Tragedy Tomorrow...Comedy Tonight...The Monks are Not Amused and Do NOT like Laughter

"And Don't Laugh.  As you have seen, within the walls laughter doesn't enjoy a good reputation" Umberto Ecco, The Name of the Rose

Hey 1000 Bookies!!!!

Our current stop on the 1000 Books to Read Before You Die takes us to the 1300s, in Italy by way of the novel, The Name of The Rose by Umberto Ecco.  This historical fiction story is approximately 600 pages long, a very long 600 pages long.  The story is narrated by the character of Adso.  Adso is recounting the take many years after the events of the book.  Adso is the sidekick/monk novice of William of Baskerville.  William is an English Franciscan monk who is sent by the Holy Roman Emperor to advocate on behalf of the Franciscans Monks who are accused of being heretics by Pope John XXII.  In 1327,  friar William and and Adso, travel to a Benedictine monastery in Northern Italy to attend a theological disputation. This abbey is being used as neutral ground in a dispute between Pope John XXII and the Franciscans. William and Adso are a medieval Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.  

Historically speaking, this time period was the high water mark or zenith of the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church.  The Papacy of the time period was in its "Babylonian Captivity", when the Pope resided in Avignon instead of Rome.  Movements to purify or reform the Catholic Church were under way but were fought by the Pope, John XXII.  The historical backdrop of this story is the fight with the Franciscan order of Monks.  Franciscans believed and preached of the poverty of Christ and that his church should practice poverty.  The wealth of the church was too much for Pope John XXII.  In those days reformers and Spiritualists who disagreed were labeled heretics and burned at the stake.  The Holy Roman Emperor came to the defense of the Franciscans.  Thus a meeting was established in a small abbey in Italy.

But the abbey has problems of its own.  The Abbey had a library with the greatest collection of books in the western world.  But the monks hide the books and prevent them from being read.  A great conspiracy to protect the contents of a certain book from being discovered is threatened to be exposed.  William and Adso arrive at the abbey to discover either a murder or a suicide.  William wants to solve the case prior to the Pope's men arriving.  Yet more bodies pile up. 

My first impression of the book and its time--was the need for the Reformation.  I realized men prior to Martin Luther attempted to reform the church.  However, until somen critical mass was reached which in history turned out to be the intersect of October 31, 1517 and the 100 theses--those earlier heroes who worked for reform were labeled heretics and burned at the stake.  The rot was so bad by the 1500s that Luther and Calvin succeeded.  If the leadership had acknowledged the problems and internally reformed then the Church may be held together.  As a fairly devote Roman Catholic, the Reformation is fairly anathema to me.  With that said my wife and daughters are Lutheran and I worship at times at a Lutheran Church.  However, on Reformation Sunday I purposely refuse to wear red.  This novel really changed my mind, in terms of my personal theology, Christ's poverty is a given.  Christ specifically discusses this point in the Gospels.  The church was too corrupt at this point. The Reformation was needed.

In an interview, Umberto Ecco states that his editor and friends tried to encourage his to revamp the first 100 pages.  Ecco states, "Editors suggested I abbreviate the first hundred pages, which they found difficult and demanding.  Without thinking twice, I refused, because, as I insisted if somebody wanted to enter the abbey and live there for seven days, he had to accept the abbey's own pace.  If he could not, he would never manage to read the whole book.  Therefore those first hundred pages are like a penance or an initiation, and if someone does not like them, so much the worse for him.  He can stay at the foot of the hill".  I climbed the mountain and it was not an easy slog.  The book made me think, which good books always do.  During one passage an argument occurs over the premise if Christ laughed.  I asked several of my spiritual guides if they thought Christ laughed and enjoyed himself.  I hope that Christ had a sense of humor.

To verify the narrative that I still have a frat-boy/adolescent mind under this 40+ old body, I did enjoy the scene when Adso loses his virginity to a maiden from the town. Its funny and tender, Adso's state of mind after reminds me of the mind frames of any 18 year old man.  In the end, William discovers the murderer, the scheme and the controversial book that the conspiracy revolved around.  But the discovery ends in catastrophe and William is left a broken hero. 

The movie stars Sean Connery as William and a VERY young Christian Slater has Adso. The Name of the Rose is a tough read, at least for me, but I am happy a read it.  The Name of the Rose is not a joyful or fun read, but it did affect my theological thinking and had several good moments.  If you want to enjoy a challenge this is it.

Keep Reading My Friends!!!!