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Ann S. (Shenandoah, Iowa)
Worthy of praise
With descriptive passages which are exquisitely written, Groff weaves a tale of idealistic goals and realistic conclusions. The main character, Bit, understands and copes with the culture in Arcadia, but also finds his way, happily or unhappily, to relate to and deal with "outside" society as it evolves and yet maintains his established values.
Having not read Groff's debut novel, I am very happy to have had the opportunity to read this and look forward to reading her earlier work, as well as what follows Arcadia.
Lisa B. (Denton, TX)
Community vs. Freedom
I highly enjoyed Arcadia, once I adjusted to the style in which it was written. At first, the use of the present tense made me feel disconnected from the story, but soon I was sucked in and felt that Dicken's Ghost of the Christmas Past had taken me on ride to view the commune and I felt like I was really there, feeling their hope and anticipation for a better future. I also enjoyed the hints at the Utopian ideals and communities of the 19th century, which most people seem to have forgotten.
Bit's integration into mainstream society was interesting, and a part of the book that I would have liked to know more
…more about. I thought the ending dragged on longer than it needed to be and I had trouble getting through that part.
At the end this book gave me a lot to think about and says quite a bit about modern society. In today's world people have a great deal of freedom, but they have lost the sense of community they once had. I liked the way that Groff had the Amish helping the commune, even though on the surface the Amish were so different, in some ways they had the same objective in the long run. (less)This is the first book by Lauren Groff that I have read and I will make of point of reading her other works. The story of a 70's commune rang very true to me. She has an assortment of characters and her follow through with all of their stories was well done for the most part. The story is told with vivid, almost poetic descriptions and kept my interest throughout.
John G. (Steilacoom, WA)
It grew on me
"Arcadia" was a bit of a disappointment after "The Monsters of Templeton". It started off very slowly but is well written and the characters very well developed. It definitely "grew on me" and I would recommend it.
Helen S. (Palm Desert, CA)
ARCADIA
The author used words that opened the mind into creating the location of the story and its characters. Also, brought vividly alive were the conditions of the people and the surrounding areas. The author evolved the story from rebellion to romance. Very believable. Living the words in the book brought back many incidents transpiring across the United States during the time covered.
The romance brought into the novel was ever present and captivating. Very believable. I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
Beth H. (New Windsor, IL)
"Arcadia" is a worth-while read
As a contemporary fairy tale, "Arcadia" is beautifully written, imaginative, and thought-provoking. I enjoyed the character of Bit, who is portrayed as an idealistic old soul, and I appreciated his efforts to find comfort and peace in a tragic world that is deeply flawed and at times heartbreaking. Although there were parts of this slow-paced novel that seemed over-ambitious and perhaps somewhat contrived, it is a lovely book overall and I would definitely recommend it.
Nikki M. (Fort Wayne, IN)
Didn't knock my socks off...
Having LOVED "The Monsters of Templeton" by Lauren Groff, I was anxious to dive into "Arcadia". I was, unfortunately, underwhelmed. I found the story and characters rather flat and uninteresting. Disappointing....
Sara S. (Murfreesboro, TN)
Arcadia
I truly loved Laura Groff's Monsters of Templeton, and had hoped that I would have loved Arcadia just as much. I have to say that I found this book really hard to get into. I was really intrigued by the premise, a 1960s hippie commune aiming to build a utopian community, but I found the story to be rather slow and it just did not capture my attention.
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