Publisher's Synopsis
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions is a satirical novella written by Edwin A. Abbot in 1884. The book is set in a two-dimensional world called Flatland, where the inhabitants are geometric shapes such as squares, triangles, and circles. The story is narrated by a square who lives in Flatland, and he explains the social hierarchy, customs, and laws of the two-dimensional world. One day, the square encounters a sphere from the third dimension, who introduces him to the concept of a third dimension. The square cannot fathom the idea of a third dimension, and he is initially skeptical of the sphere's claims. However, the sphere takes him on a journey to the third dimension, where the square experiences a world beyond his imagination. Through the square's journey, Abbot explores the limitations of human perception and the concept of higher dimensions. The book also satirizes the rigid social hierarchy of Victorian England and critiques the limitations of scientific knowledge. Flatland has become a classic of science fiction and mathematics, and it has inspired many adaptations and interpretations in literature, art, and film.There being no sun nor other heavenly bodies, it is impossible for us to determine the North in the usual way; but we have a method of our own. By a Law of Nature with us, there is a constant attraction to the South; and, although in temperate climates this is very slight -- so that even a Woman in reasonable health can journey several furlongs northward without much difficulty.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
