Cover image for

Flatland (illustrated version)

Category Fiction
Language English
Published 1884
Excerpt

true Dimension, although I cannot point out to you its direction, nor can you possibly measure it.' What would you say to such a visitor? Would not you have him locked up? Well, that is my fate: and it is as natural for us Flatlanders to lock up a Square for preaching the Third Dimension, as it is for you Spacelanders to lock up a Cube for preaching the Fourth. Alas, how strong a family likeness runs through blind and persecuting humanity in all Dimensions! Points, Lines, Squares, Cubes, Extra-Cubes -- we are all liable to the same errors, all alike the Slaves of our respective Dimensional prejudices, as one of your Spaceland poets has said --

'One touch of Nature makes all worlds akin'."

[Note: The Author desires me to add, that the misconception of some of his critics on this matter has induced him to insert in his dialogue with the Sphere, certain remarks which have a bearing on the point in question, and which he had previously omitted as being tedious and unnecessary.]

On this point th

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2008.06.24
Danny

its very apparent that the one star reviewer (leslie) is mentally immature maybe still in high school and trapped in a still blissful little world....wake up FOOL. This is one of THE best books of all time both for its brilliance and its ability to make you think.

Knowledge is pain, Ignorance is bliss.....have a blissful day!

2007.07.08
mischief

Wryly funny and deeper than it initially appears, Abbott uses mathematical metaphor to pass comment on society at the time and it's injustice. A great book!

2007.02.22
MileHigh


The one star reviewer is commenting on himself. This is a gem of perception. Carl Sagan liked this book so much he used it as a tool in his series "COSMOS." Nuff said.

2006.12.03
Jacob

I haven't read the book from here, but i have read it and i thought it was amazing. Its an excellent introduction and metaphor for theoretical physics of many dimensions, although it did raise a lot of questions for me. It is definitely a book that makes them think.

2005.08.22
Vince

I read this book years ago, and it changed my perception of the phisical world quite a bit. It is easy to take for granted the 3 spacial dementions, but this book can give you an appreciation of what three-demention-ness really is.

2004.11.29
Leslie

this was the most boring book in the history of books i have read. if you don't like math AT ALL dont read this. Even if you do- still don't read it. YAWN!!