Preview
  • Flatland

  • A Romance of Many Dimensions
  • By: Edwin A Abbott
  • Narrated by: Philip Harburgh
  • Length: 3 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (93 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Flatland

By: Edwin A Abbott
Narrated by: Philip Harburgh
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $4.19

Buy for $4.19

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

In Flatland, originally published in 1884, a humble square describes his two-dimensional world to benefit the inhabitants of Spaceland, the three-dimensional realm he discovers when he is visited by a being from beyond his plane.

With dry wit and wild imagination, author Edwin Abbott Abbott builds a meticulous fantasy world rooted in an astute apprehension of psychology, politics, and social structures, as well as basic geometry. The story of Flatland, at once ridiculous and profound, delivers an incisive satire of social discourse that remains remarkably relevant today.

Public Domain (P)2020 Zebra Grass Media LLC
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about Flatland

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    62
  • 4 Stars
    20
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    49
  • 4 Stars
    23
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    54
  • 4 Stars
    15
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful Read

This is a fantastic read, and the reader had the perfect voice and tone for the story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

Very close to a series of mysterious experiences I’ve had, and I personally appreciate the effort in this careful metaphor!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing concept for the time.

It is a bit dated with word and terminology, but it is still an amazing concept .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Charming story and concept

The beginning is a bit slow but the exploration of the different dimensions is charming. it makes you think what shades of reality we are missing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thoughtful

A thoughtful journey should one listen with an open mind. It weaves a tale that all should ponder, making topics usually very complex very simple.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wise, inspiring, humorous, and subtle satire and preaching.

If there is a review that says this is boring, overly expositive, pointless, sexist, racist, or classist, please do yourself a favor by treating those as opinions that misunderstood the story, and, after reading, by looking for a short biography of the author to see his character, his academic and religious stature, and social activism.

Most importantly, pay attention, as it is kind of like a proto-science-fiction novel, and the world’s logic swiftly begins to make sense as the story progresses, and should fully make sense by the end.

After reading this, if you are interested in initiating further literary degrees of higher-dimensional perception, in a clever novel, consider reading the epic Alan Moore novel, Jerusalem, which expands on the idea exquisitely.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Philip Harburgh is a much better narrator

concerning the other versions of this title available on audible, this is the best version available.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Audio Quit Working

Audio quit working. tried reinstalling. nothing works. other apps with audio work just fine. it is not my headphones because they work fine with other apps. the phone speakers also will not play audio through this app.

I hate leaving a one-star review but I don't see anywhere within the app that I can report a problem. hoping someone from Amazon will provide some help here so I can give a better review.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Mind-blown in a satirical, thought-provoking way

I stumbled upon this title while listening to a podcast hosted by Chris Williamson and guest Eric Weinstein, and among the many topics the 4th dimension and tesseracts were of topic. The book Flatland is one part of the rabbit hole I'm now caught in. In that spirit, I'll limit this review to the book only.

What a masterful, well-written piece this is. In an attempt to apply mathematics to the understanding so that laymen may understand dimensions. I'm quite sure I could re-read this and learn double of what I learned during one pass of this book. I think the reference to women as lines, not so intelligent but oh so emotional, made me crack up, so I assume (without reading reviews) that it was at best, satirical. I feel as though I've been exposed to something brand new - a new way of thinking. The book was not what I thought it'd be - it was much more. I think of it as one more avenue into my own self-reflection of what I think this world is.

I cannot recommend it enough, but one MUST be open-minded and willing to explore the opening of their 3rd eye. I don't know of a better way to state this. I hope it makes sense to those who are seeking enlightenment.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

One of the most boring listens ever.

Interesting idea but an incredibly boring listen.
Geometric shapes as living beings in three separate dimensions. One dimensional linelanders cannot perceive two dimensional Flatlanders, who, save one, cannot perceive three dimensional spacelanders until one flatlander is shown the third dimension for himself.
To share what he has seen amounts to religious heresy and is punishable by imprisonment or death as it might have been in Galileo's or Columbus' day demonstrating that the Earth is neither the center of the universe, neither is it flat.

An interesting concept to be certain, nevertheless a mind numbingly boring listen.

Maybe interesting if you have a PhD in Mathematics. MAYBE.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!