MovieChat Forums > The Name of the Rose (1986) Discussion > How they turn the pages...

How they turn the pages...

posted 15 years ago by teal123
9 replies | jump to latest

Never in my life have I wet my finger to turn a page, what's that all about?

[–] midnight-keyz 15 years ago

When something really dry and absorbent is touched by something wet, it becomes adhesive. So, some people will wet their fingers with their tongue to make it easier to turn pages of a book; for me and my co-workers at the grocery store, it makes it easier to grab and pull the little bit of plastic on the top of plastic bags and stretch them open.

That's the best I can explain it. I actually logged in to answer you. Just thought it'd be helpful. =]

[–] teal123 15 years ago

Thanks :-) Seems like it'd be damaging to a fragile book though!

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] rosarypliers 15 years ago

Especially since many books of that era were written on parchment, not paper. Parchment is thin leather and therefore quite durable. In the novel, the book in question is written on paper, though, which was an innovation at that time. And even this kind of material was more durable than today's paper. For several centuries, paper was made from rags without the use of any bleach or acid. Later, people started making paper from wood pulp which was chemically treated to look white and firm. However, the acids from inside the paper did more damage than any oils from human finger tips. I've seen a 19th century book the pages of which had turned reddish-brown due to chemicals, and a Gutenberg Bible that was virtually incorrupt.

[–] slainzcasl 15 years ago

It is a dirty, disgusting, germ-passing-on habit. But people still insist on doing it.

[–] All_Seeing_Fly 15 years ago

I hate it as well, seems like a habit passed down from parents.
They might as well pick there nose, then turn the page!!

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] zyggums 12 years ago

My impresion was that it was some nuance that monks did. Monks who where in the business of turning hundreds if not thousands of pages a day.

[–] teal123 10 years ago

Most importantly it was a plot device. Jorge's murderous scheme depended on this habit the monks had. During the meal the night that William & Adso arrive, the monk reading the verses to entertain the diners does the finger lick page turn extremely deliberately and explicitly. Now, as to how the readers who died didn't notice the green goo on the pages, now that's another matter :-)