Medieval Murder Mystery

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. Reviewed by Steve on March 16th, 2009.

William of Baskerville, a Franciscan friar, journeys to an abbey in Italy with his assistant, Adso of Melk, as emissaries from the Holy Roman emperor to debate with the papal legation concerning the poverty of Christ and the Franciscan order. After arriving, William and Adso are summoned by the abbot to investigate the mysterious death of one of the monks. The abbey boasts one of the largest and most comprehensive libraries of the 14th century, but the library itself is shrouded in mystery--no one but the librarian and his assistant may enter the library.

As William investigates the death of Adelmo, the illuminator, other mysterious deaths occur under apocalyptic circumstances, apparently foretelling the second coming of Christ. One monk is found dead in a vat of pig's blood, another is found dead in a tub of water, another is found bludgeoned to death, and another keels over during prayers and dies. Rumors about the apocalyptic nature of the murders fly about the compound, whipping all the monks into a fearful religious frenzy.

When William comes close to solving the murders, the abbot asks him to cease his investigation, for one of the monks, Remigio, confessed to all the murders while inquisitioned by Bernard of Gui, the leader of the papal legation and an experienced inquisitor. Despite the abbot's request, William and Adso return to their investigation, seeking to discover the truth about the murders and the mysterious library, but what they discover could cost them their lives.

Umberto Eco's novel combines semiotics, reader response theory, hermeneutics, and postmodernism into this richly complex narrative. It is historical fiction at its essence, but the author has weaved historical fact, fiction, and conjecture so masterfully that it is nearly impossible to separate them. Indeed, part of its success rests on the fact that while not everything is true, the entire novel is historically accurate; meaning that the topics and themes raised throughout the narrative not only fit into the time period, but they were also among the most controvercial and hotly debated issues of the day.

Admittedly, the novel does start off rather slow and it takes some time to work up to an enjoyable pace, but it is well worth the wait. When the pacing does pick up speed, it rapidly escalates to a sprint, and you will find yourself wanting to read faster and faster. I found this to be a pleasant experience, but I did have to force myself to slow down so that I could fully absorb what I was reading.

Additionally, while this is a compelling novel, you do have to have a keen interest in the Middle Ages (or a willingness to learn about the period and develop one) to fully enjoy the story, as there are many allusions and references to other literary works, famous Medieval personalities, historical milestones, quotations in latin, and the like. These can become a burden if you are not familiar with them, since they hold no meaning for you. But if you do have an interest in the Middle Ages, or you are willing to look up the references you are not familiar with, you will be wonderfully delighted by this novel.

5 Stars