Flatland : A Romance of Many Dimensions

by Edwin Abbott Abbott

English language

Published April 30, 2008 by Oxford University Press.

ISBN:: 978-0-19-953750-1

(100 reviews)

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions is a satirical novella by the English schoolmaster Edwin Abbott Abbott, first published in 1884 by Seeley & Co. of London. Written pseudonymously by "A Square", the book used the fictional two-dimensional world of Flatland to comment on the hierarchy of Victorian culture, but the novella's more enduring contribution is its examination of dimensions.Several films have been made from the story, including the feature film Flatland (2007). Other efforts have been short or experimental films, including one narrated by Dudley Moore and the short films Flatland: The Movie (2007) and Flatland 2: Sphereland (2012).

58 editions

Caffeinated Book Dragon reviewed Flatland by Edwin Abbott Abbott

Definitely wasn't a book for me

1 star

It took so many tries for me to read this book. If I was more comfortable with geometry and the mathematics in general, I'd probably enjoy it more. But math and some of the concepts are difficult enough for me as it is without throwing an archaic writing style in the mix.

I tried one last time to get through it and found it difficult. Now, what the author was trying to accomplish, I can respect because it's definitely different. But I just couldn't get myself into it. However, if there's anybody out there really good at math or has a lot of time to spend playing with the concepts, it may be worth the read. I forgot who recommended this to me, but they must've forgotten my difficulty with math when they did.

Cari Fisher reviewed Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott

Review of 'Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

One of my favorites, I love a good satire and this is one of the most intelligent books I've read. A great read if you like to challenge your brain and be entertained!

Ika reviewed Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott

Review of 'Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

A 3D sphere lifts up a square from his classist and misogynistic 2D world and the square gets an existential crisis.

5/5

Benjamin Hollon reviewed Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott

Review of 'Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This book was an excellent food for thought and thoroughly challenged my mind.

It's short and sweet. My only wish is that it would have a more conclusive ending. I realize, however, that its purpose is not to tell a story but to present ideas about society (and math).

Colin Devroe reviewed Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott

Review of 'Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

A clear commentary on social, political, and spiritual topics. Aside from that I enjoyed how deep the author explained the world they created.

Kaslov reviewed Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott

Review of 'Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Quite a charming allegory for the English society of the time, and boy does it show it's age. This is basically covered by everyone who reviewed this book, so I am not going to talk about that. What I noticed and I haven't seen anybody mention this yet, is the fact that at the time when this book was written Darwinian evolution has already grasped popular imagination. Just look how he talked about careful pairings between men and women to produce an equilateral triangle and then how each generation after that is achieved gets more sides until it reaches their version of perfection that is the circle. As I am aware people looked towards evolution with quite an optimism at the time and started envisioning utopias that will come to existence with careful work, selection and patience. Just look at the squares enlightenment at the prospect of 3 then 4 …

Allen reviewed Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott

Review of 'Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I can't believe how attached I became to characters and a world that was just made of shapes! I really enjoyed this book and how it developed a well thought-out history and culture for this world. The only thing I didn't like was the extreme sexism in the book. I know that this was merely the author mocking the Victorian era sexism, but I was distracted by how over-the-top it was.

milsyobtaf reviewed Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott

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3 stars

Really really fucking weird. Super slow to the halfway point, but it picks up some after that.

Trey Hunner reviewed Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott

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2 stars

Silly and somewhat amusing

tivasyk reviewed Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott

Review of 'Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

можливо, мої дві зірочки (з п’яти) — занижена оцінка, але зважте, що я не є ані літературним критиком, ані істориком літератури й мистецтва, тож оцінюю (практично) усе прочитане швидше за розважальним потенціалом, ніж за суто історичною цінністю. "flatland" не є ані філософською монографією, ані підручником з начал геометрії — це авторська фантазія, те, що ми нині називаємо фантастикою. і для того, аби якось котуватися в цім жанрі, книжці бракує найперше сюжету. через це її навіть складно назвати повістю: події якось розвиваються лише в останній чверті твору, а їх хронологія охоплює аж один день (плюс умовно кілька місяців, описаних буквально одним реченням). сама ідея змалювати світ геометричних фігур була свіжа для свого часу, мабуть — але ж із неї не виросло власне оповідки? p.s. для порівняння пропоную почитати «яйце дракона» роберта форварда (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon%27s_Egg).

Sharyl reviewed Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott

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5 stars

Impressively clever satire published in 1884.

Fionnáin reviewed Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott

Review of 'Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions' on 'GoodReads'

4 stars

Really enjoyable story about a square that learns about the third dimension. With elements of an educational novel, this book is also brilliantly witty with a Johnathan-Swift-esque humour to the benign adventures of an unlikely protagonist in a world only a geometrist could dream up.

Bart Libert reviewed Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott

Review of 'Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions' on 'Storygraph'

2 stars

Having read the "unofficial sequel" Flatterland before, I was a bit disappointed by the very low amounts of science and mathematics in this book. But, on the other hand, it verges more towards philosophy and sociology.
If you always keep in mind when this book was written, it serves as a nice satire of the thinking in that time (and even present thinking in some cases).
Don't read this book for the plot, because it is very thin, but this is not really a big issue in this case.
The book loses a star because of the frankly horrible "Preface to the second edition" where the author (sorry, the editor who speaks for the anonymous square who wrote the book) tries to answer to some of the criticisms he received - by denouncing some of the very ideas of the book and apparently failing to see the newly opened possibilities …

nicknicknicknick reviewed Flatland by Edwin Abbott Abbott (Oxford World's Classics)

Review of 'Flatland' on Goodreads

4 stars

1) '''I am indeed, in a certain sense a Circle,' replied the voice, 'and a more perfect Circle than any in Flatland; but to speak more accurately, I am many Circles in one.' Then he added more mildly, 'I have a message, dear Madam, to your husband, which I must not deliver in your presence; and, if you would suffer us to retire for a few minutes#-' But my Wife would not listen to the proposal that our august Visitor should so incommode himself, and assuring the Circle that the hour of her own retirement had long passed, with many reiterated apologies for her recent indiscretion, she at last retired to her apartment.
I glanced at the half-hour glass. The last sands had fallen. The third Millennium had begun.''

2) ''An unspeakable horror seized me. There was a darkness; then a dizzy, sickening sensation of sight that was not like …