Victor lived on mother's milk until six, then on charity, before working his way to wealth and power. In his old age, to avenge his blighted youth, Victor erects an erotic, glass-enclosed shopping arcade as a monument to himself. Award-winning author Jim Crace conjures a wholly original fiction world that's as spellbinding as it is uncannily familiar.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
British novelist Crace again proves himself an assured storyteller and master craftsman in his third novel, a sardonic, witty morality tale. Moreover, he seems a brilliant chameleon. His previous books, Continent and The Gift of Stones (both acclaimed by reviewers) were different from each other in style, tone, and technique, and in this one too, he strikes out in new directions as he propells a mesmerizing narrative bristling with ironic asides. Victor is an aged, eccentric millionaire who has come far from his origins as the child of a beggar woman in an unnamed British city's marketplace. Now he owns the entire area, called the Soap Market, but has removed himself from the world and rarely ventures forth from his penthouse office. His trusted minion, Rook, himself a child of country parents, has grown devious and greedy, and demands bribes from the greengrocers; Victor sacks him when he discovers the man's treachery. Rook's desire for vengeance jeopardizes Victor's plan to "share" his millions by building a modern, glass-enclosed marketplace, which a pretentious Italian architect dubs Arcadia. Crace's theme here is the way cities corrupt men who grow sophisticated and wealthy. Arcadia--"a rustic paradise"-- can never be re-created in an urban setting; progress sweeps away the enriching past and puts people at a remove from the natural world. Crace does not falsely sentimentalize his country characters, however; they are merely less shrewd than their arrogant urban counterparts. His prose is energetic and sensuous, teeming with apt and stunning imagery. The narrative does not falter until its final pages, when its unalloyed mordancy begins to seem overdone. But this is a small flaw in an otherwise brilliant work. Major ad/promo. (Oct.) .
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Victor, a reclusive millionaire celebrating his 80th birthday, is about to unveil his latest commercial venture--a high-tech, climate-controlled, plant-filled, fruit-and-vegetable mall called Arcadia; that is, if the city preservationists do not stop him. Arcadia is to be built on the site of the historic "Soap Market," a blighted neighborhood where Victor himself was raised. Paradoxically, urban development in this case will re-create a rural ambience. More an extended prose poem than a novel, Arcadia reworks traditional pastoral imagery to subvert the dichotomy of town and country. Although countless passages of lush description beg to be read aloud, the overall effect of Crace's aggressive lyricism is somewhat numbing. A rich confection best sampled in small doses. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/92.
- Edward B. St. John, Loyola Law Sch. Lib., Los Angeles
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
- Edward B. St. John, Loyola Law Sch. Lib., Los Angeles
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Things ChangeOr Do They,
This review is from: Arcadia (Hardcover)
Jim Crace is one of the most original authors I have had the pleasure of reading. I've now read four of his works having completed, "Arcadia", the third novel the author published. An easy error to make would be to state that Jim Crace does not write about topics that have never been tested before. My response would be that not many authors do. What sets the innovators apart from the imitators is their ability to bring you to a theme you believe you have experienced only to have it adjusted so the view you are given is unique in its presentation.Much of what I have read in his first three works deals with change. Who causes or inflicts it, and those that are generally not in a position to amend it. This is not always because the change is some manner of preconceived evil. Often those that are affected simply surrender; they either lack the will or the resources to adapt. He often takes a group, as he has done here, that share very common beginnings, however some move beyond their peers with results that are decidedly mixed. Prior to starting his novels a quote often foretells of what is to come. The idea expressed is more important than the literal interpretation, and in the case of, "Arcadia" it begins, "The tallest buildings throw the longest shadows (thus Great Men make their Mark by blocking out the sun, and, seeking Warmth themselves, cast Cold upon the rest)". The quote is from Emile dell'Ova, and the work, "Truisms" dated 1774. Tall is a relative term, and I would imagine the author of, "Truisms", never-imagined how tall buildings would be. Victor began his life at the lowest rung that was on offer. By the age of 80 he has added rungs as he has needed them, co-opted his adversaries, and lives a life that is both solitary and predicated on getting even. In this he is as successful as Sisyphus, or perhaps not. His Fixer is a man named Rook. This man takes the shortest route between two points to reach his goals, not unlike the chess piece that is confined to moving in only a straight line. Arcadia as produced by Victor is supposed to improve the lives and businesses of the same class of merchants to which he once belonged. As Victor explains nothing is changing other than the counters are getting higher. First you sat on mats to sell your fruit, and then it was raised onto a cart, and now will be cradled in climate-controlled comfort. All this sounds familiar, not unlike the massive mall that kills the downtown merchant. Jim Crace takes the elements of progress and the darker sides of business together with those who practice them on an entirely new ride. When you gain the end of the tale virtually all the main characters can either be vilified or celebrated. Black becomes white, adversary becomes friend. Mr. Crace is not an imitator, his work also required a bit of getting used to. Once you are in step with the cadence of his thoughts you will find he is a thought-provoking author of the highest merit.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A vivid, beautiful novel,
By
This review is from: Arcadia (Paperback)
Jim Crace uses words as van Gogh used paint -- they are thick, sensual, palpable. Read this book for the descriptions of the market alone, for few writers are so capable of manipulating the reader's senses.But there's more to this book than stunning language. The story is engaging and powerful, the characters almost mythic. It's as if Dickens were rewritten by Hemingway trying to write like Faulkner. You won't, however, enjoy this book if you are in the mood for a rousing entertainment full of suspense and intrigue. It's far more languid than that, far more thoughtful. For Crace is after something here; he's following a hunch and digging up the dirt, trying to describe us all in our everyday purchases and accumulations, our bets and hedges and love of tall buildings, for there is a scheme behind these beautiful words, and ultimately the book shines a laser into the heart of market capitalism. Perhaps you should read it while reading Thorstein Veblen, too. Or perhaps not. No, don't worry about the deep implications and mirrors on reality. Sink your mind's teeth into this book, and let the juices flow where they may. It's Crace's third book, and his best up to this point, but there's a greater gift here, too, for once you have finished it don't despair: his later work is even better.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Marketplace of Words,
By
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This review is from: Arcadia (Paperback)
This guy can write! This is not a book I would have read had I not previously read Crace. This is not a book about anything I particularly have an interest in. I enjoyed every page.
His style makes it seem you are there as the events are taking place. This is not a book where you know every detail about each character. They are developed to move the story along. It's all about the feeling of the setting and the main character and a way of life. Crace continues to prove he can write unique books. His aren't formulaic or rehashes of his previous works. Highly recommended!
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