skip over these moments...but a larger part of me was so interested that I plowed through, not always understanding, but always intrigued. Apart from these slower historical moments, there were also a few significant sections of the book that were similarly slowing to my progress...Adso's dream/vision/nightmare and Jorge's sermon. Each of these had elements that were important to the plot but were also somewhat heavy in historical and theological detail (albeit obscure and strange to a layman such as myself).In spite of the slowdowns which made this book take a little longer to read, I really enjoyed the book in terms of all of the elements Eco mentioned...the story/plot itself, the intertextual elements and the historical/theological commentary. The book is a very interesting read and a very well crafted murder mystery with plenty of bizarre and intriguing twists and turns. Even though some of the historical/theological segments may be a bit daunting at times, I recommend taking the time to read this book.****4 out of 5 stars
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I greatly enjoyed this. Be forwarned that while it's a mystery novel, it's really about church history, and heresy, and dangerous knowledge... And also, if you're a librarian, it might make you cry.If you haven't read any Eco, I think this is a good place to start, because it's got a great plot and gets you used to Eco's wordy, erudite style.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In this order, I saw the movie, listened to an abridged audiobook, and read the book. Out of the three I would recommend the abridged audiobook, because it cuts out all the erudite passages and gives you the mystery story, which is extremely interesting. And yet... the historical details are fascinating too. As other reviewers have remarked, it's two books in one. I would recommend both the book and the author to readers who like a good mystery but want a little more substance than the average historical thriller. And, for a change, the movie did a fairly good job of communicating the essence of the book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The greatest thriller of all times. Please, don't lose your time with "Da Vincis Codes" and these stuff, read this book and you won't regret it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is one of the rare mystery novels out there that manages to be more than just a "whodunit." Mysteries, which come with the ready-made plot arc of crime/investigation/solution, often fail to give the reader much more than that, dressed up with a few different characters or a different setting. In Eco's book we get not only a decently plotted murder mystery , but also a close look at life in a medieval European abbey, plus an examination of the nature of books, of knowledge, of language, and ultimately of humanity. If that sounds like a lot, well, the book weighs in at about five hundred pages, so there's plenty of room for it.The actual mystery is not anything to write home about, nor does it suffice by itself to keep the reader turning the pages. What makes this book a masterpiece is the way it steeps you in the fascinating world of the medieval monks, and places you inside the heads of people who look at the world so very differently than we do today - but still, by and large, are very much like us. I'm not sure about the accuracy of the details of the larger historical plot, but they fit in with what I do know about the period, and I think Eco generally has a pretty good record on that score.I thoroughly enjoyed picking up on the subtle (and occasionally unsubtle) references to Sherlock Holmes that Eco makes in describing William of Baskerville's character and behavior. William is a little bit of an anachronism but not overtly; his beliefs and way of thinking are rather modern, but Eco provides sufficient evidence that he arrived at that mindset from available medieval literature and experiences, so we buy it and move on.If you have no interest in history or theology, and aren't interested in a relatively slow-paced immersion in the historical world and mindset of medieval Catholic monks, you might find this novel too slow or too boring for your tastes. It's definitely not a quick beach-read mystery. On the other hand, if you like historical fiction, this is a gem of that genre; if you want a book that will entertain you while making you think, and which you can't finish in one sitting, this one's for you. Ultimately, the final revelation is less about the identity of the criminal, but the nature of crime, and I'm going to be pondering the theological/philosophical implications of the ending for a few days at least. I fully expect this book to stand up to a re-read in a year or so.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Upon arriving at the abbey, Brother William and his apprentice Adso are greeted with a lack of co operation and a number of warnings and mysteries. The first death has happened before they arrived. Brother Adelmo is found at the bottom of the tower, from which he has fallen (or did he jumped? Or was pushed?). In their investigation they find that everyone seems to know something, but no one is willing to talk and they start running out of time as the bodies continue to accumulate and the Inquisitors are on their way.Eco has written a very dark but well designed mystery. Early on into the books I made up my own list of suspects, based on the many clues hinted at throughout the book. Despite my determination to figure out who was the cause of all the murders, the book kept me guessing until the end. As it turns out the culprit wasn't even on my suspect list!You are led through the mystery by Brother Williams young apprentice, Adso. A young novice Adso is both naive and intelligent. He is well versed in matters of theology (as are most characters in this novel- and they love to debate them!) but inexperienced when it comes to life. This makes him very human and relatable and in addition a reliable narrator. You trust what he is telling you and never question whether he is leaving anything out. He is telling you the story exactly as he saw it.Eco is a very descriptive writer and it is easy to lose yourself in the setting of a monastery in1327. Alternatively, however, there is a great deal of time spent on the politics of the time. At this time, when the fear of the Inquisition was felt all over, politics meant theology. Eco writes in detail about some intense theological debates, such as the poverty of Jesus. As a former student of religious studies I could follow some of these debates but even I didn't understand some of the references and arguments some times. These debates should not discourage anyone from reading the book, as it is easy enough to just the jist of them and continue of with the story.Overall an excellent read and a great mystery. Destined to be a classic.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    One of the worst books i ever read. i can't understand why i didn't drop it after i had struggled through the first few pages, but it was just probably me not knowing how to cut my losses.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Umberto Eco's first novel is certainly an extraordinary debut - the wealth of knowledge he has accumulated in semiotics and history is clearly on display. The plot is a relatively simple murder-mystery set in a mediaeval abbey, but it is so much more than that. In the pursuit of the truth, William - an English monk and scholar, and the noviciate narrator Adso search for meaning - the meaning of words, ideas, and symbols. Much like how Faust was offered a book that contained everything by the demon Mephistopheles, Eco offers the reader a book that contains digressions and debates on mediaeval heresy, the theological implications of laughter, and symbology to name just a few. Elements of Sherlock Holmes and Jose Louis Borges's The Library of Babel also permeate the story.

    Eco presents The Name of the Rose as a found manuscript that he translated, and as such, continues the air of realism that surrounds the novel's setting: Eco ably recreates the often claustrophobic and yet deeply spiritual atmosphere of a mediaeval abbey. With many excerpts of Latin left untranslated (which as first proves somewhat of a hindrance), the Latin literary life of a monk at the time is also demonstrated.

    The climax of the novel, though dramatic, is entirely derived by happenstance which seems to rob the novel and indeed the actions of William and Adso of a satisfactory triumph. Nevertheless, the climax does allow a final prolonged debate of the nature of mockery and laughter in religion, along with a digression on Aristotle.

    Eco's first novel, then, is indeed a perfect post-modern work: "books always speak of other books, and every story tells a story that has already been told", the quote in the novel goes. And that is the story which The Name of the Rose tells, the story of books and of a search for meaning, meaning which Eco robs from the novel in its accidentally-arrived conclusion.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is a book I have attempted several times but never completed: I loved the film, and lots of my friends recommended the book. I can't even blame it on the translation: I just couldn't get into it. Definitely one to attempt again though before I die.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    impressive book. Eco weaves a tale of murder at a medieval abbey in Italy. but it’s not so simple as that.

    Eco convenes not only a murder mystery and theological congress at the abbey but also a kind of epistemological terrarium wherein ideas about knowledge, its power and use, existence, social control, sin, sexality, and the human condition of putting ourselves into contortions based on those ideas.

    the characters are rich and even with the POV being Adso’s, they become people to care about in a strangely distant way. perhaps it’s Adso’s descriptions and musings about them that give us reason to do so. the plot is engaging, the glimpse into the life of a medieval abbey is fascinating and believable, the theological debate is also intriguing but often runs amok. Eco, i think, likes to argue with himself about such things on the page, not quite showing off. his knowledge of these matters is truly astounding but he seems like a man muttering to himself in a secluded office filled with papers and books while he bangs away at some important treatise on a new philosophical hypothesis. some of those passages become overly tedious and superfluous but Eco deftly pulls us back to the regular course of things, relieving us of the long-winded pontifications of long-dead monks and friars.

    the book is also unrepentant in its use of Latin and other non-English phrases without translation. yes, the publisher could have provided some kind of translation appendix or footnotes right on the page containing English translations, but i actually liked having to stretch my rusty Latin joints and do a bit of research where the other languages were concerned. still, for the more casual reader, it would seem merely courteous to translate these passages.

    this is one of those epic tales that occurs within a very short amount of time, like all the universe in a grain of sand. it’s deep and yet quickly over- over too soon. i wanted to know much, much more about William of Baskerville and Adso. Eco could easily have written a whole series of books with him/them. i’m fairly certain that Brother Cadfael, William, and Mr. Holmes are related somehow. the events at the abbey convey so much about the world at large during that time period but also about our own time -the tale is universal and allegorical, applying to the broader, more fundamental shared human nature that isn’t stuck in a particular time but appears wherever and whenever humans live out their lives.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "Stat Rosa pristina nomine, nomina nuda tenemus"In "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto EcoAs a novelist Eco blends the style of Arthur Conan Doyle with that of Cervantes in a most intellectually entertaining way but with surprising heart, also. It makes me keen to explore the labyrinth of his philosophy, which seems to exist in a realm of its own immune from the tedium and drudgery of most contemporary attempts at philosophy. Do you remember pictures in which you can see a nice girls or an old woman depending on the prospective you are using: What I like of Umberto Eco's books is the indeterminate aspects of described situations which often are a surprise for readers. You can never predict how the story will develop and this is true for his first "The Name of the Rose" and his last "Numero Zero" book. “The Name of the Rose” contains a Latin sentence: Stat rosa pristina nomine: Does this mean that the rose existed before the name was given or that before the name a rose was present? Dense in the most wonderful way but, with Eco being what he was, you don't feel it is at all pretentious; I prefer savouring and pondering some of his sentences for minutes on end before moving on to the next. It's pretty clear that's what he did when writing it. The film was entertaining as a murder mystery but, precisely because of that, probably diverted most viewers away from what the ex-Catholic Eco was actually saying.Umberto Eco invented the medieval mystery genre; and knew that 'modern' people have always been around; and that there were no 'medieval' or 'other' ones. He was a medieval scholar as well as a semiologist who I saw speak, on the subject of names for colours and any cultural difference there might be in this. In fact he spoke about translation and used this, and the translations of some of his works, as an example of what might be lost or not in translation from one cultural situation to another.The book will last also because of its sense of a common humanity and an understanding of the petty jealousies and shortcomings of academic, sorry monastic life. Perhaps it's a sort of displaced campus novel, like David Lodge or Malcolm Bradbury. It also shows how academic studies can have a popular effect; and “The Name of a Rose” film, not like the book really, also contains his sense that it is tragedy that knowledge can lost in its transmission but also comedy in the way that through scholarly inquiry, and also effort and luck, much can be regained.There is so much that can be gained when we look at 'reality' and received 'truth' in a new or fresh way. This is an avant-garde element of his thinking which was not of the left or radical like that but very liberal in the sense of libertarian. From a sceptical and erudite medievalist and thinker came a great and popular work that is Italian in its fable-like elements but also European. His leading character in the "Name of the Rose" is also English and he was an Anglophile.Coming back to the last sentence is "Stat Rosa pristina nomine, nomina nuda tenemus" (The first sentence of the actual narrative is as banal as it gets: "Era una bella mattina di fine Novembre." The first sentence of the Prologue is "I principio era il Verbo e il Verbo era presso Dio", i.e., identical with the opening of St. John's gospel!) It is by now well known that that final sentence is a quote from De contemptu mundi by Bernard of Cluny/Morlaix/Morlay. Of course the rose exists before the name is given, but the sentence more or less explicitly states that names remain after the referents have ceased to exist. It is of course open to further interpretation.This great populariser of philosophical thought was always in search of a truth behind the appearance of things, just like his detective protagonist William Baskerville. This idea, his writing affirms, will last.NB: One of my favourite statements by Eco (roughly formulated from memory) is that when critics objected that certain passages in "The Name of the Rose" were completely anachronistic, i.e., out of keeping with medieval sensibilities and attitudes, in almost each case the passages they cited were ones he had translated word for word from authentic medieval sources. Unlike the critics, who only knew the popular, simplistic view of the middle ages, Eco knew all the nooks and crannies of medieval culture.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read this one ages ago, around the time when the film came out, and developed something of a thing about Umberto Echo as a result.I can remember enjoying it and can imagine getting around to re-reading it some day. The most memorable thing about the movie is that Sean Connery appeared in it looking quite remarkably like my father!