The Name of the Rose

Name: The Name of the Rose
Author: Umberto Eco
ISBN: 9780156001311

by Umberto Eco

A brilliant medieval mystery where a Franciscan friar and his novice investigate a series of bizarre murders inside an isolated Italian abbey hiding a legendary library.

Semiotics, murder, and a labyrinthine library.

In late November 1327, Franciscan friar William of Baskerville and his young novice, Adso of Melk, arrive at a wealthy northern Italian abbey to attend a theological disputation. Upon arrival, they are drawn into investigating a gruesome and inexplicable death.

As more monks die under mysterious circumstances mirroring the Book of Revelation, William must use logic, forensic observation, and semiotic reasoning to navigate intellectual heresy, inquisitorial threats, and the dark secrets locked inside the abbey's labyrinthine medieval library.

Ancient illuminated manuscripts and candlelit gothic corridors of a medieval abbey.

“

A dazzling intellectual thriller wrapped in an intricate historical mystery.

KODAMA / EDITORIAL NOTE

The author 1932 — 2016

Umberto Eco

Umberto Eco was an internationally acclaimed Italian novelist, philosopher, semiotician, and cultural critic. Born in Alessandria, Piedmont, he became a towering intellectual figure of the twentieth century.

Though he had written extensively on academic semiotics and medieval philosophy, Eco did not publish his debut novel, The Name of the Rose, until he was nearly fifty years old—instantly achieving global literary stardom.

ABOUT UMBERTO ECO

Also the author of Foucault's Pendulum and The Island of the Day Before.

A few things that make the book even more intriguing.

A tribute to Sherlock Holmes.

The protagonist William of Baskerville is an explicit homage to Sherlock Holmes (sharing deductive methods), while his novice Adso mirrors Dr. Watson (Adso sounds remarkably like 'Watson' in Italian).

The forbidden book.

The central mystery revolves around a lost, supposedly lethal treatise by Aristotle concerning comedy and laughter—reflecting Eco's profound philosophical interest in semiotics and censorship.

Instant international phenomenon.

The novel sold over 50 million copies worldwide, proving that dense philosophical essays and historical text could captivate mainstream global audiences.

Labyrinthine architecture.

The legendary abbey library is structured as a literal labyrinth, drawing inspiration from Jorge Luis Borges’ library concepts and classical maze geometry.

On screen

When the book became visual.

The rich medieval atmosphere and suspenseful investigation of Eco's work have been successfully adapted for film and television.

1986

The Name of the Rose (Film)

Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and starring Sean Connery as William of Baskerville and Christian Slater as Adso of Melk, capturing the gritty realism of medieval monastic life.

2019

The Name of the Rose (TV Series)

An international eight-part television drama adaptation starring John Turturro as William of Baskerville and Rupert Everett as Bernard Gui.

Watch

The story behind the book.

A visual examination of Umberto Eco's literary masterpiece, medieval history, and cinematic adaptations.

ARCHIVE FILM Umberto Eco · Medieval Italy · 1980

Atmospheric medieval monastery stone walls under a cloudy European sky.

Legacy

More than a historical mystery.

The Name of the Rose redefined historical fiction by proving that a page-turning murder mystery could simultaneously serve as a profound meditation on truth, semiotics, institutional power, and the eternal fragility of human knowledge.

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