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A review by chiefmcclane
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Spoilers for both this book and the 2023 video game inspired by this book, Pentiment.
I wanted to read this book because Pentiment was my 2023 game of the year, and this was cited by Josh Sawyer as a direct inspiration on multiple fronts: themes, the central plot of a murder mystery in an abbey, the structure of days broken into liturgical hours, the semiotic expression of works that inspire other works each building on top of each other.
This was a difficult book to read. In fact, it may be one of the most difficult fiction books that I have ever read. I have struggled with reading a lot lately, taking the time to sit down and focus on something without diverting my attention away. Despite that, I loved every moment of it.
This difficulty was attributed to nearly every character is a reference to either a literary figure, philosopher, theologian, or else an allusion. While I was reading I would frequently take a pause to do a quick dive on Wikipedia on different topics and persons. This research, in my opinion, directly contributed to my enjoyment of the book. This book helped me rediscover my love of reading.
In between scenes of logic and rational murder mystery explanation, there were theological debates that I did not expect myself to enjoy, topics like, "Did Jesus laugh and is laughter a sin?" or "Should priests and the church be allowed to be wealthy?"
And it is in these seemingly one-off conversations that weave their way in and out of the plot that the destination of the journey arrives - the central mystery is solved and then framed by these theological discussions.
I loved this book, and just like Pentiment was my GOTY 2023, this will likely go down as my BOTY 2024. In closing, I'll echo the words of Claus Drucker, the printing press owner from Pentiment: "Love is the only reason to do anything in this life."
I wanted to read this book because Pentiment was my 2023 game of the year, and this was cited by Josh Sawyer as a direct inspiration on multiple fronts: themes, the central plot of a murder mystery in an abbey, the structure of days broken into liturgical hours, the semiotic expression of works that inspire other works each building on top of each other.
This was a difficult book to read. In fact, it may be one of the most difficult fiction books that I have ever read. I have struggled with reading a lot lately, taking the time to sit down and focus on something without diverting my attention away. Despite that, I loved every moment of it.
This difficulty was attributed to nearly every character is a reference to either a literary figure, philosopher, theologian, or else an allusion. While I was reading I would frequently take a pause to do a quick dive on Wikipedia on different topics and persons. This research, in my opinion, directly contributed to my enjoyment of the book. This book helped me rediscover my love of reading.
In between scenes of logic and rational murder mystery explanation, there were theological debates that I did not expect myself to enjoy, topics like, "Did Jesus laugh and is laughter a sin?" or "Should priests and the church be allowed to be wealthy?"
And it is in these seemingly one-off conversations that weave their way in and out of the plot that the destination of the journey arrives - the central mystery is solved and then framed by these theological discussions.
I loved this book, and just like Pentiment was my GOTY 2023, this will likely go down as my BOTY 2024. In closing, I'll echo the words of Claus Drucker, the printing press owner from Pentiment: "Love is the only reason to do anything in this life."