Reviews tagging 'Islamophobia'

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

6 reviews

iirreeaadd's review

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challenging dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This book is long and overwritten. I found myself skimming or simply skipping chunks of this book that were basically long lists of things that were not relevant to the plot of the book at all. Despite this, I found the core murder mystery plot of the book to be engrossing, as well as the reasons for it. I was able to finish the book fairly quickly and felt engaged throughout as I wanted to know what happens next. It's definitely a bit dense at points but overall I found it a good read.

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laurajeangrace's review against another edition

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challenging informative mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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directorpurry's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


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seanml's review

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challenging dark informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A very well-written story, centered on a mysterious death at a Catholic abbey in the 1320s, and the two monks that set to uncover the truth. Despite its length, I thought this book was very well written (Or perhaps, translated since it was originally published in Italian) and goes by quickly. However, if one half of this book is mystery, the other half (And I’m not exaggerating: 50% of the narrative at least) is all theological discussion in the setting of medieval Italy. If that doesn’t sound very interesting to you, brace yourself. And even if that does sound interesting, brace yourself even further because with medieval Abrahamic religion comes intense, indoctrinated misogyny. Is it culturally and historically, accurate? Perhaps. Does the author actually believe in the evil of women? Luckily, no. Nevertheless you’ll encounter multiple sections where monks preach the evils of womanhood, all while the abbey is beset by lies and murder. But as our main characters trudge on, they must ask: Where is the goodness of their God? Where is the justice in His cosmic plan? The answer becomes less and less confident. Equal parts mystery, equal parts Catholic history, equal parts theological skepticism, I thought this was a captivating story. 8/10.

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sherbertwells's review

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adventurous challenging informative mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

As the apocalypse looms, two monks investigate the lethal secrets of a wealthy abbey. One of those books which is more smart than enjoyable, but mystery fans will love the labyrinthine plot and fellow nerds will admire the semiotic shenanigans.

“It is a hard thing for this old monk, on the threshold of death, not to know whether the letter he has written contains some hidden meaning, or more than one, or many, or none at all” (610)

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benasbooks's review

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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