The Name of the Rose is an odd book to have been a best-seller. Well, it's not because it's great, but it is because it's heavily focused on 14th century theological and political debates, take place entirely within the walls of a monastery, and features copious untranslated Latin passages- many of which are key to the plot.

Still, it sold a ton of copies and it was made into a movie featuring Sean Connery of all people, so popular it was.

Me? I loved it. It did shame me somewhat as it exposed the weakness of my Latin skills. Studying it throughout middle school and high school helped me wade through without losing too much meaning, but the perfect version of me would have been able to suss out the full meaning and even chew on the shades of meaning present in the Latin text. Sadly, I haven't looked at much Latin outside of this sort of context in 20 years, so that perfect version of me is residing in a parallel universe.

That revelation aside, it was popular (and enjoyable for me) because at it's heart it's a brilliantly conceived mystery told in a pleasant style- intellectually stimulating (full of cool historical references to science and philosophy,) gripping and humorous.

In its basic form it's a murder mystery set in an Italian abbey whose main feature is a labyrinthine library housing one of the world's great collections of books. Told by a novice German monk, Adso, the story unfolds over a series of seven days, following closely the rhythm of the monastic life. His master is the main investigator, William of Baskerville, a former inquisitor who can conveniently be described as a Franciscan Sherlock Holmes (although I'm not sure how convenient calling someone a Franciscan is in this day and age.) The two outsiders, arriving for an unrelated conference, are immediately thrust into the middle of a wild week of murder and intrigue. At times it feels like every page offers a new surprise and the characters themselves react similarly the whirlwind of events that drive them through the memorable storyline.

Highly recommended.