Adele J. Haft

This is a good handbook, useful to read alongside The Name of the Rose. Some reviewers seem to think it is supposed to be a commentary on that work, but it is not, it is a "key." There is a short intro on Eco and his semiotic theories, then a brief chronology of the ages in question. This is followed by a sort of encyclopedia of persons, books, and terms referenced in the book. Want to know who the Bogomils are after they are mentioned the third time? Look it up. Who is the Dolcino they keep show more talking about? Look it up. Why does everyone hate Pope John? Look it up. Very useful for the personages I did not know. The next chapter is the most useful, containing translations, and in many cases, expositions, of all the non-English passages in the book, of which there are several. Many of the Latin phrases I have come across before or I could half make out, thanks to maps, cognates, and theology class, but several words are inscrutable, and this helped immensely. But then I wonder, presumably Adso and William and everyone else are speaking Latin to one another, why would Eco, or his "cutout" translators, keep certain bits untranslated. Perhaps Eco, Mr. Reader-Response who thinks the author is dead, wants to show us how erudite and learned he is? The postscript was fine, but a bit of a letdown. Finally, there is a useful set of bibliographies at the end.

A useful "key," not a commentary, not a set of essays "On..." I only wish someone would author a similar "key" to Foucault's Pendulum. show less

Highly recommended for anyone reading or intending to read Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, but especially for anyone feeling frustrated with and by the book (I was ready to give up, but this book has made me reconsider). The essays and information included are very informative, and the large section of translations of all of the non-English passages are amazing and a godsend to those of us who are not fluent in Latin, Greek, Italian etc., but want to know, or need to know what all, or at show more least most of the non-English passages mean. show less

Another coveted book acquired only to be disenchanted. I am not sure what fueled my expectations. It is a glossary of cited figures and translation of Latin passages. That’s about it. That is all the authors aspired to provide.

I read this sitting at the Louisville Science Center while my wife’s nephew played and explored. It was a gorgeous day and reading the book reminded me of my love for Eco and his tragic optimism.

The Key to the Name of the Rose includes annotated translations of all the Latin that Eco included in his text . The Key also provides a brief chapter on the interaction among semiotics, detective mysteries, and medieval thought and a brief chronology of the Middle Ages. The pearl, however, is the chapter of historical annotations including brief descriptions of the saints, heretics, mythological allusions, and a multitude of medieval figures, both the important and the insignificant. The show more authors provide just the right amount of information for most readers; a paragraph or two on most. The book's central historical figures, Michael of Cesena, Ubetino of Casale, and Bernard Gui are all there, but so are many others. Peter Abelard, Bernard of Clairvaux, and Prester John each merit an entry.

I still don't understand why Eco wouldn't provide translations at the bottom of the page. In the recent translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky of War and Peace (Vintage Classics), the hundreds of French passages were included as in the original text, but translated at the bottom of the page without harm to the reader's appreciation that French was the language of the noble class. However, if he had, then perhaps this exceptional little guide would never have been published.

I wish I'd had this guide before I read The Name of the Rose, but it is worthwhile in its own right and an encouragement to re-read Eco's mystery. show less