Flatland

A Romance of Many Dimensions

By: Edwin A. Abbott

Narrated by: Patrick Frederic

Length: 3 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Flatland, like our own world, is on the verge of the millenium. On the last day of the year 1999, a Square—hitherto undistinguished from the other shapes of his two-dimensional world—receives the Gospel of Three Dimensions, revealed to that world's flat inhabitants only once every a thousand years. Transformed by a truth he is unable to conceal, he is promptly condemned as a heretic. His poignant tale is itself a multi-dimensional creation, for it is not only a challenge to our most basic perceptions of everyday reality, but a sharp social satire and an illuminating mathematical treatise as well.

In the tradition of fantasy and social satire that includes Gulliver's Travels , Alice in Wonderland, and Animal Farm, Abbott pokes fun at the rigid class structure and concern for appearances of his Victorian society even as he poses an underlying question that is as provoking today as it was a century ago. Could we and everything we see around us be only a cross section for worlds of higher dimensions?

©1884 Edwin A. Abbott
(P)2001 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The best introduction one can find into the manner of perceiving dimensions." —Isaac Asimov

"At once a classic of science fiction, a playful brainteaser about geometry, a pointed satire of Victorian manners—and, finally, a strangely compelling argument about reason, faith, and the greatest mysteries of the universe.” —The Wall Street Journal

Loved all the concepts of this book

After hearing dozens of recommendations for this book I sought it out.
I was not dissapointed.

The books concepts and mathematical principles are interesting, educating and suprisingly entertaining. I loved the descriptions of the character's worlds and had no trouble turing my mind around the concepts existing in worlds with different numbers of dimensions.

The story is well told through a character that is easy to believe and ,if not have empathy towards, understand their plight.

The story was over well before I wanted it to but I suppose that only so many concetps may be put forth in a book like this before the author believes he may be overindulging or submitting their readers to a deluge of too many principles.

Highly recommended for those who wish to understand when physicists sometimes claim the existance of other dimensions which we cannot perceive and who wish to know how this can be.

Amazing

I was amazed that anyone could write a story about a square that would have the same level of suspense as the greatest dramas.

I was more amazed at all of the implicit social and religious commentary that could be crammed into a story without diverting attention from the plot.

Finally, I was supremely amazed that all of this was written over a century ago, while it reads like it was written yesterday... or tomorrow.

mostly horrible.

The enjoyable last third of the book is only barely worth the tedium and annoyance of the first two thirds.

The author spends far too much time on the social class structure of flatland and far too little time on exploring multi dimensional concepts. The author tries to use the book to advocate the benefits caste system or class society. The author also apparently believes that women are mindless beings who are only worth keeping for their use in obtaining progeny. I could only listen to it by reminding myself that he was not speaking of human women.

The last third does a fairly good job of explaining how one might imagine other dimensions using a variety of proofs and examples.

good, but Sphereland is better

I wish there was an audiobook version of Sphereland. Flatland is the classic book on this subject and is quite enjoyable to listen to. But, in my opinion, Sphereland has less discussion of the social structure of flatland and spends more time enlightening the reader about how we can think of four dimensions in our three dimensional world.

From math to philosophy

The mathematical and physical concepts of this book carry an extraordinarily deep philosophical meaning: just as a Flatlander could never imagine what it's like to be 3-dimensional, we too may be unable to perceive a different dimension that is there - like perhaps the dimension spiritual beings live in. This gives me hope that there's much more to it than what we have on Earth, which is wonderful but mortal. I've enjoyed this story enormously, both as a nice funny tale and as an inspiration to cling to when I feel discouraged wondering if life has a meaning...

Wierd!

Interesting concept, but unless you have a good understanding of geometry it will be tough to grasp this story. It seemed to me to be "Pointless" (pun intended)

Great Book for Fantasy Writers

This book offers one of the best explanations I have ever heard on dimensions. If you are a fantasy writer and want to know the difference between dimensions and universes, get this book. The story itself isn't all that compelling, but it is entertaining enough.

Excellent social perspective

This isn't a science book, this is a work of fiction. It is an excellent work of fiction, too. It provides the reader with a different perspective -- in fact, training the reader how to look at things from a completely different perspective. It also contains very relevant social commentary that can teach us valuable lessons about ourselves. If you're expecting a "science lesson", skip this. It is a work of fiction written in a refreshing style providing a glimpse into things that "may be" or "could be". Keep an open mind!!!

Flatland (Unabridged)

Terrible. pointless, waste of money and mostly, a waste of time. Believe me, I tried to listen to it. I just don't get the point to this book, I don't get it at all. This has to be one of the most boring, one of the least entertaining book that I ever experienced, In short a pointless book to all fiction or non-fiction readers.

Also this book should be kept on the fiction list of books and not with the non-fiction fiction list. There is certainly no "truths" in this book just nonsense and hot air.

An exhaustive allegory for culture and perspective

the performance is very mechanical, but fitting. The thing a seemingly indulgent way to create a culture with echoes of our own. Eventually this pays off. The exposition showing tangible problems in a very abstract setting.

One of the best books I've listened to...

I read about this some years ago, though I can't remember where. As a religious studies teacher I thought I'd better read it for discussing epistemology in class. I was more than pleasantly surprised. A genuinely compelling story where you can begin to relate to two dimensional characters (a bit like Jackie Collins, then!) and begin to care about them. Hilarious from start to finish. I'm chosing to believe the sexism is sarcastic, rather than simply a product of its age, but it's funny all the same. Really well read, with great feeling. Listen to this. It'll cheer you up!