The Name of the Rose is not a book to read lightly. If you are looking to be immersed in the world of a medieval abbey, by all means this IS your book. The descriptions of the art and architecture were some of the best aspects of the novel, and anyone who knows rudimentary Latin or German will enjoy the inclusion of quotes from medieval texts. The characters themselves were less distinct; other than Brother William and Adso, I had a hard time keeping track of the characters. This was likely due, in part, to the fact that the novel takes place in the span of 7 days, and how well can you learn an entire community in that time? There is a mystery at the heart of the book as well; there were times I wish this had remained the focus instead of pages of information in medieval heresies. For every twist and turn, there were pages that can only be described as boring. Overall, I'm glad I decided to stick with this book until the end. I came close on several occasions to giving up. If I still taught medieval art, I would likely use this book to help my students understand the medieval worldview. This, combined with the fact the final chapters are riveting, will likely earn Eco a permanent spot on my bookshelf.