What do you think?
Rate this book
Arcadia
After a long decade of critical acclaim, author Tom Dolin has grown tired of living the life of the traveling writer. Upon wrapping up a book tour for his latest novel, A Lost Legacy, he hopes to finally have a chance to relax and enjoy some well-deserved time with his wife and children. It doesn't take long for Tom's world to be turned upside down when he begins to experience the same recurring dream—waking up in a cold, dark room, only the sound of people arguing in the distance surrounding him. When he wakes up, however, he finds himself wondering if he is still in a dream; no longer living in the year 2028 but, instead, either in the early 1950s—lost in a post WWII America; the morning of November 22, 1963—the day JFK was assassinated; or January 25, 1995—the darkest moment in human history: when the world faced nuclear annihilation.
353 pages, Paperback
Published January 29, 2019
5 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan D. Clark
7 books13 followersJonathan D. Clark is an independent author who writes primarily what he describes as "philosophical fiction" which he blends with other genres. He published his debut novel, Division Street, in 2016 under J.D. Clark.
A California native, he currently lives on Long Island with his wife and their two sons in New York.
A California native, he currently lives on Long Island with his wife and their two sons in New York.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Read
February 10, 2019I wrote this and don’t review my own books, but I have read it countless times 👍🏻
Read
February 24, 2021Jonathan D. Clark's voice is unlike any other.
Each sentence is deliberate and rich with prose and insight. Arcadia was a roller-coaster of emotion, often times dark and heavy, other times, nostalgic, with hopes and dreams emanating from the characters. He can bring out your worst nightmares, but there's a warmth present, too, which is rare in my opinion, to find a fine balance of both.
I have never come across a book like this and I doubt I ever will again. Definitely a one-of-a-kind book, and I can't wait to read more by this author. I am left absolutely in awe.
Each sentence is deliberate and rich with prose and insight. Arcadia was a roller-coaster of emotion, often times dark and heavy, other times, nostalgic, with hopes and dreams emanating from the characters. He can bring out your worst nightmares, but there's a warmth present, too, which is rare in my opinion, to find a fine balance of both.
I have never come across a book like this and I doubt I ever will again. Definitely a one-of-a-kind book, and I can't wait to read more by this author. I am left absolutely in awe.
October 13, 2020
Strap yourself in for a dark and twisted ride through the human psyche.
At its surface, Arcadia is a tale of the post-apocalyptic life, but lying just beneath that top layer is an in-depth journey into the human condition and how after the world essentially ends we are driven to follow our darkest desires. Dig even deeper and you’ll realize Arcadia is a commentary on humanity’s failures as a species, especially in regard to our violent tendencies. There is so much depth to this novel it will take several reads for me to fully dissect it, and even then I’m sure I won’t find everything.
Jonathan D. Clark is a brilliant story teller. Arcadia is both entertaining and surprising. It’s unpredictable in the best way possible. Clark gives you pieces of the puzzle along the way and you’ll have to discover where they fit. Arcadia is anything but ordinary, it’s extraordinary.
At times Arcadia reminds me of something akin to Silence of the Lambs mixed with the unique, surprising elements of a Philip K. Dick story, topped off with a lyrical, poetic style similar to legendary writers of the past such as F Scott Fitzgerald.
Clark’s exceptional artistic ability is showcased in Arcadia. His writing style is outside of the typical but dive in and you’ll find yourself pouring over the intricate imagery and insightful characterization as you weave together all the pieces to find yourself mesmerized by Clark’s understanding of the human condition. Simply put, this novel will blow your mind. It’ll have you questioning reality, all the way to the end. The story is engaging and fascinating. It’s definitely worth a read!
Now I’ll leave you with this, two of my favorite excerpts from the novel which showcase Clark’s incredible talent as a writer:
“The past is only a dream, one which we look back upon with fond regret—hoping to fall asleep and relive it; making the false promise to ourselves that we’ll never let the fleeting moment pass us by a second time.”
“He even eventually took to recreating scenes of social interaction with the corpses of his former fellow soldiers, all of them having lost the will to live and (one by one) ate the barrel of their own firearm; the haunting echo of each well-placed pull of the trigger laughing at him whenever his mind found itself without a preoccupied thought.”
At its surface, Arcadia is a tale of the post-apocalyptic life, but lying just beneath that top layer is an in-depth journey into the human condition and how after the world essentially ends we are driven to follow our darkest desires. Dig even deeper and you’ll realize Arcadia is a commentary on humanity’s failures as a species, especially in regard to our violent tendencies. There is so much depth to this novel it will take several reads for me to fully dissect it, and even then I’m sure I won’t find everything.
Jonathan D. Clark is a brilliant story teller. Arcadia is both entertaining and surprising. It’s unpredictable in the best way possible. Clark gives you pieces of the puzzle along the way and you’ll have to discover where they fit. Arcadia is anything but ordinary, it’s extraordinary.
At times Arcadia reminds me of something akin to Silence of the Lambs mixed with the unique, surprising elements of a Philip K. Dick story, topped off with a lyrical, poetic style similar to legendary writers of the past such as F Scott Fitzgerald.
Clark’s exceptional artistic ability is showcased in Arcadia. His writing style is outside of the typical but dive in and you’ll find yourself pouring over the intricate imagery and insightful characterization as you weave together all the pieces to find yourself mesmerized by Clark’s understanding of the human condition. Simply put, this novel will blow your mind. It’ll have you questioning reality, all the way to the end. The story is engaging and fascinating. It’s definitely worth a read!
Now I’ll leave you with this, two of my favorite excerpts from the novel which showcase Clark’s incredible talent as a writer:
“The past is only a dream, one which we look back upon with fond regret—hoping to fall asleep and relive it; making the false promise to ourselves that we’ll never let the fleeting moment pass us by a second time.”
“He even eventually took to recreating scenes of social interaction with the corpses of his former fellow soldiers, all of them having lost the will to live and (one by one) ate the barrel of their own firearm; the haunting echo of each well-placed pull of the trigger laughing at him whenever his mind found itself without a preoccupied thought.”
dnf
July 31, 2020yeah, I couldn’t even finish the sample. weird, awkward phrasing; random, unnecessary italics; and an overuse of (incorrectly used) semi-colons.
the writing style itself is... long-winded & wordy.
what I read was hard to muddle through, and I honestly lost the thread of what was even happening.
so will not be purchasing to continue reading further.
the writing style itself is... long-winded & wordy.
what I read was hard to muddle through, and I honestly lost the thread of what was even happening.
so will not be purchasing to continue reading further.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews