I am amazed that this novel - the most popular, the best-loved, the most imitated in Italy during the latest 20 years- is so little known abroad.
It is a very good historical novel, full of intense and fascinating characters, which can reliably belong to European Middle Age. Eco' s culture is immense: he can easily quote from Latin, ancient French or other languages. But the big mystery in this book is an ancient Greek manuscript, the book _On Comedy_ fom Aristotle's _Poetics_. It is very hard to believe that such a manuscript really existed, and, as a matter of fact, at the end of the novel it gets destroyed. A terrible loss for the main character, Guglielmo di Baskerville, but a dreadful victory for superstition and ignorance.
Tje plot is very intriguing (it is a detective story). Some friars are murdered, and nobody can understand the reason...nobody excepting Guglielmo. Who is nothing but Sherlock Holmes, while his young assistant, Adso, is nothing but Watson...

But the reference to Conan Doyle is not the real purpose of this splendid book, where you find such an enchanting gothic atmosphere as very rarely you can do. The real matter is the rescue of European culture, which nowadays seems to be overwhelmed by the so called 'globalization'.
I suggest this reading to everyone, American, Asian or African people.
The movie is not so bad...Jean-Jacques Annaud understood very well Eco's lesson. But the book is something very, very special.

This isn't a critical review, but just a note to remind everyone that this edition is indeed in the original Italian (rare to find on Amazon.com), and includes a post-script appendix not included in the original releases.

P.S., just this once, don't rent the movie. Treat yourself and see how much more you get out of it.

The word "name" in Italian is spelled "nome", not "noma". :) btw, I love this book.

'On the Shoulders of Giants' (which shall hereafter be referred to as OTSOG) is the quintessential study of the nature of academicism. It is thinly disguised as a dissertation into the origin (and originality) of Newton's famous aphorism 'If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.' However, once the reader finds himself confronted by what might or might not be an attack on Richard Burton (the one that wrote 'The Anatomy of Melancholy'), suspicions grow, and in short order one begins to understand that a leg or two is being pulled.

Of course, it does not end there. Displaying the kind of dazzling scholarship that most academics can only aspire to, Merton zigzags across the intellectual horizon on a quest for the lighter side of truth. In doing so, he exposes many of the pretensions of scholarly work, plagiarism and specious logic. Leaving no stone unturned, we are as likely to find ourselves in pursuit of Tristram Shandy as we are to be wandering through the transept of Chartres Cathedral. All in a mad search to uncover who really used OTSOG first.

It needs to be said that Merton is, on his own, an extremely respected sociologist, one who often has used the scientific and academic world as the focus of his remarkable eye. OTSOG sets out to make points by mimicking its subjects rather than lecturing about them. Whimsical and witty, it still touches on serious issues while exposing a great deal of fascinating minutia. Certainly it is a one of a kind work that enjoys a large cult following among those who are reluctant to take themselves seriously. Look out for Umberto Eco's foreword and Merton's riposte-face as well.

Every scholar should this wonderful, joyous book

with Sterne. He comes off third best. First, of course, is the master himself. Second, comes Umberto Eco for his witty, catholic and erudite Forward. Nonetheless, Merton treads where no others have dared in his re-creation of the "Shandean" style. For this, alone, he deserves credit (and reading.) Because Merton chose real characters it was inevitable he failed to reach the pinnacle achieved in Sterne's fictional master-creation: Uncle Toby--one of the great characters in all literature. Do read Merton, and Tristram Shandy.

This is a gentle first intoduction to the dreaded but inevitable talk in which a parent must reveal the realities of living in an age of nuclear weaponry. The illustrations and text are so superb that they are appropriate for any age, but do a particularly good job of introducing younger children to the dynamics of war. At the same time, the joyful ending makes it highly readable. It's made the top of my gift list.

It's hard for a child to imagine the consequences of an atomic war. But not so hard if it has a happy end. In "The Bomb and the General", the beautiful texts by Umberto Eco and Carmi's fantastic ilustrations teach what should be learn by everyone about wars: its better to have doormen than crazy generals, and vases than bombs.

este libro es muy interesante ya que trata de una mezcla de historia de detectives moderna y erudiccion, libros, monjes y demas. este autor que nos tiene a acostumbrado a obras muy cultas como sus escritos sobre semiotica.. el estudio de los signos.... y a novelas como el pendulo de focault, de gran complejidad, nos da este pequeno divertimento de el nombre de la rosa, que parece de mas facil lectura que las anteriores, pero brinda una tremenda satisfaccion. muy recomendada.. LUIS MENDEZ

For those who love to read about history, religion, suspense, science, etc. this title could be really interesting.. the description of situations as well as of places and characters are incredibly exact.

Well, not exactly. But Umberto Eco argues forcefully that there are a limited number of reasonable interpretations of any given text in the Limits of Interpretation. The collected essays within examine the problems with many critical philosophers' arguments that meaning is necessarily entirely subjective. The book, overall, makes a good reply.

In it, Eco takes on the alternate worlds view, as well as Derrida and Foucualt. He further describes some ways that signs can be created to constrain interpretations and criticizes the meaninglessness created by total subjectivity in terpretation.

In my opinion, Eco is strongest as a writer when he is an essayist and he is excellent here. However, it is not a large book and the price... is pretty high, especially since these essays have mostly been published elsewhere. Unfortunately, that was mostly in Italian. Look for a used copy if you can find one.

Since Luciano Anceschi's lessons at the University of Bologna (a town in Italy, not the American imitation of "mortadella" meat), the questions about "what is art" and "which interpretations of a work of art are acceptable and which are not" has arisen with the power and the consistence of a flood. "Anything" - some scholars and critics claimed - "can be considered art, if it is presented as art: a piece of newspaper glued to a wall can be a poem..." But can it be a good poem? Chaos followed. As open minded as usual - and ever so clear despite the French intellectual franzy fashion of his collegues (say hello do Derrida, Greimas, Bataillle, Kristeva and all the nice company) - Eco tryies a sort of "coming back to the book". A lot of interpretations are possible, but not ANY interpretation. Clever, illuminating, wisely fun in his choice of examples... Bel colpo Umberto! Ci vediamo in via Zamboni!

This beautifully designed and printed book was actually the catalogue of the exhibition "The Story of Time" which was hosted by the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. Already from the introductions of the directors of these institutions, as well as a Preface Essay entitled "Times" by Umberto Eco, the reader will be aware of the high standard of this publication. It is an attempt to depict the human experience with time in all its forms.

The catalogue is divided into five main sections: 1.) "The Creation of Time": A brief survey of early concepts of time in different cultures, for example, Biblical, Hindu, Native American, and Maori. 2.) "The Measurement of Time": The different modes of measuring time beginning with early calendars in different cultures, progressing to early european mechanical clocks, and culminating with chronometers and radio controlled clocks. 3.) "The Depiction of Time": In Painting, Sculpture, Calligraphy and Allegory. From Breughel to Chinese Sculpture this chapter shows the obsession of depicting time in art and in symbolizing it. 4.) "The Experience of Time": Here other ways of experiencing time are discussed, in music, historical time, human time and time in culture. 5.) "The End of Time": A brief chapter in which different conceptions are shown how it would be possible for time to end (and when) and different historical and contemporary depictions are shown.

Sections 2.) and 3.) are by far the largest, which is obvious from their subject matter, and the fact that this is an exhibition catalogue. Interspersed in all five sections are interesting essays on different aspects of time and its influence and pre-occupation on human beings, by well known scholars such as E.H. Gombrich. These range from "Inuit Time" to "Time in the History of Medecine". Most fascinating are the hundreds of excellent illustrations, mostly of time keeping devices and time in art representing many cultures and time periods. The book is handsomely bound, well printed and presented and the illustrations are clear. This book is encyclopedic in its scope and is fascinating to read. It is reasonably priced and highly recommended.

A varied and comprehensive tome on time and what it does to us. The illustrations are organized in such a way that one feels as if one is swimming in a treasure chest of global artifacts. I ADORE IT!

Many of us have heard of the masterpiece written by St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century, the Summa Theologiae. However, this very little known work by the Semiotician, Umberto Eco, writter of the novel In the Name of the Rose, presents in an easy to understand, and with great depth, the aesthetics and views of St. Thomas with respect to the beautiful, art, and music. Eco, allows the reader to understand with more clarity, the thought of Scholastic philosophical and aesthetic thought with reference to Thomas, Augustine, Boetheius, Plato, Aristotle and many other great thinkers found throughout the course of history. Furthermore, Eco interprets the Summa Theologiae to understand such concepts as: visio, musical theory, artist, and many others.

In simple to use language, Eco renews the inspiration and awe that was seen long ago in interpretation of the aesthetic. Thus, philosophy does not have to be something complicated, rather a basis for everything else we do. Therefore, when we see a painting, listen to a piece of music, read a poem, etc, we interpret the beauty that derives from that particular work and Eco, in this book shows us how we can do it by understanding the thought of one of the foremost thinkers of all time, St. Thomas Aquinas.

This book is a must have for philsophers, musicians, artists, and anyone who may be interested in interpreting art work, poetry, music, and the Beautiful with greater profundity.

This book contains classic strips and thoughts of Mr. Schulz, Mr. Melendez, and Mr. Mendelson. A must have for any Peanuts fan (including die-hard fans like myself)

This book is absolutly hilarious, and gives the reader a view of the world I'm sure few of us have even considered. The obvious has never been so funny and philosophy never so modernly witty.
It's a fantastic work of mind-bending, "laugh-out-loud" wonder.
Umberto Eco has created a philosophic masterpiece for the masses.
A MUST READ!!!

What is the boundary between cognition and mere philosophy of language? What is the role of language in cognition? What is the platypus' place in a mammalian dominated world? These are just a few of the probing questions that Umberto Eco asks and brillantly answers in Kant and the Platypus. There should be no cognition issues involved in the purchase of this book: it simply is a must-own.

I am a student at Rutgers University and this novel is the crown jewel of the philosophy program. Enchanting and mystical, this book is to the field of philosophy of language what the Bible is to Christians. Umberto Eco is to philosophy of language and cognition as Henry Kissinger is to foreign policy. Kant and the Platypus is as easy to read as USA Today, but is as powerful as a yoga session. You simply must own it.

This is a layman's introduction to semiotics. These essays make me feel as if I were watching a TV show (probably the Roseanne show) on semiotics. Where is the intellectual substance I ask? When have semioticians given up the pursuit of semiotic research merely to be branded as "semioticians for the masses"?