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From: jagardner@watmath.UUCP (jagardner)
Newsgroups: net.books
Subject: Re: Name of the Rose
Message-ID: <12258@watmath.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 29-Mar-85 10:12:51 EST
Article-I.D.: watmath.12258
Posted: Fri Mar 29 10:12:51 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 30-Mar-85 00:25:44 EST
References: <2526@nsc.UUCP>
Reply-To: jagardner@watmath.UUCP ()
Distribution: net
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 26

[...]

The previous article on The Name of the Rose failed to point out
that it is a fairly obvious tribute to Sherlock Holmes.  The detective
is English (even though the book takes place in Italy).  His description
matches the classic Paget drawings of Holmes and his name is William
of Baskerville (obvious reference).  The actual story is narrated by
the "Watson" who accompanies William throughout the adventure.  There
are a number of Sherlockian references throughout; for example, at
one point Baskerville says to his sidekick, "You know my methods..."

One reason for this is that Umberto Eco (the author) is a great admirer
of Holmes.  Eco is a linguist who believes that Holmes embodies a third
mode of thinking called "adduction".  The other two modes of thinking are
"induction" (seeing the same thing happen a lot and deciding it's a
general law) and "deduction" (putting two and two together in a strictly
logical way).  Adduction is essentially making a wild leap in the dark,
then looking for evidence to support or deny the conjecture.  This is,
in fact, one of the most valuable tools of scientific thought, provided
that you have no emotional attachment to your hypothesis and are prepared
to test it thoroughly and abandon it if it fails.  Holmes worked this
way all the time, even though he claimed to do otherwise ("It is a
mistake to theorize before all the facts are known").

			Jim Gardner, University of Waterloo