#37 ~ The Name of The Rose

Umberto Eco's The Name of The Rose

FINALLY. Uff, it took me forever to finish this book. Just try reading 500 pages of this:

Meanwhile, the obstinate insistence of the chthonian voices did not let up, as if the threatening presence of enemies, of the powerful who persecuted the people of the Lord, remain unresolved. Until that Neptunian roiling of a single note seemed overcome, or at least convinced and enfolded, by the rejoicing hallelujahs of those who opposed it, and all dissolved on a majestic and perfect chord and on a resupine neuma.

And that's just two sentences. "Chtonian"? "Resupine"? "Neuma"? It felt like I was back in uni, with my required literature reading, except I embarked on this resupine neuma of cacophonous asymmetry voluntarily. (Also, did I not sound so smart just then? Big words FTW!) I shouldn't have been so surprised, though, because I came across Umberto Eco through my literary circle back in uni, when all we did as Literature majors was overdose on vodka and literary deconstruction. This was the first book of his that I've read, and I'm dreading the fact that I will have to be reading another one of his books; I have at least 2 more of his on my bookshelf. 

One of my new year's resolutions was to read at least 2 books per month, and although I hit my goal, I thought I could do 3 books in January by reading 50 pages per day. I just didn't think I would be reading 50 pages of this English, peppered with Latin and Italian. I'll tell you just now why.

In a nutshell, this book explores politics within the Catholic church, among the Franciscans, the Benedictines, the Dolcinians and so forth, set in th 14th century. William, an inquisitor (in modern-day terms, an FBI agent), visits a monastery to investigate murders of several members of the abbey through deductive reasoning and syllogism. He is accompanied by his novice Adso, who is narrating the story.

The book is rich with descriptions of what it was like to be a churchman in those days, and Eco does a good job doing so, from their daily routines to their eating utensils.

Simply put, this book is like Sherlock Holmes (and Watson) with its deductive reasoning, and the show Mad Men with the sexism, all rolled into one. And then set in the 1300s. With monks and abbots instead of average people. And an extensive vocabulary.

After reading a book that is entirely about men who live, eat, sleep the scriptures and the study of Catholicism, I find it interesting that the very religious Catholics sound almost exactly like the very religious Muslims I have met. 

Even more interesting that back then, they would call the Arabs "the infidels". 

Anyway, the book is a brainful if you read it quietly to yourself, and if you read it loudly (and repeatedly, like I sometimes did, just to make sense of it), it is a mouthful. 

I bought this book 31st May 2007 (from Jarir), started reading it 13th January 2011, and finished it 6th February 2011. Rating? 1 out of 5. Sorry.