--- product_id: 43212020 title: "Arcadia" price: "€ 40.67" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.de/products/43212020-arcadia store_origin: DE region: Germany --- # Arcadia **Price:** € 40.67 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Arcadia - **How much does it cost?** € 40.67 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.de](https://www.desertcart.de/products/43212020-arcadia) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description desertcart.com: Arcadia: 9781101970836: Pears, Iain: Books Review: Very well done story. Not to be missed by readers looking for an intelligent story - I may be Iain Pears biggest fan. I haven't finished Arcadia yet but as I perused the reviews I felt compelled to write my review now after reading some of the comments from other reviewers. This story, much like An Instance of the Fingerpost is told in a unique, creative way. This book, much like Fingerpost, must be read in as few sittings as possible. If you read some then put it down for a week then pick it up again you will most likely lose track of the characters and get confused and bored. That happened to me with Fingerpost so I started it over and read it in a few days. Arcadia has many of the same type of subtleties so you must have reading discipline to get full enjoyment and understanding of the story. Stones Fall was another great book but not as complex. Great descriptive writing. Arcadia is witty, entertaining, and funny at times and.it is also interesting and refreshing given that many of the authors I used to enjoy just keep writing books with the same story over and over again. I understand some of the other comments and concerns about the alternate world reading more like a young adult novel. It sort of is but it seems to fit the whole story. There is no sex or profanity at all. I would hand this book over to my kids and let them have at it. It is written so cleverly, so witty at times I laughed out loud. The main character, Angela, was interesting, intellectual with an attitude and I enjoyed reading her parts which are the only written in first person. It was a little difficult to keep the timelines straight but that did not take away from my enjoyment. I simply loved this book and wish there would be a sequel. Anything Iain Pears writes I will read. Review: Quirky, smart, fun time and dimension hopping story - This was a really good book combining the twin genres of time-travel stories (like Twelve Monkeys or Back to the Future) and "entrance into another world" stories (like Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, or The Magicians). It can get a little confusing with all of the time- and place-hopping, but it was smart, and funny, and even a little philosophical. I give it a good recommendation for fans of those twin genres, and would generally recommend just about anything Pears writes. This quirky book by Pears generally follows stories in three times/locales: (1) a vague time some 250 years in the future when society is ruled by warring factions of capitalist scientific elites thinking only about technological progress, with an underbelly of rebels who eschew technology in favor of studying and preserving the knowledge of the past; (2) pre- and post-World War II England and France, when the threats of Fascism and Communism invade all aspects of society, including what should have been the safe haven of literary academia; and (3) a completely separate world of swords and horses created from the mind of a professor in the literary academic life of timeline (2), who has good ideas that aren't fully fleshed out and who tends towards laziness in correcting some of those shortcomings, which results in the world of his creation acting on its own to fill in the gaps. When people from the first timeline become able to cross into the second and third, a truly mind-bending series of events ensues. Pears is known for books that occur in multiple points of history, but most of his other works deal with investigations in the modern world that have historical links shown through flashbacks; in Arcadia, however, what happens in one timeline has material changes for the present(s) in the other timelines, and some of the characters physically jump from one to the other, with often hilarious results. Angela Meerson, a brilliant scientist from timeline (1) with a penchant for stimulants and mind-altering substances, both creates the machine allowing the transfers and seems to befriend or befuddle just about every other character in the book. Henry Lytten, a professor of literature in timeline (2) and an aspiring writer with a history of working for and with England's intelligence services, is the absent-minded professor whose scribblings somehow form an actual world in timeline (3). Rosie, a precocious teenager who has befriended Henry in timeline (2) somehow finds her way into timeline (3), causing all sorts of upheaval with her strange ways, especially to Jay, a young boy from timeline (3) who is prophesied to play some major role in his world's history. Meanwhile, both the scientific establishment and their security apparatus in timeline (1) send their own investigators into timelines (2) and (3), with the expected confusion of both the time-travelers and the people they encounter. The plot is smart, funny, and confusing in the best ways. It makes some satirical, yet profound, statements about each society, with obvious comparisons to our own modern world. I can't say that I was totally pleased with the ending, as not all of the subplots were wrapped up neatly, but it was a fun time- and dimension-hopping ride while the read lasted. Despite an infuriating British tendency to have completely diametrically opposed views from me with respect to comma usage, and the habit to overuse "try and" (instead of "try to"), Pears's writing is solid in most aspects. He's equally adept at literary prose, satirical banter, and 1940s teenager slang, so once I suspended my comma-induced ire, I truly enjoyed the mechanics of this read. I give this a solid recommendation for fans of satirical time-travel and fish-out-of-water stories, as well as books involving dystopian futures and alternate realms. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #940,016 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #5,464 in Science Fiction Crime & Mystery #6,873 in Literary Fiction (Books) #10,611 in Action & Adventure Fantasy (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,329 Reviews | ## Images ![Arcadia - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71oD4CjbdWL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very well done story. Not to be missed by readers looking for an intelligent story *by R***F on August 22, 2016* I may be Iain Pears biggest fan. I haven't finished Arcadia yet but as I perused the reviews I felt compelled to write my review now after reading some of the comments from other reviewers. This story, much like An Instance of the Fingerpost is told in a unique, creative way. This book, much like Fingerpost, must be read in as few sittings as possible. If you read some then put it down for a week then pick it up again you will most likely lose track of the characters and get confused and bored. That happened to me with Fingerpost so I started it over and read it in a few days. Arcadia has many of the same type of subtleties so you must have reading discipline to get full enjoyment and understanding of the story. Stones Fall was another great book but not as complex. Great descriptive writing. Arcadia is witty, entertaining, and funny at times and.it is also interesting and refreshing given that many of the authors I used to enjoy just keep writing books with the same story over and over again. I understand some of the other comments and concerns about the alternate world reading more like a young adult novel. It sort of is but it seems to fit the whole story. There is no sex or profanity at all. I would hand this book over to my kids and let them have at it. It is written so cleverly, so witty at times I laughed out loud. The main character, Angela, was interesting, intellectual with an attitude and I enjoyed reading her parts which are the only written in first person. It was a little difficult to keep the timelines straight but that did not take away from my enjoyment. I simply loved this book and wish there would be a sequel. Anything Iain Pears writes I will read. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Quirky, smart, fun time and dimension hopping story *by R***S on July 8, 2020* This was a really good book combining the twin genres of time-travel stories (like Twelve Monkeys or Back to the Future) and "entrance into another world" stories (like Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, or The Magicians). It can get a little confusing with all of the time- and place-hopping, but it was smart, and funny, and even a little philosophical. I give it a good recommendation for fans of those twin genres, and would generally recommend just about anything Pears writes. This quirky book by Pears generally follows stories in three times/locales: (1) a vague time some 250 years in the future when society is ruled by warring factions of capitalist scientific elites thinking only about technological progress, with an underbelly of rebels who eschew technology in favor of studying and preserving the knowledge of the past; (2) pre- and post-World War II England and France, when the threats of Fascism and Communism invade all aspects of society, including what should have been the safe haven of literary academia; and (3) a completely separate world of swords and horses created from the mind of a professor in the literary academic life of timeline (2), who has good ideas that aren't fully fleshed out and who tends towards laziness in correcting some of those shortcomings, which results in the world of his creation acting on its own to fill in the gaps. When people from the first timeline become able to cross into the second and third, a truly mind-bending series of events ensues. Pears is known for books that occur in multiple points of history, but most of his other works deal with investigations in the modern world that have historical links shown through flashbacks; in Arcadia, however, what happens in one timeline has material changes for the present(s) in the other timelines, and some of the characters physically jump from one to the other, with often hilarious results. Angela Meerson, a brilliant scientist from timeline (1) with a penchant for stimulants and mind-altering substances, both creates the machine allowing the transfers and seems to befriend or befuddle just about every other character in the book. Henry Lytten, a professor of literature in timeline (2) and an aspiring writer with a history of working for and with England's intelligence services, is the absent-minded professor whose scribblings somehow form an actual world in timeline (3). Rosie, a precocious teenager who has befriended Henry in timeline (2) somehow finds her way into timeline (3), causing all sorts of upheaval with her strange ways, especially to Jay, a young boy from timeline (3) who is prophesied to play some major role in his world's history. Meanwhile, both the scientific establishment and their security apparatus in timeline (1) send their own investigators into timelines (2) and (3), with the expected confusion of both the time-travelers and the people they encounter. The plot is smart, funny, and confusing in the best ways. It makes some satirical, yet profound, statements about each society, with obvious comparisons to our own modern world. I can't say that I was totally pleased with the ending, as not all of the subplots were wrapped up neatly, but it was a fun time- and dimension-hopping ride while the read lasted. Despite an infuriating British tendency to have completely diametrically opposed views from me with respect to comma usage, and the habit to overuse "try and" (instead of "try to"), Pears's writing is solid in most aspects. He's equally adept at literary prose, satirical banter, and 1940s teenager slang, so once I suspended my comma-induced ire, I truly enjoyed the mechanics of this read. I give this a solid recommendation for fans of satirical time-travel and fish-out-of-water stories, as well as books involving dystopian futures and alternate realms. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Favorite book of 2016 so far *by S***B on February 21, 2016* It's a masterpiece. 1) This is the first book of Pears' I've read. Some other reviewers thought it paled in comparison to his others, namely An Instance of the Fingerpost , but I was mesmerized from beginning to end. 2) In terms of storytelling, its three storylines/genres (Anterwold (fantasy) 1960s Britain (historical/literary fiction), and dystopia Mull (sci-fi)), are each absorbing, well-plotted, and beautifully interleaved. The book is more than 600 pages and I wished it were longer. 3) Some hardcore fans of speculative fiction may not be as impressed as I was. Fans of David Mitchell should be impressed, I think. I love David Mitchell, but in my opinion Pears has him beat when it comes to pushing the limits of the form. He made an accompanying app that allows you to read the storylines in your own preferred order, for heaven's sake. 4) That said, I didn't use the app. I was never a fan of the Choose Your Own Adventure books. I'm not a gamer, nor a fan of collaborative art. I prefer to slip into someone else's vision entirely. While it was challenging at times to follow, it wasn't that hard and if I could follow, SF fans could easily follow. Pears reiterated (via dialogue) the points that were confusing until they became clear, though the effect was never (in my view) labored. 5) I LOVED it. I also enjoy Tolkien, Lewis, Huxley, Michael Ende's The Neverending Story, Orwell, all the classic genre examples. Perhaps it was the reviewers who are bored by these classic writing styles who didn't find the book edgy enough. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.de/products/43212020-arcadia](https://www.desertcart.de/products/43212020-arcadia) --- *Product available on Desertcart Germany* *Store origin: DE* *Last updated: 2026-05-16*