2 Stars
Pros: Entirely unique, I can honestly say I have never read any book quite like it/The commentary on social hierarchies is still relevant to this day, that there will always be "levels" and "classes" in society.
Cons: The idea of Flatland, after you sit with it for awhile, actually made a strange kind of sense but at the same time, I was constantly left feeling as I'd just walked into the middle of a conversation about Mathematics that went so far above my head, it wasn't even conceivable.
Full Review:
Told from the point of view of a middle class Lawyer, A. Square, we are introduced to Flatland. It is a place of only two dimensions, where everyone, be they the lowest Triangle to the highest Circle, is governed by the maxim "Attend to your Configuration." Essentially, you will never be more than the sum of your parts, literally. If you are a Triangle, you will never know what it's like to be a member of the upper class and vice versa. Flatland is a rigid place and our narrator, A. Square, seems content to not question authority and simply live his life.
It's not until he has a dream of a place called Lineland, that he realizes that there are other places and people outside of Flatland. The people of Lineland are, to A. Square, simply lines and dots, and he tries to question the King of how they can possibly enjoy a life, being the way that they are. His questions and insistence that his existence is far superior to their own, enrages the King of Lineland and A. Square awakens from the dream just as the inhabitants of Lineland are about to attack him.
It's later that his world view is completely shattered when a Sphere enters his house and brings him on a journey to a world of three dimensions. And A. Square, fascinated by what he's seen, asks that if a world of three dimensions exists, then couldn't it be possible that there is a Fourth, Fifth and perhaps even Sixth dimension? This give the Sphere pause and he quietly admits that there are some who think, perhaps, this is possible but no one who thinks this, is ever really taken seriously.
Still, fascinated by what he's seen, A. Square is suddenly thrust back into his life in Flatland and is determined to try and get others to see what he's seen, to understand that there is more out there than they could ever imagine. Of course, to speak of such things is the highest treason and poor A. Square, after finally admitting to his adventure, is imprisoned, indefinitely.
It's never really explained how these writings of A. Square have reached us, but we're led to believe that though he understands that he will live out the rest of his life, cut off from his loved ones and perpetually alone, he still has the fascination and intrigue of his adventure, of that impossible Three Dimensional World to consider. It's not exactly a comforting thought, that all A. Square has now is what he remembers but...that's apparently how Abbott chose to end his "romance of many dimensions."
This book was...it's impossible to put into words. The idea of Flatland, a two dimensional world, populated by Triangles, Squares, Circles etc, was interesting but when Abbott started getting into Geometry and such, I must admit, my brain just tuned it all out. The overall message though, that there could be and most likely are, places and things far outside our own small world, is poignant. Abbott, who was a strong supporter of Women's Suffrage and equality, most likely used this novel as a way to point out all the ridiculous notions of his brethren and to try and get them to think bigger. It was definitely an interesting read, one that made me think. And I'll most likely find myself wondering about Flatland for a long time to come.
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