I have been quiet on the book front lately. I mentioned this book when I wrote about my reading challenges for this year. Well I did finish it but it took me a while to get into the book as I was rather put off by the frequent use of latin within the text even though the latin is often paraphrased.
From the bookjacket:
Imagine a medieval castle run by the Benedictines, with cellarists, herbalists, gardeners, young novices. One after the other half a dozen monks are found murdered in the most bizarre of ways. A learned Franciscan who is sent to solve the mystery finds himself involved int the frightening events. , , , a sleuths’s pursuit of the truth behind the mystery also involves the pursuit of meaning – in words, symbols, ides, every conceivable sign the visible universe contains.
It certainly was an intriguing read and I was keen to see the movie once I finished the book.
The movie had Sean Connery and Christian Slater as the stars and I enjoyed the movie but not as much as the book as the movie deviated from the book in certain parts. I am a staunch believer that the book is almost always better than the movie and in this case it was certainly true.
You can find some detailed reviews of this book here.
Gippsland Granny 
I have started this book at least a dozen times …… and can never get going on it. Maybe now I’ll give it a try!
Well done for keeping at it. I’ve given up on at least four books this year that I found too much of a toil, which I always feel is a great pity. I haven’t read this one but I agree with you about books v films. As good as films can be they never seem to include everything that’s in the book.
It is disappointing when you have to give up on a book. Perhaps this was why this one was on the ‘to be read’ shelf. I had tried it previously and found it wanting. Glad I persevered with it. I have given up on some books too. One I distinctly remember is Red Queen. I tried that one at least twice before eventually giving the book away.