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A review by aliteralfield
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
14th century Italian religious murder mystery was very different from anything I’ve read before. Beautifully written by Eco in first person of the detectives assistant.
The action takes place at a Benedictine abbey during the controversy surrounding the doctrines about absolute poverty of Christ and apostolic poverty between branches of Franciscans and Dominicans which ultimately was a lot to take in. All this tension between Celestine V, Boniface VIII, John XXII, Franciscans, Spirituals of Provence, Fraticelli, etc. was very intense and I didn’t really understand the depth of it.
However the main plot of the novel was really captivating with the murders and this labyrinth library; the concept of allowing philosophical knowledge to coexist with religious facts was a very interesting argument.
The action takes place at a Benedictine abbey during the controversy surrounding the doctrines about absolute poverty of Christ and apostolic poverty between branches of Franciscans and Dominicans which ultimately was a lot to take in. All this tension between Celestine V, Boniface VIII, John XXII, Franciscans, Spirituals of Provence, Fraticelli, etc. was very intense and I didn’t really understand the depth of it.
However the main plot of the novel was really captivating with the murders and this labyrinth library; the concept of allowing philosophical knowledge to coexist with religious facts was a very interesting argument.