Left of the Middle

"The Name of the Rose" launched Umberto Eco into literary stardom. The Italian, who was born on January 5, 1932, relied on his years of scholarly knowledge for his first novel. Some readers would think the author pulled their leg. After all, the book would seem like an ode to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. If not all the academic information. But this what turned the book into a hit. Readers couldn't get enough of it.

"Sometimes I say I hate The Name of the Rose," he admits, "because the following books maybe were better. But it happens to many writers. Gabriel García Márquez can write 50 books, but he will be remembered always for 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'. Every time I publish a new novel, sales of The Name of the Rose go up. What is the reaction? 'Ah, a new book of Eco. But I have never read The Name of the Rose.' Which, by the way, costs less because it is in paperback."

Eco had been prolific during the last two decades, but “The Name of the Rose” was a resounding success.

The end is the beginning

In "The Name of Rose", Eco employed the whodunit approach. This sub-genre had seen better days, most of the renowned authors were British. (Agatha Christie, G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers.) Readers couldn't helped but be engrossed in what was about to take place in a remote monastery in Northern Italy. Some would even go overboard by claiming that the events took place during the eve of the second millennium. (The apocalypse was coming, which was a good excuse for what was about to happen.) They were not entirely mistaken, as the story happened during the late Middle Age.

William of Baskerville, a Franciscan friar, and his novice, Adso of Melk, traveled to a Benedictine monastery to resolve a theological disputation. But they were distracted by news of a suicide of one of the monks. More deaths followed, all under mysterious circumstances. All the clues led to a dead end, yet they were linked to a medieval library. Those who were familiar with the history of Europe would identify the issue right away. It was the case against the Waldensians, a movement that was formed during the 12th century. This was a reaction to the Inquisition. It would lead to the Reformation.

It was an exciting time to live, even if one wrong move would lead to death. The Church had political clout. William of Baskerville was the voice of reason. Many would be right to compare him to Sherlock Holmes, but the danger was greater. William and Adso were alone, and the former's knowledge was his only weapon. But it was a powerful weapon. Without this historical backdrop, the story would have made Doyle smirked (if he were alive). As for the readers, they would be in the middle. Whether they turned left or right would be up to William.