What genre does Ecos The Name of the Rose combine with its detective story?

Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose combines the genres of detective fiction and historical fiction. In chapter 7, The Interview, from the Class 12 English textbook, Eco explains how the novel intricately weaves a murder mystery set in a medieval monastery with rich historical and philosophical contexts. This blending allows Eco to explore not only the intricacies of the detective story—centered around the investigation of a series of mysterious deaths—but also the cultural and intellectual climate of the time. By doing so, Eco elevates the narrative, transforming it into a reflection on knowledge, power, and belief systems in the context of the Middle Ages, thus enriching the reader’s experience beyond a typical whodunit.