French Literature Reviews - 2026

André Peyronie, The Name of the Rose: From the Book That Kills to the Book That Burns
Novel and Narrative Prose

André Peyronie, The Name of the Rose: From the Book That Kills to the Book That Burns. Adventure and Meaning, Presses Universitaires de Rennes, 2006.
216 pages, 16 euros, ISBN 275350251X.

Translated into more than thirty languages with over twenty million copies sold, The Name of the Rose is a novel that is at once immensely popular and deeply erudite. This dedicated study seeks to account for this phenomenon by showing that it places desire at its source and adventure in its unfolding. It is thus the novel of the quest for knowledge—the joyous science—which alone can establish individual free will.

Umberto Eco's landmark novel stands as a defining work of postmodern historical fiction, blending intricate semiotic riddles with the conventions of a medieval detective story. Set in a fourteenth-century Franciscan abbey, the narrative explores complex theological debates, medieval philosophy, and the politics of knowledge. André Peyronie examines how this dense intellectual fabric sustains a gripping adventure, analyzing the delicate balance between high erudition and popular appeal that has captivated millions of readers worldwide since its publication.

This accessible volume offers valuable insights for students and scholars of contemporary fiction, semiotics, and narrative theory. By focusing on the interplay between desire, the pursuit of truth, and individual autonomy, the study helps readers unpack the deeper philosophical undercurrents of Eco's masterwork. It serves as an illuminating companion for anyone seeking to understand how a novel about the history of books and censorship became a global cultural phenomenon.