Flatland(Illustrated)

By Edwin A. Abbott

• Illustrated Edition: Enriched with 20 intricate illustrations exploring the fantastical dimensions!
•  Inclusive Content: Comes with a detailed summary, characters list, and an inspiring author biography!
•  Unleash Imagination: Dive into a universe that promises a blend of mathematical intrigue and sociopolitical allegory!

Embark on a journey beyond the confines of our familiar dimensions with Edwin A. Abbott’s immortal masterpiece, "Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions."
Crafted not merely as a novel, but as a bridge between disparate worlds of understanding, this unique illustrated edition invites you to traverse the mesmerizing realms that blend mathematics, philosophy, and social satire into a singular, unparalleled narrative.
"Flatland" unveils the story of A. Square, a resident of a two-dimensional world where life, in all its complexity, unfolds on a singular plane. But the tranquility of Flatland is jolted as A. Square is confronted by the Sphere, a visitor from a three-dimensional world called Spaceland, whose revelations shatter the simplistic foundations of A. Square’s understanding and societal norms.
Delve into a narrative that seamlessly navigates through the fascinating geometrical landscapes, and simultaneously, reflects the stark, divisive social hierarchies of Victorian England. The additional illustrations in this edition meticulously curate and amplify the visual experience, providing readers with a graphical journey through the surreal worlds contained within the text.
Explore, within these pages, a tale that transcends its geometric confines, breaking through into metaphysical contemplations and existential dialogues. A. Square's ventures from the absolute of his known reality to the perplexities of higher dimensions unravel not merely as a personal evolution but as an allegory, posing perennial questions about perception, knowledge, and the acceptance of the beyond.
This edition provides an enriched reading experience by accompanying your journey with a detailed summary, a comprehensive characters list, and an evocative biography of Edwin A. Abbott, ensuring a multi-faceted exploration of the narrative, its creator, and the underlying themes encapsulated within.
Unshackle your imagination, and allow it to wander into the flat plains and beyond, contemplating the infinities that perhaps linger, unseen, unexplored, and waiting to be discovered in dimensions beyond our own. Witness "Flatland" not merely as a narrative but as an eternal dialogue between reality and possibility.

Grab your copy of "Flatland," and let the wonders of unseen dimensions unfold before you!
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Micheal Smith
• Release date: Jan 9, 2024
• ISBN: 9791223016718

Book preview

FLATLAND

BY

EDWIN A. ABBOTT

ABOUT ABBOTT

Edwin A. Abbott: A Journey from Flatland to Infinite Dimensions

Born on December 20, 1838, in Marylebone, London, Edwin Abbott Abbott was not merely a man but a spectrum of vibrant dimensions imprisoned in a seemingly two-dimensional world. His life, although set in Victorian England, transcended the common pathways of his contemporaries, venturing into the fantastical realms that bridged mathematics and literature. A theologian, schoolmaster, and writer, Abbott offered to the world Flatland, a masterpiece that intricately wove the threads of spatial dimensions with social satire, which remains acclaimed and relevant to this very day.

Abbott was nurtured in the arms of educational rigor, with his father, Edwin Abbott, serving as the headmaster of the Philological School, Marylebone, and thus established a venerable legacy for the young scholar to trailblaze. Graduating from St. John's College, Cambridge, with honors in classics, Abbott refused to be bound by traditional accolades. His journey spiraled into an eternal exploration of the unchartered territories between theology, education, literature, and geometry.

The day-to-day life of Abbott was steeped in academia, as he took on the mantle of headmaster at the City of London School in 1865. Yet, his mind wandered through realms unseen and unexplored by his peers. His pedagogical practices and philosophies echoed with a resonant understanding of the multifaceted nature of knowledge and learner. He aspired to unravel the tightly knit threads of Victorian society and unweave the intricacies of multiple dimensions through his writings.

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions (1884), Abbott’s magnum opus, pivots around a square living in a two-dimensional world, exploring the tangible implications of mathematics and dimensions while satirizing the hierarchical and rigid Victorian society. The protagonist, A. Square, becomes a prophetic voice for Abbott himself, whispering into the ether the possibility of realms beyond comprehension, realms where rigid lines of social structure and spatial dimensions dissolve into an eternal void.

Though tethered to his time and place, Abbott yearned for a utopia that transcended earthly comprehension. His other literary endeavors, such as Philochristus (1878) and Onesimus (1882), embodied a similar spirit, delving deep into theological and philosophical quandaries with an almost rebellious defiance against the traditionalist ideologies of his epoch.

Abbott’s work blurred the lines between disciplines, creating a unique amalgamation of multifaceted ideas that explored religion, mathematics, and social order. His legacy, albeit punctuated with the immortal Flatland, is imbued with a profound, implicit inquiry into the infinite dimensions of understanding that lie beyond our purview. His endeavors continue to pose imperative, unanswered questions, compelling us to peer beyond our confined realities and ponder upon the unfathomable mysteries of the universes that await discovery.

Edwin A. Abbott departed from our earthly dimensions on October 12, 1926, leaving behind a timeless masterpiece that forever echoes through the infinite corridors of metaphysical, mathematical, and societal contemplation. His spirit, undeterred by the limitations of physical existence, forever lingers in the interstices of realms seen and unseen, guiding curious minds towards the perpetual pursuit of knowledge across infinite dimensions.

SUMMARY

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, penned by Edwin A. Abbott, is a dazzling voyage into the unseen and unexplored dimensions of existence. Set in a two-dimensional world, it beckons readers to traverse through the life of its protagonist, A. Square, and challenge the very fabric of reality as understood by his flat universe.

In the monochromatic world of Flatland, life is as straightforward as its inhabitants: circles, squares, and other flat shapes moving in a plane, wholly unaware of any world beyond their linear reality. The social hierarchy is rigorously defined by geometrical forms, where the more sides one has, the higher one's status soars. But the serenity of A. Square's existence is shattered when he is visited by a Sphere from a three-dimensional world, known as Spaceland. This Sphere brings with it a revelation that defies not only physics but also the rigidly established social structure of Flatland.

Journey alongside A. Square as he grapples with the seemingly impossible truths unveiled by the Sphere, navigating through the mental tumult of accepting a reality beyond his own, and the ostracism he faces from his own dimension upon attempting to enlighten them. Dive deep into a world where dimensions intertwine with societal satire, and explore the complex, subtle metaphor Abbott intricately weaves, critiquing the Victorian society of his time and perhaps, even our own.

Flatland not only charts a physical journey from the second to the third dimension but also an existential one, exploring the confines of perception, belief, and societal rigidity. It invokes us to question, to wonder, and to perpetually seek, asking if we too, like A. Square, are imprisoned in our own flatland, blind to the unfathomable dimensions that might lie just a revelation away. This timeless masterpiece dances on the delicate line between mathematical fiction and philosophical allegory, offering not just a story, but an experience that promises to linger, prompting thought and wonderment about the worlds beyond our own.

CHARACTERS LIST

A. Square (Narrator): The protagonist of Flatland, A. Square is a modestly situated professional residing in a two-dimensional world. His experiences and revelations about higher dimensions serve as the foundation of the narrative.

Sphere: A visitor from the three-dimensional world, Spaceland. Sphere introduces A. Square to the concept of a third dimension, drastically shifting his understanding of reality.

The King of Pointland: An entity that exists in a world of a single point and is completely self-absorbed, as it perceives itself as the entirety of its universe.

The Monarch of Lineland: Ruling a one-dimensional world, the Monarch of Lineland struggles to comprehend A. Square’s explanations of a second dimension, symbolizing the struggle of understanding beyond one's own perspective.

A. Square’s Brother: A character that serves to exhibit the common Flatlander's perspective and disbelief in dimensions beyond their understanding.

A. Square’s Wife: Representing the condition of women in Flatland, A. Square’s Wife is portrayed as simple and line-like, reflecting the limited status and recognition given to women within this society.

A. Square’s Grandson: A curious and open-minded character that displays an initial curiosity towards higher dimensions, indicative of the untainted wonder and receptivity of youth.

The Chief Circle: The leader of Flatland who refuses to accept the reality of higher dimensions, symbolizing the resistance of established hierarchies and regimes to revolutionary ideas.

The Priest: Characters that are part of the ruling elite, embodying the amalgamation of power and dogma to resist new ideas and maintain societal control.

The Irregulars: Shapes that do not conform to the standard geometric norms of Flatland society and thus, face ostracism and persecution, mirroring the societal response to non-conformity.

Hex: The most advanced and powerful character in Flatland, Hex is a key figure in society due to his numerous sides, highlighting the close ties between social status and physical form in Flatland.

The Prosecutor: Representing the oppressive arm of Flatland's regime, the Prosecutor exemplifies the fierce protection of Flatland’s established norms and a rejection of dissenting perspectives.

Contents

Preface To The Second And Revised Edition, 1884

PART 1: THIS WORLD

Section 1. Of The Nature Of Flatland

Section 2. Of The Climate And Houses In Flatland

Section 3. Concerning The Inhabitants Of Flatland

Section 4. Concerning The Women

Section 5. Of Our Methods Of Recognizing One Another

Section 6. Of Recognition By Sight

Section 7. Concerning Irregular Figures

Section 8. Of The Ancient Practice Of Painting

Section 9. Of The Universal Colour Bill

Section 10. Of The Suppression Of The Chromatic Sedition

Section 11. Concerning Our Priests

Section 12. Of The Doctrine Of Our Priests

PART 2: OTHER WORLDS

Section 13. How I Had A Vision Of Lineland

Section 14. How I Vainly Tried To Explain The Nature Of Flatland

Section 15. Concerning A Stranger From Spaceland

Section 16. How The Stranger Vainly Endeavoured To Reveal To Me In Words The Mysteries Of Spaceland

Section 17. How The Sphere, Having In Vain Tried Words, Resorted To Deeds

Section 18. How I Came To Spaceland, And What I Saw There

Section 19. How, Though The Sphere Shewed Me Other Mysteries Of Spaceland, I Still Desired More; And What Came Of It

Section 20. How The Sphere Encouraged Me In A Vision

Section 21. How I Tried To Teach The Theory Of Three Dimensions To My Grandson, And With What Success

Section 22. How I Then Tried To Diffuse The Theory Of Three Dimensions By Other Means, And Of The Result

To

The Inhabitants of SPACE IN GENERAL

And H. C. IN PARTICULAR

This Work is Dedicated

By a Humble Native of Flatland

In the Hope that

Even as he was Initiated into the Mysteries

Of THREE Dimensions

Having been previously conversant

With ONLY TWO

So the Citizens of that Celestial Region

May aspire yet higher and higher

To the Secrets of FOUR FIVE OR EVEN SIX Dimensions

Thereby contributing

To the Enlargement of THE IMAGINATION

And the possible Development

Of that most rare and excellent Gift of MODESTY

Among the Superior Races

Of SOLID HUMANITY

Preface To The Second And Revised Edition, 1884

By the Editor

If my poor Flatland friend retained the vigour of mind which he enjoyed when he began to compose these Memoirs, I should not now need to represent him in this preface, in which he desires, firstly, to return his thanks to his readers and critics in Spaceland, whose appreciation has, with unexpected celerity, required a second edition of his work; secondly, to apologize for certain errors and misprints (for which, however, he is not entirely responsible); and, thirdly, to explain one or two misconceptions. But he is not the Square he once was. Years of imprisonment, and the still heavier burden of general incredulity and mockery, have combined with the natural decay of old age to erase from his mind many of the thoughts and notions, and much also of the terminology, which he acquired during his short stay in Spaceland. He has, therefore, requested me to reply in his behalf to two special objections, one of an intellectual, the other of a moral nature.

The first objection is, that a Flatlander, seeing a Line, sees something that must be THICK to the eye as well as LONG to the eye (otherwise it would not be visible, if it had not some thickness); and consequently he ought (it is argued) to acknowledge that his countrymen are not only long and broad, but also (though doubtless in a very slight degree) THICK or HIGH. This objection is plausible, and, to Spacelanders, almost irresistible, so that, I confess, when I first heard it, I knew not what to