Comments (26)

Community comments are the opinions of contributing users. These comments do not represent the opinions of Daniel Boone Regional Library.
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Apr 24, 2022pierc012 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Groff's book focuses on the rise and fall of a 70s hippie-style commune. She is a beautiful, beautiful writer, and yet, I found the plot so predictable that I became bored with the novel. Meet the charismatic yet creepy commune leader,…
Oct 18, 2020AlteredStaite rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
I borrowed this from a night stand at a relatives house. The pretentious flowery phrasing sounded ridiculous considering the storyline. There was no plot—nothing was remotely believable —e.g. extreme abject poverty one minute but hopping…
Jul 09, 2020
A most engrossing novel. When I finished, I was left with a few practical questions, subjects the book either hinted at without unveiling or ignored. Still, they don't detract from the time you are reading. Especially the last section is…
Apr 12, 2020TurningLeft rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Powerful and rich. This is one of those books that truly takes you far away into itself. The kind where you slow down toward the end because you don't want to leave these people. And yet it's a deeply considered philosophical treatise as…
Mar 05, 2018ArapahoeAnnaL rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Have you ever hoped to find friendship and love in a commune?
Oct 24, 2016
Fates and Furies was one of my favorite books of last year; looking forward to another from this author.
Jun 02, 2016jenoteacher rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
Descriptions of life on the commune are rich and fully realized. I believe in this place called Arcadia, but somehow I could not completely believe in or care about the characters in the same way. The theme of noticing and accepting the…
Apr 20, 2016NanCcan rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Wow! After reading the reviews here, I was prepared to not like this book, but it is thought-provoking in so many ways. It examines freedom, free will, democracy, leadership, death while still living and actual death, etc. Sure there is…
Nov 23, 2015mewmewmew rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Loved it so much, I'm making my mom read it now. Sweet and funny and incredibly visceral - veering towards the sadness lurking underneath at all times. Her story telling makes your mind paint pictures and you can't help but fall in love…
Sep 12, 2015vv8 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This book was beautifully written with lovely prose. I was consistently in awe of Groff's ability to use words and craft this spellbinding story. She does an excellent job creating the world of Arcadia and exploring the emotional effects…
Aug 04, 2015Belauthor rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This tragedy of a 1960s-style commune (rise and fall) is a delightful read. Lauren Groff possesses a rare storytelling gift that keeps you on the edge of your seat. And though these characters have their flaws, you end up loving them.
Jul 22, 2015bibliovore rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This is a pensive, lyrical and emotional story, great for those who love character-driven novels. I didn't especially like Groff's first novel but adored this one - glad I went back to give her a second try, because this one is excellent.
Jun 29, 2014SLoMotion rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite books of all time! This book still continues to feel like a dream I once had. Lovely story!
Jun 04, 2014cheera55 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Great book! Quick read and written so well! Love Lauren Groff!
Oct 31, 2013EPalmer2295 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
A dreamy, lyrically-written chronicle of growing up in a hippie commune and the resulting life thereafter. The book wasn't gripping or terribly suspenseful, but more of an escape into a different way of life.
KRockstar10
Oct 21, 2013KRockstar10 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
For starters: Wow, Lauren Groff can write. Her prose is beautiful. There are lots of breaks between sections in this book so I had plenty of opportunities to pause, but I found myself so intrigued by Bit and his life that I often read way…
tuesdayswithlori
Jul 30, 2013tuesdayswithlori rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This book is really very beautifully written. Lyrical. I feel like I better understand the hippie movement after reading this book, and yet that is just the vehicle through which Bit's story is told. The story is told like a poem, and yet…
Mar 11, 2013booksmile rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
Unrealistic and hollywood-esque view of a cooperative community. Also an Incredibly depressing and fatalistic main character. I recommend Ecotopia instead if you want a better Utopian environmental fiction.
clipshie175
Aug 21, 2012clipshie175 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Loved, loved, loved this book. Read it. Almost immediately
Aug 09, 2012Jenmat rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
This book started off interesting enough, but I did not like the second half. The first half was about Bit, a boy born into a hippie commune. It was fun to read about their life there. The second half was Bit, all grown up, in the 'real…
camaro7819
Jul 29, 2012camaro7819 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This book was such a joy to read.
Jul 15, 2012
What a writer Lauren Groff is! This book appears at first to be a quirky story of a hippie commune in the 60s-70s, but somehow it subtly changes to embracing much bigger themes: how we live in the world together, how we treat our world,…
nycjackieg
Jun 30, 2012nycjackieg rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
Extremely irritating and trite look at communal life, drowning in gooey sentimentality. Didn't believe one word.
Jun 27, 2012cerebrate rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I adore Lauren Groff. Adore her. Her first book snatched my heart, and her book of short stories delighted me. I have to admit, though, that the description of this one didn't excite me. But I shouldn't have doubted this extraordinarily…
Jun 19, 2012shanauer rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book immensely. It is very well-written and held my interest throughout. As a child of the '60's, it was interesting to see what was going on in the counter-culture while I was growing up. Recommended.