Book Review - The Name of the Rose

This book is supposed to be an murder mystery. But it is not gripping enough and you never get that atmosphere of suspense, you never feel that tension in the air mostly because the book wanders off from the main plot many times.

Nevertheless, a murder mystery set in medieval Europe was something new for me. The attention to detail on the life and politics of the medieval Europe is stunning and expected given that the author is a researcher in medieval philosophy and literature. I enjoyed the character of William of Baskersville. His wit and rationality in the dark ages when religious fanaticism and blind faith was the order of the day was refreshing. Throughout the story, through his philosophizing, he raises some of the most important questions relating to theology and science.

Many sentences and phrases in the book are in Latin for which no translation is given. Either the author expected his readers to know Latin, or he is just showing off his knowledge of a dead language.