A review by mollyxmiller
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

5.0

This book was absolutely amazing. The gothic horror romance meets Sherlock Holmes meets mid-14th century Italy and a bunch of monks. In other words, just pure perfection. I loved this book from start to finish. I do not know very much Latin, but thankfully Umberto Eco did paraphrase some of the more important quotations in Latin (at the recommendation of his editor for English audiences), so I did not feel completely left out. This is definitely a veritable feast for book and library lovers, for those who love historical fiction, and even if you are just a fan of the gothic or a murder mystery. Okay, okay--it is dense. There is a LOT of medieval philosophy and details of life in a Catholic abbey in the 14th century. But honestly, to me, that was part of the draw. This book is an expert blend of multiple genres--it is the postmodern epic I was always hoping to read but had not yet found. I definitely recommend it!