Rating: 
Summary: Not really a novel -- more of a didactic exercise
Review: I had difficulty connecting to this book because it seems purposely designed to be more of a didactic exercise or an intellectual puzzle than a novel. The key to the puzzle is the title - the book plays out the theme of the actual "Dream of Scipio" by Cicero. Cicero posits that men are placed on earth to pursue "virtue," rather than fame, and that only if they have been successful will their spark of divine fire return to its source. If they are unsuccessful, their divine spark will remain on earth, presumably passing from body to body until the spark finds the necessary connection to the ultimate. I read the book as constructed to show these sparks (and perhaps really only one single spark) attempting to "connect" in three different generations, while at the same time illustrating history's repeating wheel. The book presents two iconic representations of "true" civilization - first, three love interests, who bear no resemblance to actual breathing women and seem to be little more than incarnations of the Muses. The second are the Jews; the state of their treatment by surrounding societies is civilization's bellweather. In each generation an individual's reaction to incitement against the Jews will be a mark of his real virtue. These two representations are connected: in each generation, the "love interest" draws closer to the Jews, perhaps making the protagonist's ability to connect to virtue symbolically more difficult in succeeding generations. (The first, Sophia, prefers Jews to Christians; the second, Rebecca, pretends she is a Jew; and the third, Julia, really is a Jew, albeit a lapsed one.)
The failure of the first generation's attempt to connect to the divine (Manlius') demonstrates that what we traditionally think of as "civilization" can be an active hindrance to virtue, since its rationalizations lead Manlius to betrayal and murder. Manlius identifies his own interests (mostly financial) as "civilization," and cannot divorce himself sufficiently from those interests (as Cicero's text suggests he must) to find virtue. In the second attempt, Olivier spends much of his life pursuing Manlius' civilization in the form of the same texts that fascinated Manlius; but in the end he recognizes that the texts he has been so assiduously gathering are a mere "form of words," and that he should instead follow his "soul's desire" and put himself in harm's way, if necessary, to save what he loves. Julien follows the model of Manlius until love, a human connection, forces him to throw his rationalizations to the wind, and then loyalty, another human connection, pushes him into the ultimate sacrifice (in a true martyrdom he burns not only himself, but his sacred texts, which he realizes are meaningless).
The message here that I like is that theory can lead you down a slippery slope of rationalizations justifying evil deeds, and that philosophical exercises are dangerous both in and of themselves, and because they persuade the thinker of his own intellectual and therefore moral superiority. I also like the message that human connection tempers theory and is necessary to find virtue. What I don't like is the implicit conclusion that the compromises inherent in any involvement in public affairs are corrupt and corrupting. While the book has an admirable philo-Semitic theme, at the same time it is very Christian - "love is the solution." While this is equally a philosophical extreme that can lead to intemperate results, it seems to be a favorite of Pears', since it is also at the heart of his Instance of the Fingerpost book.
Rating:
Summary: A book to get you thinking. Deep.
Review: The title of Iain Pears book refers to an ancient manuscript by the philosopher Cicero. This is appropriate for "The Dream of Scipio", which is hardly a novel in the traditional sense. Rather, it serves as a vehicle for some interesting questions and ideas. Pears introduces 3 main characters - men living in Provence in different periods of history - to explore the concept of civilisation and what it means. To him, it means freedom from the struggle of daily survival, and the time and energy to think, learn and discuss the world. The time periods chosen represent cultures known for promoting such pursuits: the Roman Empire, Renaissance Europe and early 20th Century France. And yet all of these civilisations are under threat at the time the novel is set - through slow decline, invasion by the Nazis or the random scourge of the Black Death. Pears looks at how the three men each weigh up the importance of friendship and human life (raw emotive instincts) against the "higher" ideals of philosophy based on rational thinking. He shows us that these are not always separate issues, and that sitting on the fence can destroy both.
While I admired the ideas this novel tried to convey to me, I am not schooled in philosophy and I sometimes found myself annoyed that there weren't any answers to the questions I was forced to ask, and that just when I had worked something out, there seemed to be a contradiction to that very principle (but I guess that's the nature of philosophy). I wouldn't recommend this as a novel to entertain based on plot. It is designed to get you thinking. Be prepared to ponder its precepts long after you finish.
Rating: 
Summary: The plot is going nowhere
Review: I admire history and philosophy. I have an excellent knowledge of the Roman history, and love the times of Medieval Europe, but the book has disappointed me so dearly, that I was thinking to leave it on the shelf unread. I am struggling with reading despite reachness of language (1 star) and interesting characters (2nd star). But the way the plot (what plot?) is constructed, and the story is followed, the book is uninteresting and one stops caring about heros and heroines, and looks for something else to be hooked on. I could not find so far anything exciting, and maybe this novel should not be treated as a beach reading, I thought, I would have been smitten at least by historical landscape and philosophical mystery. I dare to say, you won't find any of that stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Curiously Lifeless
Review: I gladly give this novel one star for erudition and one reluctant star for artifice, but after the outstanding "An Instance of the Fingerpost" I disappointed in the nonexistent plot and stick figure characters.
Almost nothing happens in this novel expect the characters spewing forth set "academic" sounding speeches.
Maybe Pears should have written a piece of straight history or I should have re-read Tarnus' "Passion of the Western Mind" or maybe Barzun's "From Dawn to Decadence" instead of attempting this novel. My standard, with notable exceptions, is to give a book fifty pages to captivate me but after 140 pages, the entire first section of "dream" I knew I wasn't going to finish it. Reading this novel became too much like an irksome homework assignment in high school. In spite of all the fine reviews on this site and elsewhere, including the paperback edition itself, I simply did not care about the characters, their fates or the book's presentation of ideas any more.
So, with a sigh, pass this one up and go read all the other excellent books you have waiting. If you want a historical mystery pick up this author's "An Instance of the Fingerpost" again.
Rating: 
Summary: A philosophical and historical masterwork!
Review: I wasn't impressed with Iain Pears's An Instance of the Fingerpost, but I was told that this novel was an outstanding work of fiction. I am glad I gave it a whirl. This is a wonderful and true work of historical fiction. What makes this novel all the more memorable to me is that it is philosophical as well. The Dream of Scipio is an extremely well done and beautiful novel -- a challenging read involving three different characters at three different points in history. All come from the same French town, and each one affects the subsequent character. The story flows in a marvelous and steady motion, moving seamlessly from one historical period to the next. The three main characters are concerned, perhaps obsessed, with making morally correct decisions in a seemingly immoral world. Each lives in a time when tremendous calamities of historical consequences were occurring around them and throughout the whole of Europe. The decisions they make are not easy and the latter characters look for guidance to the writing of the Manlius, the first character in the novel. The Dream of Scipio is a highly interesting read, one that enthralled me from beginning to end. I love historical fiction and this novel is one of the best I've read. If you are not afraid of a philosophical and somewhat complex novel, pick this one up. You won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: It's just so different from his other books
Review: I've read Iain Pears' art history mysteries and thought Dream would be similar, with perhaps a dash of Da Vinci Code thrown in. I just couldn't get into the book, but then I'm not the intellectual type who enjoys philosophy. It's likely that if you admire Jonathan & Flavia you won't like this one.
Rating:
Summary: This one's for history buffs!
Review: In this complex novel author Iain Pears skillfully weaves together three connected stories, each of which is set during a time civilization was in a state of collapse: the last days of the Roman Empire in the West; the plague year 1348; France during the German occupation in World War II. All three stories are set in Avignon (in 1310 the Papacy moved to that city because of disorder in Rome and would remain there until 1378) and the surrounding Provencal countryside.The thread running through the three stories, all of which deal with moral dilemmas posed by an oncoming collapse, is the title of the book, a manuscript entitled "The Dream of Scipio," written by a fifth-century Roman, Manlius, who converts to Christianity in order to try to preserve what is left of the Western Roman Empire. The manuscript is discovered by Olivier de Noyen, poet, scholar, aide to a powerful Cardinal, in 1348, and rediscovered in 20th-century France by intellectual Julien Barneuve. In each of the stories the protagonists are faced with moral choices--must a few be sacrificed to save the many? And it's left to the reader to determine whether they've made the right choices or not. Pears, with his deadpan prose, offers no opinion. The tale is a chilly one. (Some may put the book down and select another after reading the opening sentence.) And if you stick with it you'll probably be consulting reference books to read up on the history of the periods Pears writes about (he helpfully supplies a timeline). Pears makes no missteps. He accomplishes what he sets out to do, but when you've finished it you'll probably want to run outside and take a walk in the sunshine.
Rating:
Summary: A serious and stimulating novel for our times.
Review: In this remarkable and hugely conceived novel of ideas, Pears gives us three intense, emotionally gripping stories set in Provence during the fifth, fourteenth, and 20th centuries. In each of these, a sensitive and thoughtful man of letters faces not only a crisis of belief, but also of action, as outside forces threaten to destroy civilization as he knows it. As each man fights to save the values he finds important, Pears explores the ethical underpinnings of western thought and history, those ideas first proffered by Plato which continue to influence men and governments two thousand years later. A mysterious 5th century manuscript by Manlius Hippomanes connects the parallel plots and eras: the waning days of the Roman Empire, as the barbarian hordes attack Gaul's borders and Manlius Hippomanes writes The Dream of Scipio; the 14th century in Avignon, when poet Olivier de Noyen discovers some of Manlius's writing and deals with papal intrigue, the Hundred Years War, and the Black Death; and the Vichy government in France during World War II, when Julien Barneuve, a scholar who has traced the Manlius manuscript, joins the Vichy government in an effort to "civilize" the German occupiers and prevent deportation of the Jews. This is not a beach book--its excitement is far more thoughtful than sensational. Pears' characters are real, flawed people living and loving in times of crisis and experiencing conflicts with parents, teachers, friends, and mentors. These conflicts clearly parallel those in the wider world of their political alliances and governments, and ultimately affect their attitudes toward humankind in general. Beautiful love stories, which bring warmth to the narrative, are portrayed with the delicacy such fragile relationships deserve and the strength which allows them to endure. As we, too, face uncertain times and threats to our own civilization, Pears offers a reflective and thought-provoking framework for contemplating our own future.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond words
Review: The book reaches such a highlight of beauty and wisdom that no words can give it justice.
Rating:
Summary: An Absolute Masterpiece
Review: The Dream of Scipio is one of the smartest, powerful, and stimulating novels I have ever read. It's hard to describe what a good book this is. There's such a profound message in the writing that I can't believe Pears managed to fit it into 400 pages. To accomplish this feat, Pears entwines three separate story lines, in three different historical settings. These backdrops, and the three main characters that inhabit them make this book a real testament to Pears skill and knowledge. The first story, chronologically speaking, centers around Manlius Hippomanes, a prominent landlord of Roman Gaul in the last 5th century. The Empire is collapsing as Gothic hordes pour down from the north. Manlius, a cultured man, intensely proud of his Roman heritage, watches as a civilization he believes superior (and it is) dies around him. He is a man lost to the chaos, until he becomes aquainted with Sophia, the brilliant daughter of a prominent Roman scholar. He quickly falls into love with her, more for her mind than her body. Their learned conversations are fascinating, definitly applicable to modern times. She convinces him to join the new order in Western Europe, the Catholic Church. Manlius becomes a Bishop. He is faced with problems unimaginable, invading armies, internal strife and decay. His transformation is fascinating to follow. Roughly ten centuries later, a young poet and scholar Olivier de Noyen, begins to study the writings of Manlius. Noyen also lives in times of trouble, with the Catholic Church absolutely corrupt and the Black Death sweeping through Europe. Noyen gets swept up in a plot to move the papacy back to Rome from its position in France, giving power back to the Italian church officials. During his travels, Noyen falls in love with the servant girl of his Jewish teacher. He falls absolutely in love with her, but he can never have her because of her religion. As the plague sweeps through Europe, many in the church urge the mass slaughter of the Jews of Europe. Noyen must see to it that this does not happen, while continuing an academic tradition that is quickly dying. The last story center around Julien Barneuve, a 20th century scholar from France. Julien is a student of Oliviers writing, and begins to understand the dedication of the man and his campaign to preserve knowledge. Julien's Europe is one of trouble, with the Nazi's ascendent and many in France, including the "learned" class, encouraging new forms of government, i.e Fascism or Communism. Freedom is old, a failure. As the Nazi's invade, Julien becomes a censor for the Vichy government. He too falls in love with a Jew, who he hides desperately from the authorities. He is forced to examine his own actions and his personal philosophy as civilization, again, seems to be quickly dying. The Dream of Scipio's central point, to me, is that when the world fails, that when people forget themselves and give in to the easy comfort of ignorance and hate, it's up to a few brave indiviuals to keep the flame alive for future generations. The book offers haunting reminders to us on how important the search for truth and knowledge is. The best novel I've read this year.
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