The persecution of individuals is an abhorrent way of life in some lands. To be repressed simply for preaching a new view of things. To be imprisoned for your beliefs. I am thinking, at this moment, of one individual in particular who has had to suffer the humiliation of life without parole simply because he chooses to see things in a different way. Should the fact that this person is merely a square (four equal sides and corners) be any kind of an impediment towards our full understanding of him? As a recent convert to three-dimensional worlds, the author of “Flatland” (given, originally, as merely A. Square) describes his own two-dimensional existence as best as he is able. It is hoped that perhaps by publishing this petite memoir of his world and experiences he may shed new light on his predicament and perhaps even win a follower or two.

The world of Flatland (as opposed to our own multi-dimensional Spaceland) is a simple one. In it, the more sides an individual has, the (supposedly) greater intelligence and influence. Therefore it stands to reason that circles (which is to say, many sided polygons) rule as priests and all hexagons, squares, triangles, etc. hope to someday ascend or let their children ascend to that most worthy class. Women, sadly, are given short shift. They appear as lines (though the narrator does concede later on that they are perhaps more accurately described as very thin Parallelograms. The narrator goes on to describes how shapes in Flatland recognize one another, what their lives are like, and even gives a bit of brief historical background regarding the great Chromatic Sedition that almost made all shapes equal under the eyes of the law and society. The square then recounts the adventures he had when, in a dream, he approached Lineland and then was visited by a sphere preaching the gospel of the Spaceland. With the discovery of a third dimension the square is given to preaching about this new place to his fellows and, for his efforts, is summarily arrested and cast into prison from whence he writes this book.

“Flatland” was originally published in 1884, a fact that places some of its odder elements into (ha ha) perspective. Appended with a Preface that accompanied its second revised addition, the “author” (A. Square) responds to those critics that accuse him of classism and sexism. The square admits that years in prison may have, since the publication of the book, given him greater insight into both women AND his “betters”. Just the same, it’s difficult for a reader today to hear that women are “consequently wholly devoid of brain-power, and have neither reflection, judgement nor forethought, and hardly any memory” and not feel a little put out. On the other hand, we’re dealing with some serious satire here, and we should treat the book accordingly. In general, it’s a delight. Paving the way for such modern classics as “The Phantom Tollbooth” or even “A Wrinkle In Time” (the latter making at least one direct reference to “Flatland”), the book is a satire in the finest sense of the word. The narrator is, undoubtedly, unreliable which makes the entire book just that much more enjoyable. Author Edwin A. Abbott put an extraordinary amount of effort into this story. As is often the case with authors that slum in fiction, children’s literature, or works of humor (right off the top of my head I’m thinking of Gilbert & Sullivan and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), “Flatland” was written as a bit of fluff and ended up (whether Abbott liked it or not) as the author’s best known work.

Though a lovely concept, this book is perhaps best read by teens and adults rather that kids. I’m not saying that there won’t be the spectacularly brainy ten year old who’s a fan of both Math AND English and speeds through this book like butter. I’m just saying that such a child is in the minority and that you probably shouldn’t foist a tale that contains such sentences as “Now, all our lines are equally and infinitesimally thick (or high, whichever you like): consequently, there is nothing in them to lead our minds to the conception of that Dimension”. You get the picture. One fact I discovered to my own delight was that this book does not, in fact, require a firm grasp on geometry. It couldn’t hurt, and I’m sure you’ll get quite a lot more out of it than if you’ve heard of angles or circumferences, but it’s not a prerequisite for enjoying this tale. As long as you’ve a certain amount of imagination and a will to suspend disbelief, you should be in the clear.

The Saturday Review of Literature once said that Flatland was, “One of the best things of its kind ever written”. This seems to me to be somewhat backhanded praise since very few “things of its kind” HAVE ever been written. And shouldn’t it be unequivocally be pronounced the best by default alone? To my mind, the book’s well worth the reading. It deserves its praise and should be remembered amongst the best of the fantastical satires (”Gulliver’s Travels” for example). It’s a short book too, so you’ve really no excuse for not reading it. A delightful dip into the unknown.

Zip file of the entire book (122 MB)

Tags: Edwin Abbott Abbott, Flatland