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Arcadia Audiobook
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(3.00) - 6,392 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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. "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
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"This is the story of Bit, a boy born in a hippy commune (Arcadia) in the 60's where he lives until his family re-enters the "big world" when he is about 14. Bit is an exceptionally sensitive person and experiences life SO deeply and emotionally. I literally had tears running down my face for about 2/3 of the book, but it was so well written and the characters were captivating. The book spans most of Bit's life. He never quite gets over the dissolution of Arcadia and life in the commune, although he lives and works relatively successfully in NYC through most of his adult life. I really enjoyed the book, but my face is still swollen from all the crying. WHEW!!"
— Shawn (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“[Lauren Groff] has taken a quaint, easily caricatured community and given it true universality. And a book that might have been small, dated, and insular winds up feeling timeless and vast. The raw beauty of Ms. Groff’s prose is one of the best things about Arcadia. But it is by no means this book’s only kind of splendor.”
— New York Times -
“Richly peopled and ambitious and oh, so lovely, Lauren Groff’s Arcadia is one of the most moving and satisfying novels I’ve read in a long time. It’s not possible to write any better without showing off.”
— Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Empire Falls -
“An astonishing novel, both in ambition and achievement, filled with revelations that appear inevitable in retrospect, amid the cycle of life and death.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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Selected for the March 2012 Indie Next List
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A 2012 Washington Post Best Book
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A 2012 Kirkus Reviews Top 25 Book for Fiction
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A 2012 Booklist Editors’ Choice Selection for Fiction
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A 2012 BookPage Best Book
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A 2012 eMusic Best Audiobook of the Year for Fiction
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New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books for Fiction, 2012
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A 2012 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Nominee for Fiction
Arcadia Listener Reviews
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" Think of this story as a bell curve. Starts out slow, gets better, drops off. "
— Dearwassily, 2/19/2014 -
" Just mesmerizing, full of gorgeous prose. "
— Maggie, 2/19/2014 -
" A library book club read. Amazing writing; poetic at times. A 70's commune and its effect on a child who grows up within it. Protagonist is male, but filled with beautifully drawn female characters. "
— Linda, 2/18/2014 -
" Beautifully and imaginatively crafted novel about a community traversing the changes of life together. So well written you become attached to each and every character and are very sad to see them go. Groff is a really talented author who one to look out for... "
— Ashley, 2/8/2014 -
" Not quite a solid 4 stars, but closer to 4 than 3. "
— Mandy, 1/20/2014 -
" As my friend would say.......meh. Hard time getting through the first part. Some parts were well written but a lot of uninspiring for me. "
— Stacy, 1/18/2014 -
" Told from the point of view of Bit, a child growing up there, this book follows the rise, decline and after years of a commune called Arcadia. "
— Cid, 12/30/2013 -
" Story of commune living in western New York in the early 1970's. Story spans 2 generations and is some of the best prose I've read in a long time. "
— Jeffrey, 12/21/2013 -
" So so sad to have this one end. Maybe not really a full five stars but I was deeply affected, infected. Delightful and uplifting. Piercing in its pain. Hard to pick up the next book right now... "
— Tom, 12/21/2013 -
" sad and haunting. Wonderful use of limited POV. "
— Susan, 12/11/2013 -
" I grew attached this this book and Little Bit, but I'm not sure I liked it equally throughout its pages. Interesting to ponder freedom and community like that. "
— Jenna, 11/23/2013 -
" I particularly liked the beginning of this book, and I thought the whole thing was beautifully and lyrically written, but I wasn't really invested in the characters or the story - it won't stick with me the way some of the other Tournament of Books books will. "
— Shoshana, 9/20/2013 -
" I think short stories are really Groff's forte. "
— Jessica, 9/18/2013 -
" Well written and engaging, especially for folks who lived the 1960s among the fringes. "
— Sam, 9/8/2013 -
" For a lyrical type novel, I really enjoyed this. I don't typically like this genre, but this one was well written and the subject matter/plot is original and fresh. "
— Lori, 8/30/2013 -
" The writing flowed very well. I enjoyed it, but it probably will not stick with me. "
— Monicque, 8/22/2013 -
" Great characters, lovely writing (though once or twice perhaps trying too hard, like bread that "plumpens" on the shelf), and an intriguing time frame for the story. I went in knowing little about the story, and was impressed and immersed in the world. "
— Kristin, 4/16/2013 -
" I loved the sensuality of this book. Groff's writing is lyrical yet gritty, heart-felt, yet funny. And with all that, she never forgets about a plot that compels the reader onward! "
— Patricia, 4/5/2013 -
" I'm always a sucker for books about hippies living in a commune, and this one did not disappoint! "
— Daryle, 3/27/2013 -
" I was a bit skeptical about this book. I didn't think I'd enjoy reading about people in a commune. Of course, it was about much more than that. This was really a surprisingly lovely story about hope, love, and family. "
— Amy, 2/28/2013 -
" It is beautifully written, but I had a difficult time connecting with any of the characters. "
— Sally, 10/22/2012 -
" I really enjoyed this book. Life in a 60's commune come to life as told through the child narrator little Bit Stone. The story goes from childhood to teenager and to becoming a man after growing up in a commune, the only life he knew. Beautifully told. I would recommend this book. "
— Julia, 7/4/2012 -
" This was fascinating reading. I couldn't put it down. "
— Samantha, 3/11/2012
About Lauren Groff
Lauren Groff is the author of several novels, including the New York Times bestsellers The Monsters of Templeton, Fates and Furies, and Matrix, as well as short-story collections. She has won the Story Prize and the Joyce Carol Oates Prize and has been a finalist for the National Book Award and National Book Critics Circle Award. Her work regularly appears in the New Yorker, The Atlantic, and elsewhere.
About Andrew Garman
Andrew Garman is a television, film, and voice actor. His acting credits include the film Julie & Julia and appearances the television series Law & Order, Mercy, and Conviction. Among his audiobook narrations are Arcadia by Lauren Groff, Simply from Scratch by Alicia Bessette, and Love Is a Canoe by Ben Schrank, among others.