new comment from Philip

This latest, wonderful comment from our Philip, on religion in the Rose, presumes that you've read the entire book.

"all that is left is for me to be silent": the Last Page

This post assumes that you have read the entire book.

programming note

So sorry, but won't get a post on the Last Page up until tomorrow afternoon. Just too overwhelmed with first week craziness for this semester. But it is partially written and I can firmly commit to tomorrow afternoon. Thanks!

Philip on semiotics in the Name of the Rose

All, below you will find the latest essay from Philip, discussing the topic of semiotics in The Name of the Rose. Since the essay discusses frankly the ending of the book, please don't read until you are finished. As ever, I am deeply grateful to Philip for his diligent work. I don't know what type of text this book club would have been without his input; we need many guides. I hope to have an essay of my own, about the Last Page, tomorrow or Monday. -FBd

"I know that this was the will of the Lord": the Seventh day

This post assumes reading through the Sixth Day and looks ahead to the Seventh  Day, which in my copy runs from page 463-493. Don't look below the fold if you haven't read through the Sixth Day; please don't discuss anything happening after the Seventh Day in comments.

Programming note

Day Seven-- tomorrow.

naturally, an autograph

When I wrote a chapter in the book which was produced for Umberto Eco to commemorate his 70^th birthday,

Umberto Eco – L’uomo che sapeva troppo, Edizioni ETS, I received a rather special edition of Il nome della rosa. -Philip

"it was the very image of death": the Sixth Day

Image from Flickr user patman86 used under a Creative Commons license

This post assumes reading through the Fifth Day and looks ahead to the Sixth Day, which in my copy runs from page . Don't look below the fold if you haven't read through the Fifth Day; please don't discuss anything happening after the Sixth Day in comments.

advice

Just a little friendly advice for people who are approaching the end of the novel-- wait between finishing the text proper and reading the Postscript. Take a break from it for just a while. The Postscript is a valuable text, though one which I have reservations about; but it isn't of a piece with the narrative, at all, and the end of the novel proper is so wonderful, it needs its own space to breathe. Just my 2 cents.

"We wanted a better world": the Fifth Day

This post assumes reading through the Fourth Day and looks ahead to the Fifth Day, which in my copy runs from page 335-407. Don't look below the fold if you haven't read through the Fourth Day; please don't discuss anything happening after the Fifth Day in comments.