11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A book worth reading, June 2, 2004
This review is from: Arcadia Falls (Paperback)
I am not a person who typically writes reviews on Amazon but having read Rand Johnson's book, Arcadia Falls, and having questions in my mind about his artistic intentions, I decided to see what others thought of it and was appalled to see that it has twice fallen victim to a phenomenon all too common in Amazon reviews: the vituperative trash job.
In the case of Johnson's book, two reviewers have decided that not only did they not like it, but somehow it, and derivatively the author - who I do not know but I assume is a living, breathing person with feelings - deserved the kind of venom normally reserved for Hillary Clinton at a Republican fundraiser.
In the case of one of these reviewers, his book reportedly contained a massive misprint such that he had to read most of it upside down and backwards. While I can only admire his perserverance in reading such a misbegotten tome, it also seems likely that this would affect his feelings about the novel and judging from his comments, his understanding of it. He demands his money back and indeed should - from Amazon or the publisher - but that is no reason to condemn the author.
In the case of the other reviewer, he goes so far as to confess he hasn't read the book beyond the first fifty pages, but nonetheless has no hesitation in trashing it. He too complains about printing inadequacies, tho ones even he characterizes as minor. For the record, my book, and I assume the books of the other more tempered reviewers were fine.
Now, as to that plot: Mr. Upside Down and Backwards asserts with indignation that the surprise ending was no surprise to him. Interestingly, I have read the book twice and still can't say with certainty what the ending is, an ambiguity Johnson clearly intended. (I'll reserve further comment in the interests of those dullwitted readers like me who lack the perspicacity to know the ending before they even open the book and who may find the ending as intriguing as I did.)
Does Johnson write with the transcendent grace of John Fowles? I don't think so, tho he has his moments, but to judge the prose of any book by Fowles' standards is to find it lacking. In any event, Johnson's style is so unlike Fowles' as to make it clear that he is attempting no mimicry and make comparison on that level virtually meaningless. Johnson's style is direct and spare in keeping with the "fable" concept of the subtitle.
But despite the dissimilarities, it certainly it is understandable that readers associate AF with Fowles' work. Tho it is just plain wrong that Arcadia Falls "copies" the plot of TFLW as was asserted (it actually is as much The Magus and A Maggot in my view), Johnson is clearly a fan and has created his own take on a number of themes that occupy Fowles, while adding a few of his own - like the disappearance of the natural world as a result of the onslaught of development.
The comment that nature is not present in this novel I find inexplicable. Not only is the disappearance of the natural world due to development and its psychological effect on the lead character a major theme, but the book is replete with descriptions of natural phenomena - woodlands, dragonflies, mushrooms, and butterflies, to name but a few.
But drawing back from that, I'm troubled by the notion that many readers seem to have, that if for whatever reason a novel doesn't meet their expectations, it is somehow an appropriate target for abuse. This attitude is particularly inappropriate in the case of literary novels like Arcadia Falls, the purpose of which is to express an author's vision in the way he deems best. You can disagree with his choices, but only after you have judged it on its own terms ( presumably after having actually read it!) - not your own preconceived notions of what the work was supposed to be. And in any event, there is no reason for venom.
From what I can tell this is Johnson's only novel but have no illusions that major authors escape unscathed. A review of the Amazon pages for Fowles' books and those of many other literary greats reveals similar trash job reviews of works that many people consider pure genius. Those authors can I'm sure handle it - in the unlikely event they even deign to check their Amazon reviews - but such invective does little to serve prospective readers hoping for a balanced view of the book being reviewed.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Fable with a Twist, June 15, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Arcadia Falls (Paperback)
I haven't read much fiction lately (I'm on a bio and history jag) so it was a pleasant surprise to trip across Arcadia Falls. At first, I was impatient to get to the "meat" but later realized I was being led (gently but firmly) to a place where different rhythms apply.
I see the author has been savaged here, evidently for not measuring up to John Fowles. (Note to Author Johnson: I wouldn't take that criticism to heart. Last time I looked, there was only one Fowles and judging by his re-write of the Magus, even he thinks he could be improved.)
I didn't think Johnson was trying to be Fowles. His prose is much more spare and direct. (This is a fable, remember?)
This is the kind of book that comes at you sideways - those ideas it gives off may flicker in the corners of your mind but won't emerge into daylight till the novel is well along. By that time, I was hooked.
PS As a lawyer, I can tell you that his wicked take on Law firm life is (regrettably) spot on. All in all, a good read with a seductive storyline. Richard the Lawyer
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good read that leaves you thinking, November 13, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Arcadia Falls (Paperback)
Johnson's novel strikes my frustrated nerve between preservation and synthetic development. When is it right? When is it necessary? What is the impact tommorrow, and 100 years from now? Arcadia Falls focuses on the psychological struggle of one man's view on "development" It steers away from the legal/political and societal impact, but implies an assumed position of huge developer, big development, and a lot of money to be had.
The main character, Frank, toggles between the middle-class, business lifestyle and the preferred simplicity of being in, and a part of, nature. He seems to balance his environment quite comfortably, until he learns that a tract of land near his home is approved for development. Thus the story begins and Frank moves from a balanced lifestyle to one which evokes extreme denial and frustration towards the destruction of ecological serenity. Franks true love (nature) comes to life in a seductive and intriguing symbolic form; ala the woman in the woods. Barbara, Frank's girlfriend, is the icon character for middle-class practicality. Kelly, the concerned sister that wants "more" for Frank (the greed or materialistic icon). Johnson brings the characters to life; each representing a trait, some more desirable than others. Acceptance versus rebelleous, natural versus material, comfort versus excess. The reader will relate to all, but your individual value system will determine which character you most closely conform to.
The novel is thought-provoking, and challenges the reader to look within for answers to many questions. What is the balance between preservation and development? Does development necessarily = progress? What is necessary, versus evoked by greed?
A great read, and one that I would highly recommend.
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