Forget the Da Vinci code. Long before Dan Brown put pen to paper, this novel by Italian author Umberto Eco was playing with the notion of signs and symbols. A series of murders takes place in a remote Italian monastery in the year 1327. Using logic and deduction, Friar William of Baskerville solves the mystery. A nod to Holmes in his name perhaps? Narrated by Watson-like sidekick Adso, the novel takes in semiology, biblical mysteries, and the postmodern idea of palimpest.
You should read it: to see that a crime novel can also be literary, and vice-versa; for the rich historical detail; for the layers of meaning and dense literary and mythical allusion.
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