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Summary: a sparkly-imaginative read for the mindful type
Review: Quite simply, this book is an absolute delight to read for anyone who is analytically-minded, imaginative, philosophical, and/or enjoys math. Classic.*~*~* Highly amusing, enjoyable fiction *~*~*
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Summary: Flatland : A Romance of Many Dimensions
Review: This book rocks. I can't say anything else because it has been said above. BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT! This book is truly a work of art.
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Summary: Math at its Best
Review: From the square character's world of two dimensions in Flatland to the Sphere's three dimensional Spaceland, one comes to recognize the role of dimensions in geometry and in thinking in Abbott's Flatland. Both a mathematical essay and a satire the book challenges readers to discover dimensions for themselves in an unusual story. Beyond the story of the square lawyer protagonist and his adventure with the Sphere is the satire on Abbott's English society. Women are depicted as lines with the power to destroy men with there sharp, pointed ends. They are forced to remain in a constant waving motion as a courtesy to men in order to remain visible. An interesting predicament surfaces when coloring becomes a popular practice in identification. Women from certain viewpoints appear the same color as priests, much to the priests' chagrin. In sum, the women appear to have an inferior role to the multi-sided men as women faced inequality in late 19th century society. Secondly, the shapes themselves present a hierarchy of society. From the irregular figures to the noble Circles, each shape has its own ranking and occupations. Moreover, each shape is subdivided into figures that have a higher status in the Flatland world. For example, the equilateral triangle is seen as superior to any of the other isosceles triangle with top angles of less than sixty. These shapes have little hope of progressing; hope lies in their offspring which may possess a more respected number of equal sides. This can be seen as an analogy to the lower classes struggle to achieve success in the society dominated by the wealthy or aristocratic. While the story of Flatland may be a mockery of Victorian England, its heart is its mathematical meaning. It serves as an interesting and understandable window into the subject of dimensions. From Lineland, which knows no left or right directions, to the abstract Fourth Dimension, where it is possible to look inside a solid object, readers are introduced to new ways of thinking not usually encountered in math class. Most importantly, the text of the book is not beyond the scope of someone with a casual interest in the topic. Anyone can appreciate the search for the meanings of dimension and truth in easy to comprehend analogies presented by the author. Another math topic addressed is the discovery of new ideas themselves. Abbott shows that math is a field where anyone with an interest has a chance to succeed just as the main character stumbles upon the meaning of dimensions from thoughts from his grandson. He pursues his hypothesis on the dimensions of Spaceland as well as develops the ideas for the Fourth Dimension on his own. Although he is imprisoned for his thoughts and attempts to teach others, the square keeps his theories, not letting the views of society interfere with his work. It is interesting that he faces this fate when trying to educate the public about the truth of their world and beyond. On the whole, Flatland is more than just a short book with intriguing mathematical ideas. It is an opening experience to the search from the truth behind the world through the subject of dimensions. While mocking the English , the book also introduces readers an odd world of shapes and figures. Lastly, math is encouraged even though it may go against the grain of society. Any book that introduces readers to a new way of thinking is worth reading.
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Summary: Classic irony has alot to say about year 2000
Review: I disagree w/last reviewer. Flatland doesn't just lampoon the 1880's. Victorian is Abbott's writing style. But his social comment is as sharp today as Gulliver, and Screwtape's. If you can't spot the irony the entire book is offensive. If you do spot it, the parallels between say - its women & the current suppression in Afganistan, or education & Chinease purges, or angling up & US college sport programs - are hilarious and bone chilling. Abbot's guesses on equator based navigation are quite accurate. North swimming bacteria actually have a lot in common with the travelers in Flatland.
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Summary: A great primer
Review: Flatland is a good primer for understanding the basics of the different dimensions of our world. It presents a simple, easy to follow story of how a person living in 2-D would view and interact with a person living in 1-D and then with another in 3-D. This is a great launching point for further, more mind provoking and brain-teasing books like "Surfing Through Hyperspace," etc. Good starter that gets you thinking.
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Summary: A book of great angularity
Review: I first read "Flatland" when I was studying mathematics as a university first-year. I have just been re-reading it. In my naivity, I first thought that Abbot was exhibiting his own prejudice against women and lower classes. I realise now that it is his very clever way of satirising his own culture - and he chose an ingenious way of doing it, by choosing a setting that was as far removed from the real world as is conceivable - the world of abstract mathematics. The culture and society of Flatland are wonderfully developed, and the very human personalities of the square, circular, linear and hexagonal characters are colourful and vivid - displaying all the passions, corruptions, and emotions of our own, three dimensional world. In addition, this book is a remarkable lesson in how higher dimensions can be conceived by beings who inhabit worlds of lower dimensions. And Abbot's eloquent and humorous writing style is a great pleasure to read.
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Summary: WHAT AN EYE-OPENER
Review: This book is utterly amazing; by playing out "mr. square"'s life on a 2-dimensional surface, and soon his realization of the first and third dimensions, the reader is left pondering over the things beyond our world. ....................To those who are ignorant torwards the enlightening proposals of this book, and think you might rate it like the person before me, save yourself some time and return to your "alice in wonderland"... This is way past that Lewis Carol's writing (though I loved it dearly) and has nothing to do with fairy-tales. It is presicely the opposite, it takes to somewhere where few have dreampt of, and even fewer have written on. I highly reccomend this book to everyone searching for what is "past our dimension".
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Summary: Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" in 2D
Review: Although this book was written in the time when Hinton and his pseudo-analyses of higher dimensions ruled the popular masses (mostly as a semi-plausible explanation of the existence of ghosts), it delves a lot deeper into the nature of things, and, as noted above, even delivers a forceful parody of the society. The author of the book is a Square, a perfectly flat creature that lives in a flat society in an ideally 2D world. His four equal sides (irregulars are always killed or imprisoned due to the confusion of recognizing an irregular figure from looking at its side) give him the status of lawyer (the number of sides denotes the social rank). His amazing visions and visitation give this flat and narrow-minded individual the understanding of the worlds outside his own. First is the visit to Line Land, where all persons are lines of different lengths and vision is limited to a single spot. Naturally, bypassing anyone is a geometric impossibility, but, strangely, the denizens of that land live happy lives. Next is the visit of mysterious Lord Sphere, who, due to the lack of dimensionality, has to resort to manifesting himself as his cross-sections which the square can see. He delivers to the Square the Gospel of Three Dimensions, and, when the complacent Square refuses to comprehend, Spherer pulls him out into 3D (i.e. puts him at an angle to his own flat space). Finally, we are given a view of Point Land, inhabited by but a single creature of no dimensions and no coprehension of others beside it, hearing all and attributing all to its own grace and might. The book is extremely sarcastic and acidic: a 2D woman is a straight line, invisible when seen head on ( and lethal if met headfirst due to her sharpness), and is always reduced to constantly emit her Peace Cry. Color is forbidden because it causes too much confusion. Criminals are those whose sides are not equal. Etc. etc., etc. Read this book and stop to think from time to time - this is the sort of book that rewards thought.
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Summary: Flat -- what?
Review: I have to read this book for my English 4 AP class, and am so far highly disappointed and confused! What is the purpose of this book. It's another Alice in the Wonderland yet much more confusing!
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Summary: Great book for understanding Geometry
Review: I am a freshman in High School and in my Geometry honors class we are reading this book. It helps me understand all of the terms and dimensions of Geometry, and is a good book satiring society!
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