A review by readingthroughthelists
Arcadia by Iain Pears

adventurous informative reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A novel that is unexpected and unexpectedly enjoyable. 

Arcadia weaves together three distinct worlds--one fantasy, one science fiction/dystopia, and one historical fiction--in a way that is, well, not quite effortless, but still feasible. Much like Angela Meerson’s iron pergola time machine it just…works, even if the mechanics of how it works are not quite clear. 

While in Anterwold, I kept waiting for the “dark side” of this fantasy world to be revealed, for the cracks to show and the artifice to be revealed,  and I appreciated that such a reveal never came (minus a somewhat confusing scene where Rosie discovers the Copse of the Dead, a place that is never referred to or explained again. Also, where did Aliena go for the last third of the book? She just kind of…disappeared, and Rosie never thought to ask about her?). This is a good world with good people, and it offers a good future to replace the nightmare that Oldmanter and More have (inadvertently) destroyed.

My only real complaint is the dialogue. Many characters talk the same (especially in Anterwold) and often it doesn’t sound quite convincing. This was especially noticeable in the early chapters, but once the pace picked up, it became less glaring. 

4.5 stars.