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Arcadia

By: Lauren Groff
Narrated by: Andrew Garman
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Publisher's summary

Lauren Groff’s acclaimed debut novel The Monsters of Templeton was short-listed for the Orange Prize. Her second novel, Arcadia opens in the late 1960s with a group of young idealists forming a commune in western New York State. Into this group is born Bit, who grows into a quiet, distant man. Over the course of 50 years, Bit witnesses the utopia crumble and the world change in unimaginable ways.

©2012 Lauren Groff (P)2012 Recorded Books, LLC
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Critic reviews

“Richly peopled and ambitious… is one of the most moving and satisfying novels I’ve read in a long time.” (Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author)

What listeners say about Arcadia

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Beautifully written

Beautiful prose. Interesting plot and characters. Too depressing to be called bittersweet, though.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Story petered out

Started out wonderfully, but didn't hold up for me, and ended very abruptly... Maybe her other book Will be better

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

not a fan

I have read her other two books and love them both... But this one left something to be desired. I don't know if it was the subject or the style of writing but I did not care for it and it was a struggle to get through. there were a few gems within the story but overall I thought it was fairly depressing

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

down Alice's rabbithole...

I loved the main character of this novel - Bit's inner world took me in. I also loved the storytelling - both within the novel as a character itself, and the storytelling of the novel. The writing was wonderful and the book was sensuous and evocative. I enjoyed his sensitivity and his insistence on clinging to his sensate experience of the world. The book spans the years from hippie commune life through an apocalyptic now, which I appreciated. And the relationship between parents and children, particularly mothers and sons was poignant for me. Lastly, I loved the allusions to Grimm's fairy tales - it made me wish I knew them better. Overall, a great read!

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Close to home

Any additional comments?

I am about the age of main characters parents, and also "experimented" with communal living as well as a lot of other facets of this story. I had a deep fear that I was to have a child and raise him/her in that environment that it would be akin to child neglect. ie-bringing up a child in such an unrealistic world...without real healthcare sketchy vegan diet...I could go on, but you know what I mean. I always knew I was just 'playing' at being a 'peacenik', altho the principles are engrained in me even now. This book and story truely resonated with me personally that is to say. The development is a little slow to take off, Until I realized it was being told thru the voice of a young 'hippie' child. Then it made sense to me, and I became Bit. So well written I empathized with him completely. Didnt want the story to stop. The narrator is awesome. Simple perfect.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Didn't dive it as I did with Monsters of Templeton

Any additional comments?

I just couldn't get into this book. I read almost half of it and kept wishing that I was at the end. I loved her other book--The Monsters of Templeton--but the subject of the book, a hippy commune, just didn't keep me interested. And the very small boy who is the main character kept making me think of Owen Meany. So I set this book aside.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful heart wrenching story

My favorite of all of Lauren Groffs novels, Arcadia follows one man named Bit from childhood in a hippie commune through life. Poignant, beautifully written, we see the world through Bit's eyes.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Pretty good

It was a little more explicit than I was expecting, but it was a good story overall

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Stunning Narrative

Well told. The story is the road I chose not to follow on your.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Gorgeous

Now my favorite author after reading this and Matrix. Highly recommend

The story, language, imagery, sentiments.

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