54 pages • 1 hour read
Edwin A. AbbottFlatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions
Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 1884A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott, the story is narrated by a character called the Square, who lives in a two-dimensional world with a strict social hierarchy based on shape. He dreams of a one-dimensional world, Lineland, and later meets the Sphere, who introduces him to the concept of a three-dimensional world, Spaceland. Despite gaining new insights, the Square's attempts to share his knowledge in Flatland lead to his imprisonment. The novel includes references to rape and death by suicide.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott is praised for its inventive exploration of dimensions and social satire. Readers appreciate its imaginative narrative and philosophical depth. However, some find its mathematical concepts dense and its portrayal of gender roles outdated. Overall, it remains a thought-provoking classic in speculative fiction.
Who Should Read Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions?
Readers who enjoy thought-provoking and imaginative works blending mathematics and social satire, like Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland or George Orwell's Animal Farm, will appreciate Edwin A. Abbott's Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. Ideal for fans of speculative fiction and geometry.