Recently I read the luminous novel Arcadia by Lauren Groff, and while I was not necessarily excited for a story about a commune, my experience with Fates and Furies earlier this year spurred me on. I found I was drawn in imperceptibly by her graceful and vivid prose, and I found a softer, more immediate, delicately visceral version of Groff that I hadn’t expected. Far from a simple chronicle of a commune, Arcadia weaves the reader vision of an experimental community through the eyes of its first child, a boy named Bit. He watches life from his very soul, and through a series of episodes we get to know the unique cast of characters that make up this community. Not only do we see the effects of Arcadia ripple through Bit’s childhood and then beyond into his adult life, but we do so experiencing the wonder of the young, the thorniness of growing up, and the ache of humanity’s quest for beauty. I found myself teary more than once, and I’m guessing you may find the same. Pick up Arcadia for a slice of Groff’s talent, but linger over it for the poignancy you’ll find within its pages.
Pink&GreenMusings 