Umberto Eco has woven a rich tapestry containing a many layered story that is The Name of the Rose, an erudite work that draws upon his interest in semiotics, philosophy, and history. Because it is written on several levels, the reader can ignore the foreign languages and still enjoy the story set in medieval Italy of the fourteenth century where William of Baskerville finally solves the mysteries surrounding the murder of seven monks in seven days.

At bottom it is a story of lusts of the flesh, intellectual, spiritual, and for power. It is these lusts that move the story forward. As usual it is the seven deadly sins that are the most interesting — pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth; all present in the story more or less, all alive and thriving today. Over all is the lust for power.

In the fourteenth century the power of the monastaries was on the wane, shifting to the cities, the mercantile classes, and to the secular schools of learning. Authoritarian power is exercised through fear. Power of the church is wrought through fear of eternal damnation carefully cultivated in the minds of simple people. In cities, power is wrought through money, and control of information. Because money is a more fungible commodity, people begin to work for money in order to buy the necessities of life rather than producing them through ownership and use of land. Eventually, people are controlled through fear for their jobs, fear for their safety, and fear for their health. Today, power over people is maintained by many different fears, a prevalant fear is the fear of terrorism. It is fear that government leadership uses to increase power over people.

Fear is not all powerful, you will be pleased to learn, there is an antidote. Antidote to fear is comedy. Comedy on life and the prevailing cultural institutions. Comedy that is absurd, satirical, ludicrous, farcical, and surreal. An acute sense of the foolishness of life and culture confers freedom on those who appreciate comedy. To let go and truly laugh in the face of fear is freedom. Ultimate freedom is to be free from the fear of death.

An example of a free man is the Greek philosopher, Diogenes, who dramatized the virtues of the simple life by living in a tub. Legend says that Diogenes told Alexander the Great to stand aside when asked what the Great Alexander could do for him. In surprise, Alexander asked why? To which Diogenes replied that he was obscuring the sun.

If everyone were as free as Diogenes there would be no ruling the people. Cultural institutions wouldn't survive.

All this and more can be inferred and found by reading The Name of the Rose, a good book. It is a tribute to the skill of William Weaver, the translator into English from the original Italian.