Book Overview of The Name of the Rose: The Name of the Truth

Envision a medieval Benedictine monastery, with cellarers, herbalists, gardeners, librarians, young novices. A single immediately after the other, half a dozen monks are located murdered in the most bizarre ways, and the reader pretty rapidly finds out that the monastery, supposedly a spot of piety and tranquility is the spot of sin and corruption. William of Baskerville, a discovered Franciscan who is sent to resolve 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 a lot of years later) arrive at the monastery. The monastery contains the greatest library of Christianity. The monks reside “by books and for books” (351), nonetheless, only the librarian and his assistant are permitted 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 determine whose thoughts is mature sufficient to view these “heresies” (340). Naturally, the forbidden library, like heaven, becomes the spot that all the monks crave for. Strange intrigues create amongst the monks, and all of a sudden turn to murder. A gifted young illuminator, Adelmo, is killed the subsequent morning a second monk is located dead, plunged head initial into a barrel of pigs’ blood.

Surprisingly enough, toward the finish of the book it turns out that all those horrible crimes had been committed for hugely ethical reasons. The manuscript that caused the murders is the second component of the ”Poetics” by Aristotle – the lost book containing his theory of comedy and laughter – has been found in the library and the murderer would do anything to stop the manuscript from becoming exposed to other folks.

Just before they solve the mystery of the murders, the most important characters have to encounter lots of philosophical concerns about faith, the truth of the Christian Church, and the a lot of unique truths of numerous heresies. Who is suitable, the heretics who argue against private ownership in the name of Christ who by no means owned something, or the Inquisitors of the Christian Church who burn them alive? The questions and controversies are for the reader to answer, or, rather, to contemplate, simply because there are no ultimate options. The monastery is the location that appears to breed sinister plots while it…

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