The name of the rose.

I recently read and enjoyed 'The Name of the Rose', by Umberto Eco. The premise: In the guise of a murder mystery, the story follows two characters who are blatantly modeled after Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, as they take you on an exploration of 14th century science and politics, a time in human history which isn't often examined by the weak flashlight of popular literature.

Who will enjoy this book?

Anyone who has a deep appreciation for history, or for logic and the sciences. Anyone who enjoys a good whodunnit murder mystery. Anyone interested in the subject of the reconciliation of religion and science. Anyone who wants to know more about the late middle ages, a period during which the church held a vice-like grip on the power field of Western Europe. Anyone who just plain loves books. According to Eco, at it's heart, this is a book about books.

Who won't enjoy this book?

Anyone afraid to read a book that has more than five hundred pages, during which the characters frequently stop what they're doing to engage in debate at length on the subject of objective reasoning, or the plight of the church and the distinctions between the various sects of the day.

All in all, I found this book to be a real page turner. As a kid, I used to love Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes stories. Still, I realize that this isn't everyone's cup of tea.