Arcadia Falls

By Rand D. Johnson

Frank Anderson is frustrated with his job, with his relationships, with a world in constant change. Leaving work early one day after yet another run-in with his boss, he encounters a fresh insult to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0971029709
• ISBN13: 9780971029705
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Gloria Mundi Press
• Length: 252 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Interesting and Unusual Plot

I really did enjoy this novel. I'm not sure what issues one of the other reviewers had with the plot (particularly having only read the first fifty pages!), but this was one of those books that I just could not put down and the clever plot was one reason. Original, entertaining - and well written!

Good read that leaves you thinking

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.

A compelling read

This ingenious and captivating story -- part mythic-romance, part eco-politics, part literary thriller -- pays homage to John Fowles, but with an existential twist. Johnson serves up the cautionary tale of Frank Anderson, a man longing for the world of his youth, a world driven by the rhythms and flow of Nature. But Frank is stalled in the every day world of unfulfilling work (a wicked potrayal of the modern law firm), empty romance and insidious suburban sprawl. Then, in one magical pocket of this world, Frank finds his Arcadia -- a cabin deep in the woods of the last unspoiled (but not for long) tract of land near his home town. In the cabin, Frnak discovers his dream woman, in every sense of the word. Johnson moves the plot in a graceful, almost lyrical style, towards its surprising conclusion. He has a dead on ear for dialogue and when he writes of Nature, you know it comes from the heart.

A truly fascinating book that has something to say

This is one of the best books I've read in recent years,one that is successful on many levels. The writing is atmospheric and rich with allusions, the characters complex, and the message one that needs to be heard. But most of all, Johnson never loses sight of the need to keep the reader entertained. He delivers a narrative that demands your attention and then rewards it. I HIGHLY recommend this book.

Must Read Page-Turner with Depth!

I highly recommend "Arcadia Falls" as a must read first novel by author Rand Johnson. Everyone in my book club agreed that this is a real page-turner. Unpredictable twists of plot, competing love interests and multiple points of view, compel you to read on to find out what will happen next. Those looking for more will be able to find it. Fans of novelist John Fowles may recognize in Frank, the main character, a post-modern anti-hero, out of step with his times. His relations with the world around him are troubled and disappointing; he finds the women in his life to be distant, baffling and mysterious, if not mystical. The tip-off to the Fowles connection is that "The Magus" is mentioned in "Arcadia Falls". Frank sees his redemption in Nature and begins a one-man environmentalist crusade to stop the suburban sprawl which is about to pave over the last remnant of forest in the hometown of his boyhood. His activism grows more violent until he lashes out in impotent bursts of eco-terrorism against the real estate development corporation. His personal life begins to deteriorate. Meanwhile he meets a mysterious Lady at a cottage in the forest, and the line between reality and imagination begins to blur. Is the Lady as real as Sarah in Fowles' "The French Lieutenant's Woman", or as imaginary as the Muse in "Mantissa"? What happens to Frank - does he ultimately succeed in his quest? You be the judge when you come to the surprise ending.