A review by marilynsaul
Dream of Scipio by Iain Pears

5.0

I remain in awe of Pears' ability to weave characters and, in this case, times/historical events. In The Dream of Scipio he takes three different historical collapses: Roman Empire (particularly when the Holy See was in Provence, France), France during the 1300s bubonic plague, and France during the German invasion of WWII. Each time frame has its easily recognizable characters, all drawn together by their search for truth, enlightenment, and escape from the throes of the corrupt hegemony of the Roman Catholic Church. Sometimes the reading was tedious, but then I'd be drawn back in by the philosophical debate engendered by what I had just read. It is an intriguing book that is well worth reading, though my mind hurts and I will have to follow it up with some light fluff reading.