Book Review Of The Name Of The Rose: The Name Of The Truth Essay

Imagine a medieval Benedictine monastery, with cell arers, herbalists, gardeners, librarians, young novices. One after the other, half a dozen monks are found murdered in the most bizarre ways, and the reader actually quickly finds out that the monastery, supposedly a place of piety and peace is the place of sin and corruption. William of Baskerville, a learned Franciscan who is sent to assoil the mystery finds himself involved in the frightening events inside the abbey. This is the story of "The pertain 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 some years later) arrive at the monastery. The monastery contains the greatest library of Christianity. The monks live "by books and for books" (351), however, only the librarian and his assistant are allowed to enter the stacks in the labyrinth of the library. The reason is that there are thousands of books by pagan, Jewish, Ar ab authors, and the librarian has the independent power to decide whose mind is mature enough to view these "heresies" (340). Naturally, the nix library, like heaven, becomes the place that all the monks crave for. Strange intrigues develop among the monks, and shortly turn to murder. A gifted young illuminator, Adelmo, is killed the next morning a second monk is found dead, plunged head first into a gun barrel of pigs blood. Surprisingly enough, toward the end of the book it turns ou...