The last book we talked about reading was Iain Pears' The Dream of Scipio. Is that still a good choice? Let me know what you think...let's try for 2:00 P.M. MST on November 17th 16th. How's that for everyone?

Here are some reviews. Sounds like the reviewers are ambiguous about the book, some good, some not so good.

Here's a quote:
"Pears recounts his stories in small chunks, episodes a few pages long, often switching from one era to another to another in the space of a few pages. At first the alternating stories are welcome: evenly paced, the novel trots along quickly. Over some four hundred pages, however, the pacing becomes relentless and finally simply exhausting: it is all too much."
Yikes!

"How marvelous to be able to create at this level! Read this one, taking your time and then read it again." ~ A customer, no name given
Brenda

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Colleen,

Wow, it could either way for me. I could love it or hate it. It has all the elements I love in a story, history, romance, tragedy, an apparently clever unique construction, but.... I still haven't gotten over Wicked which was supposed to be all those things and in reality was just one giant cliche after another.

Either way it's bound to generate a first rate discussion and that's the point of a book club IMO.

Ginger

We just waded our way through a couple of mind-numbing bores in my book club, 2 non-fiction books that were more effective than Ambien, so I'm ready for something that gets my literary mojo goin' ...maybe this is it!
Let's hope.
Fingers crossed, everyone!

Here's his author page...those Italian mysteries look like a great read. Has anyone read them?

Here's a great review from Amazon.ca...
"Like his elegant debut, An Instance of the Fingerpost, Iain Pears's The Dream of Scipio is an inventive, gloriously detailed historical novel told from multiple viewpoints.
But Pears has set himself an additional challenge by spreading his narrators over several centuries. There's the fifth century French nobleman and bishop, Manlius, a civilized man who has embraced the uncouth Christian faith in order to protect what he holds dear; an 11th-century scholar and troubadour named Olivier de Noyen, the famously ill-fated admirer of a married girl; and Julien Barneuve, an early 20th-century scholar of de Noyen who discovers, through him, a magnificent manuscript of Manlius's called 'The Dream of Scipio.'"

This is more interesting by the moment, don't you think? I'm ordering my copy today!

"This is literature and not just another book, and the very best kind of 'literature' at that, for it was such a great read.Don't we all know the experience of reading something supposedly in those ranks and "good for us" only to be supremely bored?" ~ A customer on Amazon.ca
Brenda

quote:

let's try for 2:00 P.M. MST on November 17th

I'm in for this book (it's been on my shelf for ages!) - but do you mean November 16th? The 17th is a Monday ...

Thanks, Colleen,
I do mean the 16th!
I have this strange calendar on my home desk that begins the week with Monday, rather than Sunday, and I think it's time I dumped it, 'cause this isn't the first time I've made this mistake...thinking the date shown on the calendar at the beginning of the week is actuallya Sunday, like most 'normal' calendars.

I really like the reviews of this book, although there are a couple that are very negative. Seems like it is a very polarizing book, either people love it or hate it. AND, his other books certainly have me interested! Mysteries in Italy...always a good read, I think.

Here's a quote I found on BookLounge:
"Three narratives, set in the fifth, fourteenth, and twentieth centuries, all revolving around an ancient text and each with a love story at its centre, are the elements of this brilliantly ingenious novel, a follow-up to his international bestseller An Instance of the Fingerpost."

Does this mean that the book is a sequel to An Instance of the Fingerpost? Has anyone read that book?

Here's an interview with the author that is an interesting read.

This is a good review of The Dream of Scipio in the BlogCritics' archives.

"I should warn you that I had trouble setting myself straight for the first twenty or so pages. So many names are sprung on the reader so quickly, with the barest of references to the time period, that one might be forgiven for starting over again after reaching page 43, as I did. Realizing the scope of the novel, I was better able to settle things in my mind as I carefully cataloged each character into the appropriate period." ~ Phillip Winn
Brenda

Since were tightening our belts, I am going to get my copy from the library. I won't be able to get it till after Tuesday though, because our library is the early voting site and then regular voting will take place and for the last week there's been no place to park. (Yay!!! I am thrilled about so many people voting!)

Ginger

Topping as a reminder that the book club chat is coming up a week from today.
(I need to start reading "The Dream of Scipio!")

I don't think I will be able to finish it. It's quite dense.

Ginger

Me, too.
Yikes, it's a weird read. I don't think I can finish it by Sunday.
Would you like another week for this bad boy?

I'm totally fine with extending the date if it helps you, 'cause it will give me more time, also. Although, so far, I'd have to say this is one of those books that I will close soon and pass on to someone else to finish and enjoy.
Let me know what you think!

You can check out the official website here...The Dream of Scipio.

Here's a quote that sums it up for me:

"Unfortunately, each of the stories follows a similar arc (and catastrophic end). In fact, The Dream of Scipio is a tale told thrice - when once (with perhaps some historical embellishment borrowed from the other two) would have sufficed. It is all too much." ~ Complete Review website
Brenda

Brenda,

I bought the book last week, but woefully have not started it yet! I wouldn't mind waiting another week to have our book club meet.

Yes, at least one more week, if not two.

Ginger

Good to hear that it's not just me that needs more time! This really is a summer book, one that could take a month to read. I'd rather move the chat date to give everyone time to read the book, rather than holding it on the 16th and miss out on hearing from everyone.

Let's wait for others to comment, then we can move it either 1 or 2 weeks ahead, if that works for everyone.

Here's a quote from the other side of the coin:

"The story spans nearly 1,500 years of European history, but is beautifully constructed and, for such a cerebrally challenging book, remarkably easy to read.
Brilliantly drawn minor characters, from saintly anchorites to lecherous painters, from popes reluctant to have their breakfast interrupted to wily mandarins collaborating with Nazis, complete a busy, but never overcrowded, canvas." ~ David Robson, Sunday Telegraph
Brenda

Thank goodness others need more time - I'm still waiting for my copy to turn up from Amazon (everything else I ordered in my little spree came yesterday). I was bracing myself for a bit of speed reading, so a delay would suit me very well.

Moving the book club chat to the 23rd or 30th would be okay for me, too. Note that the 30th is the Sunday of the American Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Whatever you decide is fine, because I can always read the transcript and add my thoughts, but I will be unable to make a chat for the 23rd - working all day and night.

What about the next weekend Terry the 27th?

Ginger

I'd like to suggest a wonderful book recently published in english from the French.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

That works for me, but I know it's US Thanksgiving weekend, and people may be away.

Does December 7th work better than the Thanksgiving weekend? I know that's a little while from now, but that would also be fine with me.

So, we have several choices...let me know what you think!
November 23rd - not really enough time for everyone to read this book, especially ME!
November 30th - Thanksgiving weekend for our U.S. family!
December 7th - Better for everyone?

Another review...another point of view:
"Pears has constructed a kind of literary Rubik's Cube, spinning these stories through each other in short chapters that produce fascinating patterns and parallels.
One of the dazzling pleasures of this novel is Pears's ability to follow the bumblebee flight of an idea through the ravages of time.
This is a novel for our time about all time." ~ Ron Charles, Christian Science Monitor
Brenda

I vote for the 7th. But I am good for the 27th.

Ginger

quote:

Originally posted by cigalechanta:
I'd like to suggest a wonderful book recently published in english from the French.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Thank you very much, Mimi. I'm bookmarking it, so to speak. Maybe it can be our next book club selection. Maybe you can join us next time too!

I'm good for either the 27th or the 7th.

The 30th will work for me; I have plans and will be away on the 7th.

I think I meant the 30th, too. (the 27th is Thanksgiving)

Is everyone else good for the 30th?

I read it wrong, but there's a chat on the 30th that I'm in charge of. Can I do two things on one day????


Ginger

30th is good for me (though as we have a very late night in view on the day before, I just hope I can keep the brain cells awake!).

Amazon delivered yesterday, so I'm glad the date has been changed- I'm not finding it a quick read.

Whoa, double book club happening!
My local book club's Christmas get-together is also on the 30th. So, let me think about this for a minute...if we meet at 2:00 P.M. in chat, then I should be able to make it to the 5:00 P.M. snacks and wine for our meeting here.
That's a happy problem, 2 book club meetings on one day!

So, 2:00 P.M. on the 30th of November is good for everyone?


Here is another point of view:
"No single story provides the frame for the others, and we jump between historical moments every other paragraph. There's a lot of movement, but very little progression.
The plot has more in common with an academic treatise than with a thriller. In fact, there are more exciting PhD theses." ~ The Observer, Jonathan Heawood
Brenda

quote:

So, 2:00 P.M. on the 30th of November

It's good for me - thanks for coordinating, Brenda.

That would be 2 PM PST?

Mimi,
Thank you so much for your idea for a book choice! What did you like about this book?

Ginger, what time is your other chat?
You can multi-task, right?

You're very welcome, Colleen...this looks like the best day for everyone to get together, so I'm happy that you can be there!

Hi, Terry!
It's 2:00 P.M. MST.

Here's the link to the world clock, for anyone needing to do a conversion...we are on Daylight Savings Time now. If anyone needs to check it out, our time zone here is shown under Edmonton, and it looks like Denver is the same time zone as I am.

"Three lives, three crises, located variously during the decline of Roman civilisation, the Black Death of the Middle Ages and the Nazi occupation of France, intermesh. All have as a preoccupation the theme of a man who falls in love, intellectually or emotionally, with an outsider.
Here the link between life and work is obvious: Pears's wife, in a marriage of obvious mutual devotion, describes herself as a "Jewish agnostic", and two leading characters fall in love with Jewish women. 'Falling in love with someone outside your own culture – yes, it's doing something that takes you outside yourself and makes you look at yourself.'" ~ The Independent
Brenda

I think it's beautifully written but it's like Beloved in that there are so many strands of the story being woven together to get to the whole, it's hard to keep track.

I had to read Beloved twice. (Also the narrative in Beloved talked to you like you already knew the facts of the story.)

I didn't know it was a murder mystery/thriller. That's the description on the jacket.

Ginger

I'm finding that I can't define the narrative style. Who's telling the story? He writes about things that that even narrator and the characters don't know. Is this a totally new original point of view style?

Ginger

A gentle reminder for everyone...
Concentric Reading Circle Book Club is on Sunday, November 30th at 2:00 P.M. in the Gold Star Chat Room, following Ginger's chat at 1:00 P.M.

The Dream of Scipio by Iain Pears is our book choice for this month.
Everyone is welcome, whether you've read the book or not! Come in and join us for a book chat that I promise will be interesting...and might be highly entertaining, depending on the perspectives of our readers! Remember the link that ate the chat room?

Here's another review...
"No single story provides the frame for the others, and we jump between historical moments every other paragraph. There's a lot of movement, but very little progression.
The plot has more in common with an academic treatise than with a thriller. In fact, there are more exciting PhD theses.
This ambitious novel is so busy chasing its tail that it forgets to go forwards." - Jonathan Heawood, The Observer
Brenda

Thanks for the reminder, Brenda.

I've been a bad book club member, and have not finished the book in time. In fact, I've barely made a dent. I'll blame it on Thanksgiving. But may I still come to the reading circle tomorrow anyway?

Of course, Terry, you are more than welcome!
I've not finished it, either. I find it very difficult to read and not at all interesting. In fact, I've read another book during the same time that I've been supposed to be reading this one!

See you tomorrow at 2:00 MST!

"This wonderful novel comprises three intertwined stories that explore the efforts of three men to nurture love and to act rightly in worlds where barbarians are ascendant.
Each is inspired by a transcendent love.
Each faces an agonizing ethical quandary.
Each chooses a different path to resolve his dilemma." ~ Len Barcousky
Brenda

Isn't it funny how we all have different tastes.

I loved this book. I loved the language, the style, how the stories intertwined, the history, the personalities, the location in Provence, the philosophical take on man's place in the universe, and how that was in direct opposition to the new Christian faith, how women were presented, how legends are created, the horrifying reality of the Black Death...

I thought it was marvelous. His phrasing of ideas was exquisite.

"....for the concern of man is not his future but his present, not the world but his soul. We must be just, we must strive, we must engage ourselves with the business of the world for our own sake, because through that, and through contemplation in equal measure, our soul is purified and brought closer to the divine."

Ginger

I disagree with the sentiment that one telling of the story would have been enough.

What the author is trying to impress on us, is that this same story will be told a million more times. As long as man walks the earth this story will be told.

And the tragedy and nobility of what happened is the same whether your ancient man or modern man or future man.

Did I mentioned that I loved it?

Ginger

Book chat is in the Gold Star chat room in 7 minutes!
See you there!

"Every cataclysm is welcomed by somebody; there is always someone to rejoice at disaster and see in it the prospect of a new beginning and a better world." ~ Iain Pears, The Dream of Scipio
Brenda