The Name of the Rose Audiobook By Umberto Eco, William Weaver - translator cover art

The Name of the Rose

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The Name of the Rose

By: Umberto Eco, William Weaver - translator
Narrated by: Sean Barrett, Neville Jason, Nicholas Rowe
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The international best seller! A masterful gothic thriller set against the turbulence of medieval Italy.

The year is 1327. Franciscans in a wealthy Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, and Brother William of Baskerville arrives to investigate. But his delicate mission is suddenly overshadowed by seven bizarre deaths that take place in seven days and nights of apocalyptic terror.

Brother William turns detective, and a uniquely deft one at that. His tools are the logic of Aristotle, the theology of Aquinas, the empirical insights of Roger Bacon - all sharpened to a glistening edge by his wry humor and ferocious curiosity. He collects evidence, deciphers secret symbols and coded manuscripts, and digs into the eerie labyrinth of the abbey where "the most interesting things happen at night".

As Brother William goes about unraveling the mystery of what happens at the abbey by day and by night, listeners step into a brilliant re-creation of the 14th century, with its dark superstitions and wild prejudices, its hidden passions and sordid intrigues. Virtuoso storyteller Umberto Eco conjures up a gloriously rich portrait of this world with such grace, ease, wit, and love that you will become utterly intoxicated with the place and time.

©1980 Gruppo Editoriale Fabbri-Bompiani, Snzogno, Etas S.p.A.; English Translation ©1983 by Harcourt Brace & Company and Martin Secker & Warburg Limited (P)2013 Naxos AudioBooks Historical Fiction Medieval World Literature Witty Inspiring Feel-Good Medieval Italy
Gripping Mystery • Philosophical Depth • Masterful Narration • Holmesian Protagonist • Rich Historical Setting
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Where does The Name of the Rose rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have not finished listening and reading this book. If you like words, this is the book for you. Before now, I had never heard of Umberto Eco and had no idea what his style might be. This was his first book of many years ago and was a sensation. I can easily see why.

This is a detective story set in the 1300s at a monastery. The story is seen through the eyes of a young monk whose master is a brilliant ex-inquisitor. There are two murders. There is an extraordinary library most are not allowed to enter. There are secret passages. Spiritualism. Mysticism.

What is so absorbing for me is the vocabulary. I find myself loving the dictionary on my Kindle that allows me to look up all sorts of words. The story uses a lot of old world terms along with words you never hear in our speech today. Learn some Latin in the process!

What did you like best about this story?

I love the setting and viewing 14th century Christianity.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

This narrator puts you right there. His voice transports you back hundreds of years.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I never listen in one setting. What is the fun in that? This is a book you savor.

Any additional comments?

This is a great book for those who like Italy or might wish to travel to Italy. This book has certainly been read and the style copied by more modern authors. This is a book for people who like to think. Eco crafted this story masterfully.

More Absorbing than a Starch Gel!

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Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, if an abby murder mystery sounds like something they'd like

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

It is a movie and I'm planning on watching it

Any additional comments?

There were times when there was unintended background noise I found distracting. However, the voices used were very engaging and kept me interested.

I had to read this for class

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The movie covers the major plot points, and doesn't have literal hours of Christian dogmatic argumentation. The performance is excellent despite some profoundly boring source material.

Just Watch the Movie

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This is a brilliant novel a brilliant study in philosophical consideration of order and the role of action and thought within. just a true classic.

a veritable classic

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A very well done read of a difficult book. I was pleased they found someone who could do the various accents (to a point) of the many characters and not stumble on the Latin phrases. The emotions of the monks and breathlessness of an old man at the end shine and help to bring it alive. Thank you!

Loved the tree book - love the audio book

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A classic mystery novel for those who who wish to skip all the stuff about heretics and why a Merovingian differs from a flagellant and why the Franciscans were almost disbanded etc... you can also read that book. Both are excellent and revolve around my favorite topic..books. And censorship and the Middle Ages.
Get reading! No peneteze agita!

Great for Mystery and Medievalists

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This book, and the performance of the narrators, blew me away. It can be intellectually challenging at times but also very compelling purely as a story. Highly recommended.

Fantastic

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I had long meant to read this book and when I saw Sean Barrett was reading this version I knew it would have to be good. This rendition does not disappoint. This is one of those odd times when I have read a book and was amazed to find the movie had actually done a very good job capturing the spirit of, and had been faithful to the book. But the depth of history, philosophy and explication of the religious landscape of the period in the book create a reality far more vivid and disturbing than any movie ever could. worth every minute and more.

As good as it gets

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Having now watched, read, and listened to this story, I realize it is perhaps my favorite of all.

just let the Latin wash over you.

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Umberto Eco was an expert in medieval intellectual history, a topic that very few people find remotely interesting, and yet he managed to create a compelling story around it.

For those of you looking for a whodunnit, this is one, though if it were just that it would probably be a third of its total length. The rest of the book explores the intellectual, theological, and philosophical framework in which these events take place.

There is a common misconception that people of this time period were superstitious, ignorant, and barbaric. This book dispels those notions. William of Baskerville pursues his clues according to the logical ontology of his day, and we can see how it works through his deductions. We think in a different way in our present day, but Eco makes clear that medieval modes of thought were suited to the time in which they were developed.

I found it to be an immersive and surprisingly relaxing book to read, though I have to admit some passages got a bit long. You will come away with plenty to think about and a better understanding of 14th C. Europe.

A crash course in medieval thought

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