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06/07/2006: "The Dream of Scipio"
Song of the Day: The Wreckers - Leave the Pieces
The book I just read lied to me. The back of it says:
"In The Dream of Scipio, the acclaimed author [Iain Pears] intertwines three intellectual mysteries, three love stories, and three of the darkest moments in human history. United by a classical text called 'The Dream of Scipio,' three men struggle to find refuge for their hearts and minds from the madness that surrounds them in the final days of the Roman Empire, in the grim years of the Black Death, and in the direst hours of World War II."
The snippet on the back cover from People magazine says:
"Braiding together parallel plots of romance and political intrigue set in Provence during three dark eras, The Dream of Scipio is a murder mystery on the grandest scale. Pears invests his complex story with piquancy, irony, and humor. There is much to ponder here, from Neoplatonic philosophy to anti-Semitism to public duty."
There isn't even ONE "intellectual mystery," much less three of them. There is plenty of murder, but no "murder mystery," especially not one "on the grandest scale." And there certainly isn't any humor. Despite the lies, it was an interesting read. I wouldn't exactly say it was an enjoyable book, since it's about as tragic as they come, but it was definitely an exercise for my brain. It was also flawlessly executed; even though it slid back and forth between three very different times in history, I never had any problem keeping each plot separate or remembering what had already occurred. I don't think I'd ever reread it, but I'm game enough to try the author's The Instance of the Fingerpost.
Is it wrong that I'm bothered my copy of Fingerpost has a huge crease right down the front cover? It honestly almost stopped me from buying it, but the $2 price tag won me over. It still makes me twitch when I look at it. Note to self: Must learn to be less anal about such things.
Replies: 3 Comments
hm. just scanned through your book reviews and noticed jasper's "eyre affair" there. did you ever catch the remainder of the series?pootie, Friday, June 9th
Yes I did! They were all really great, although The Eyre Affair probably remains my favorite of the four. Haven't read Fforde's Nursery Crime novel yet.Brooke, Friday, June 9th
the big over easy. it's very cute but, of course, somewhat less literate.pootie, Monday, June 12th