Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions (1884)

What a different experience it was to read this book compared to my usual genres. It's written in Victorian England (I think) and describes a two dimensional society that is as limited in its ability of thinking as the most extreme conservatism/idealist/extremist of today.

First the view of sexes is nothing but extreme, with the female sex described as the lowest form of society.

Second, its view on classes is also extreme. Nothing about changing your position in life is acceptable and every such attempt always end in disaster.

So, why would I read such a bad book? Well, it's a classic, it was mentioned in The Big Bang Theory and I'm still not sure if the author was this extreme to show how stupid it is (granted - my opinion), or if it was his personal views. Because the end (here is the spoiler - stop reading) the two dimensional being sees the light and sees the effect of not having your views accepted.

The narrator is a two dimensional square (4 sides, making it a few steps above the lowest classes, and of course quite far ahead of women) occupied as mathematician. As such he can calculate the geometrical effects of more dimensions but he can't imagine them, until a sphere rips him out of the plan (of there is a lot of logical and mathematical gaps in the story - not going to mention them since I don't think that affects the book's qualities).

After being turned into believing in the third dimension the narrator becomes a prophet of this which makes him even more despised and eventually jailed. It's dangerous to preach that the current society is based on a lie.

Hmm. Well, I'm happy I'm done with the book. As a thought experiment, very good, as a book, less so, as a view on society, mostly antiquated, I hope, though I don't think so.

And of course, the big question, is there a fourth dimension with sentient creatures that watch us as we watch a plane? Seems far-fetched, but I guess it's impossible to know for sure. ( )

Well, that hurt my brain. If you think Gulliver's Travels meets The Blazing World of Margaret Cavendish, then you're more likely to pick up on the social satire. As it was, I glazed over at the math parts more than once. This was an odd but interesting reading experience. I do think this is an overcomplicated tale, but the social criticism and weird gender stuff kept my interest. ( )

Science fiction description of a land of two dimensions in which all the people are geometrical shapes. Interesting exploration of what life would be like and good introduction to ideas of multiple dimensions in space, and also a satire on the social class constructs of the time, but written at end of 19th century and so horribly misogynistic that it is actually quite unpleasant to read. ( )

Really enjoyable story about a square that learns about the third dimension. With elements of an educational novel, this book is also brilliantly witty with a Johnathan-Swift-esque humour to the benign adventures of an unlikely protagonist in a world only a geometrist could dream up. ( )

It has been many years since I read this, and I quite forgot how odd, charming, and engrossing it is. ( )