Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose is a multi-layered and complex novel. It works as a mixture of historical fiction, crime fiction and philosophical discussion and became the greatest success of the Italian writer, who died in 2016.
The book’s central mystery revolves around a series of mysterious murders that take place in a remote Benedictine monastery in 1327. At the center is a lost library and a manuscript. The murders appear to be linked to certain books and knowledge, and the investigation of William of Baskerville, a learned Franciscan monk, revolves around unraveling these mysteries.
Furthermore, the mystery at issue also has metaphysical and theological dimensions. It reflects the conflict between different currents of thought and belief in the Middle Ages, including the conflict between the church and philosophical ideas, especially the teachings of Aristotle.
Spoiler alert: End of “The Name of the Rose”
The forbidden book mentioned in the novel turns out to be one by the ancient philosopher Aristotle. Various schools of knowledge are represented in the library, including those considered heretical. The forbidden book, which is “Aristotle’s Second Book of Poetics,” contains a treatise on laughter and comedy. As the saying goes, those who laugh are not afraid. But the church cannot be concerned with people going through life fearlessly.
The monks of the monastery, particularly the blind Jorge of Burgos, believe that knowledge is dangerous and that certain ideas could undermine the power of the church. Murder is carried out to protect knowledge and to ensure that the banned book and its contents do not fall into the hands of people who could misuse it for their own purposes.
William of Baskerville finally reveals the secret behind the murders and the banned book. The plot raises questions about the control of knowledge, the power of the church and the meaning of truth and freedom.
Why is Umberto Eco’s novel called “The Name of the Rose”?
The library in Eco’s book itself is known as the “Scriptorium” and is described as a labyrinth filled with rare and precious books. This labyrinth also contains a locked chamber called the “Rose”. This chamber contains the dangerous and secret books, including the forbidden work of Aristotle.
The rose can be understood as a metaphor for the beauty and danger of the knowledge that is guarded in this closed world of the monastery library.