“The year is 1327….a fierce power struggle is taking place between the newly elected Pope, John the XXII, and Louis the Bavarian, newly elected King of the Holy Roman Empire, over the theology of Jesus. Brother William of Baskerville is dispatched by the Pope to investigate allegations of heresy made against Franciscan Monks. His mission changes however when upon his arrival at the monastery he is informed of the mysterious death of one of the order’s members just days before. Thus William, at the Abbot’s request, must turn detective to solve this crime. William possesses a wry sense of humor and an exceptional deductive ability, which he will need in order to solve this mystery. With the help of his scribe, Adso, William searches deep into the secrets of the abbey and their mysterious library, to which only a privileged few are allowed admission and where secrets are protected at any cost.
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco is one of the most interesting and well-written murder mysteries that I have read in years. Eco has done a fabulous job of creating a two-man team that truly rivals Doyle’s Holmes and Watson. What really stands out is Eco’s ability to set up the main plot with an authentic description of the theological battles which enveloped the early Church. Division theology is as common now as it was then, the difference being we no longer sentence people to death for disagreeing with us. My favorite parts were the long and at times ridiculous debates the monks had over such mundane topics as why Jesus slept in Bethany while visiting Jerusalem. This book gets two thumbs up in my opinion and I only wish Eco had turned this into a series.
”
Jud H wrote this review Friday, October 9 2009.
(
reply |
permalink )
