Quick Review - Book #13 - "Flatland" - by Edwin Abbott

 Flatland is the story of A. Square. 

    First published in 1880, It was immediately greeted for its...weirdness. 

    The story of a world in 2 dimensions. A. Square has an epiphany; He manages to see the world of a single dimension in a dream. How does he explain a world that has length and breadth? (Or, in this case, North, South, East, and West?)

    He is then visited by a strange being from a 3rd dimension. How does a 3rd dimension creature... in this case, a sphere, describe how a 3rd dimension functions?

    This is an odd book. It is for sure a "love it or hate it" book. Given the 1880s, part of his description of women (narrow, dumb, and violent.. and dangerous,) as also being not worth education, and not having any upper reason faculties... it sometimes makes for difficult reading. There is a good chance that this was also a commentary on society, and how society would see women, and the problems inherent in that view. Social commentary.

    As generations move forward, a side is added, but only if the progenitors are geometrically perfect. So a triangle would have a square offspring, and the square would have a pentagram, etc... as long as the sides were mathematically perfect. If there was an odd side, then the issue would be destroyed. 

    Interesting commentary on elitism, as their "priests" are so many sided that they may as well be perfectly round. 

    How does a society like this function? How do the beings in it recognize each other, and how does life move along?

    Interesting mental exercises.

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Next up!!

    Reaching back into classical territory; Charles Dickens - A Tale Of Two Cities.

    It was the best of times; it was the worst of times!