Rose name

Upon the appearance of the novel "The Name of the Rose" in 1980 in Milan, translations swiftly brought it to most European and American languages. Eco was already known as one of the most prominent semiotics scholars, and the book quickly made him a recognized literary and artistic luminary to all. The success and spread of the book were further enhanced by the release of the cinematic adaptation inspired by the story of "Adso of Melk," the novel's protagonist, which achieved some success, though far less than the book itself.
This translation aims to provide the Arab reader with one of the important texts of this latter half of the century, a text that is essential to know, especially since the novel, while ostensibly narrating events that do not concern the Arab-Islamic world, acknowledges through its protagonist, William of Baskerville, the knowledge and wisdom of Arabs and their contribution to the dissemination of sciences and knowledge in Europe during the Middle Ages—knowledge that laid the foundations for the subsequent European awakening. This book, therefore, concerns us; it concerns us as readers eager for new literary and artistic works that deserve to be translated and introduced. It also concerns us as Arabs and Muslims because its widespread reach across the globe projects an image of past Islamic civilization characterized by advancements in science and knowledge and a spirit of tolerance and openness. "The Name of the Rose," moreover, is truly an "open work," and every reader, regardless of their background, can find an image of themselves and their world within it. Indeed, during reading, one will feel that they are the subject of "de te fabula narratur," as Umberto Eco says. That is, the story (or novel) in reality only recounts what is happening around us, while the historical events, crimes, and labyrinth mentioned in the novel are merely symbols whose secrets need to be unravelled and their meanings understood. Perhaps this is the reason for the success of this novel wherever it has been translated and published.