- Listenly
- Public Library
- Edwin Abbott Abbott
- Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions
Chapters
29 totalFlatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions - Edwin A. Abbott (1838-1926. English scholar, theologian, and writer.)
With Illustrations by the Author, A SQUARE (Edwin A. Abbott)
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
PART I: THIS WORLD
PART II: OTHER WORLDS
PART I: THIS WORLD - "Be patient, for the world is broad and wide."
Section 1. Of the Nature of Flatland
Section 2. Of the Climate and Houses in Flatland
Section 3. Concerning the Inhabitants of Flatland
Description
In a world of perfect lines and angles, the inhabitants of Flatland see everything as flat shapes—lines, squares, triangles—each with a strict place in a rigid social order. The narrator, a modest Square, explains how status is measured by the number of sides, while women are mere thin lines and the elite circles move with terrifying speed. Everyday life is governed by the angles they can perceive, and even the concept of “up” is unknown.
Everything changes when a mysterious sphere from a realm called Spaceland appears, revealing a third dimension that Flatlanders cannot imagine. The Square is given a fleeting glimpse of height, forcing him to reconsider the limits of his perception and the nature of reality itself. As he returns to his plane, he struggles to describe this new sight to his fellow citizens, offering both a playful exploration of geometry and a pointed commentary on the narrowness of Victorian attitudes.
Collections
Browse allDetails
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (193K characters)
Release date
1995-01-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects
About the author
Edwin Abbott Abbott
1838–1926
Best known for Flatland, he turned big ideas about geometry, society, and perception into a story that still feels fresh. He was also a respected teacher and theologian whose work ranged from schoolbooks to serious religious scholarship.
View all books