The Name of the RoseThe Name of the Rose
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1327, William of Baskerville, an English Franciscan friar with a gift for deduction, arrives at a wealthy Benedictine abbey in the mountains of northern Italy with his young novice, Adso. He's there for a tense meeting between church factions, but monks keep dying in strange ways. As William investigates, the trail leads to the abbey's library, a labyrinth that the monks are forbidden to enter, and to a book someone will kill to keep hidden.
Why it's worth reading
It's one of the best-selling novels of all time, about 50 million copies, was a #1 New York Times bestseller and was an Edgar finalist. It's a medieval murder mystery that's also a novel of ideas.
You'll love it if you liked
Ficciones
Pale Fire
The Pillars of the EarthGood to know
There are long digressions on theology and church politics, and some passages in Latin. Push through the first hundred pages; the mystery takes over.
By the numbers
- Readers69 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics21 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller84 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #26 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #32 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #99 of the 762 classics we rank
- #317 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, Moving
If you like this, read next
Perfume
So Long, See You Tomorrow
The Woman in White
Arthur & George
The Color Purple
Lonesome DoveExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Name of the Rose worth reading?
Yes. It's one of the best-selling novels of all time, about 50 million copies, was a #1 New York Times bestseller and was an Edgar finalist. It ranks #317 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 81.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Name of the Rose about?
In 1327, William of Baskerville, an English Franciscan friar with a gift for deduction, arrives at a wealthy Benedictine abbey in the mountains of northern Italy with his young novice, Adso. He's there for a tense meeting between church factions, but monks keep dying in strange ways. As William investigates, the trail leads to the abbey's library, a labyrinth that the monks are forbidden to enter, and to a book someone will kill to keep hidden.
How long does it take to read The Name of the Rose?
About 14 hours (556 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Name of the Rose?
If you liked it, try Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges, Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov or The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.