The Name of the Rose, Book Club's March Pick

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco was my pick for our March discussion.  I knew ahead of time that I would like/love this book as I have read some of Eco's work before.  When I chose this title as one of my two picks for the year I knew that some people would not agree with my choice.  That is how book clubs work, at least ours does.  We tend to have a lot of differences in reading but always approach the book with an open mind.

This lengthy book is basically a murder mystery.  The depth and drama goes beyond a simple mystery because it is set in the13th century within the Catholic Church.  Eco's attention to detail is remarkable, making it seem as if we know these people, places, events, church liturgy, and even the creation and illustration of books during that time. 

William of Baskerville, the main character, reminded us of Sherlock Holmes.  He uses observation and logic to solve the mystery.  William's companion reminded us of Dr. Watson as well.

The villain in this story is a monk, but rather than being a bad person he is a man committed to truth.  It proves to be his downfall.  This led us to explore truth and occasions when we do the right thing for the wrong reasons, or the wrong thing for the right reasons. 

Several of our members said that while they did not love the book they were glad to have read it.  The large number of characters, minute historic detail and use of Latin made this book a heavy read for us all. 

Since we act as facilitator for the books we choose each year I did some research as prep for this role after finishing the book.  When it was published in 1980 having The Name of the Rose on your coffee table was the sign of an intellectual.  I was very put-off to think that the 80's were still so shallow, and so glad to be part of a group that doesn't worry about who reads what.  We just read. 

The Name of the Rose is not for casual reading.  But it would be ideal for a long winter week-end or a quiet get-away book.  You will be glad you read it, even if you don't end up loving it.  Eco's Prague Cemetery is still on my list but I will wait for a suitable time in the near future to begin.