The parallels are never drawn out and forced. Each story on its own is compelling enough to warrant reading. The darkness within each man's life and the difficult choices each faces stand alone, but the intricacy with which each is shown to be a reflection of those before and after him takes this novel to a new level. While one story might make a good novella, the three stories together make a great work of literature.
Though the deaths of two of the main characters are spelled out within the first few pages of book, I found myself in tears as the three intertwined threads were snipped, one by one. While plunging us skillfully into three different time periods, each unfamiliar to me from personal experience but made very real to me from this narrative, the author never loses sight of the fact that stories are built on characters. We learn enough about the intrigue and skullduggery surrounding the Pope during the reign of the plague to understand the danger to Olivier and his companions, but the book doesn't explain more than is necessary, and never stops to spell things out, but rather drops bits and pieces in to paint a full picture.
I originally got this book and two others so that I could review a relatively recent book for BlogCritics. The collection of Dennis Miller rants turned out to be too topical. Even the rants that were only months old were already too old to review. It was a funny book, but it just didn't work out. The collection of science fiction stories was good, and my review was generally positive. This book took longer to read, and sat on my desk for a couple of weeks after that so that I could full digest what I had read. Even now, paging through it while writing this review, I realize that I want to read it again, and soon.
If you liked An Instance of the Fingerpost, you'll probably like The Dream of Scipio, and vice versa. If you're looking for intellectually-stimulating and engrossing read, try both!
The Dream of Scipio - Iain Pears
Genre: Literature, Historical Fiction
Readability: Slow going at first, but then captivating.
Philosophy: Not very fond of the Roman Catholic church, though within a historical context. Neo-Platonist overall.
Suitability: Deals with issues of anti-Semitism and savage death and so on. Not for kids, not that they would enjoy it in any case.
Overall: 4.5/5
Order it at Amazon or check out the publisher's woefully-inadequate title information.
(This review also appears at W6 Daily.)
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