Bookatlas
1980
Cover of The Name of the Rose

The Name of the Rose

Umberto Eco · 1932–2016 · Italy

Originally Il nome della rosa (Italian) · translated by William Weaver

Why it matters

A medieval monastery, a series of murders, and a labyrinthine library where a forbidden book kills its readers. Eco smuggled semiotics and a defense of laughter inside an irresistible detective story.

At a glance

historical fictioncrime & noirpostmodern
Difficulty 8/10medium pace536 pages

Dense theological digressions, Latin phrases, and semiotic layering slow every chapter.

More by Umberto Eco →

Deep dive

A murder mystery set off by a joke book Aristotle may or may not have written, in an abbey whose blind librarian has decided laughter itself is heretical.

Where to go next

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