The Name of the Rose is known as the best introduction to medieval monastic life and has already become a required reading for all seminarians (regardless of Catholic or Protestant) in our country.
It is also widely read for educational purposes, aimed at opening the eyes of new college students to the new world of classical scholarship.
Aside from its unprecedented commercial success, The Name of the Rose has also won prestigious literary awards such as the Prix Médicis in France and the Prix Storega in Italy.
But this fact is rarely mentioned.
Because, unfortunately, the fame of these two prestigious literary awards cannot match the fame of one book, The Name of the Rose.

"The Name of the Rose" is a culmination of ten thousand books, and the more readers read, the more books it hints at.
Conversely, readers who have already read The Name of the Rose will be surprised to rediscover parts they have already seen in the book as they broaden their reading scope.
Sometimes this book is called "the book of books."


The novel begins with the arrival of William of Baskerville, an English monk, at a monastery in Italy.
And with his arrival, a series of horrific murders begin to occur at the monastery.
William, who was asked by the abbot to solve the case, begins investigating the case with his disciple Adso.
The murders proceed according to the prophecy of the Book of Revelation, and William cannot stop them until the last victim is dead.
The story ends with the revelation of the machinations of the blind Friar Jorge, the hidden ruler of the "American Library," who has been steadfastly refusing entry to the monks.


The History of The Name of the Rose
1980.
Umberto Eco publishes The Name of the Rose, a mystery novel set in the Middle Ages.
It became a bestseller in Italy, selling over 500,000 copies in just one year.


1982.
German, French and Spanish editions published.
All of them have been bestsellers for more than two years.
The German edition in particular sold over a million copies.


1983.
English edition published.
The English edition has sold over 2 million copies in the United States alone.

1986.
Korean version published.
It immediately became a bestseller.


1987.
The film "The Name of the Rose," directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and starring Sean Connery and Murray Abrams, is released.
#1 box office hit in Europe.


In 1989, the film The Name of the Rose was released in Korea.


1990.
Japanese edition published.
In Japan, there are about ten commentary books on The Name of the Rose.


1992.
The revised and expanded edition of The Name of the Rose is published.
The Name of the Rose (2000)

The Name of the Rose was translated into every European language and became a bestseller in every country.
The novel has been translated into over 40 languages ​​and has sold over 20 million copies worldwide.

Book review
It's exciting.
Echo's elaborate story works incredibly well.
It's a triumph of imagination.
- The New York Times
A terrifying mystery novel that leaves us dumbfounded.
A painting depicting the dark side of 14th-century monastic life.
It is full of rich philosophical and theological debate.
- The Wall Street Journal
Amazing magic… …an alchemical combination of murder and Christian mystery.
It brilliantly portrays the despair of a dying culture while simultaneously addressing eternal human questions such as love, religion, scholarship, and politics. - Washington Post Book World
An exploration into a time when the Word of God was still sacred, language was a weapon, and books were treasure troves of unknown truths.
The Name of the Rose is a work about concealment and revelation.
Echo is enjoying herself to the fullest in her creation.
Like a multi-talented Renaissance man, the author entertains himself while also educating his readers.
Machiavelli would be intrigued, and Boccaccio would be captivated. - Vogue