Urville [Paperback]

Gilles Trehin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1843104199 | ISBN-13: 978-1843104193 | Publication Date: February 15, 2006 | Edition: 1

Urville, the capital of a large island province, has a population of nearly 12 million, making it the one of the most significant cities in Europe. It is also entirely imaginary. Gilles Trehin, an autistic man with exceptional creative talents and an obsession with large cities, conceived and developed Urville over the course of 20 years. He shares his vision in this beautifully illustrated guide to the city, which he renders convincingly real in nearly 300 drawings of different districts of Urville. He describes, in remarkable detail, the architectural styles of its individual buildings and provides historical, geographical, economic and cultural information. This includes historical figures and cultural anecdotes grounded in historical reality - Trehin accounts for the effects of the Vichy regime, the Second World War and globalisation on his imagined city. This book offers fascinating evidence of and insight into the creative power of the autistic mind and will be of interest to people with autism and without.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gilles Trehin is 32 years old and autistic. He has exceptional talents in mathematics, music, languages and art. He has been developing his vision of Urville since the age of 15, and drawing since the age of 5. His father is vice-president of Autism-Europe, Belgium.

Product Details

• Paperback: 187 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Pub; 1 edition (February 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843104199
• ISBN-13: 978-1843104193
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #325,998 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a true genius, May 28, 2007

By 

Marcia S. Diehl (takoma park, md usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Urville (Paperback)

Gilles Trehin is an incredibly talented young man. His innate understanding of perspective demonstrates his genius. His depth of imagination is expressed through the creation of an imaginary city - Urville which he depicts in highly detailed pencil drawings : skyscrapers, public spaces, museums, hospitals -- all elements of the urban landscape. I'm afraid this special book is not going to get the attention it deserves.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Urville, May 13, 2007

By 

Elliott Templeton (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Urville (Paperback)

Real life "Rain Man" - this guy has drawn out an entire ficticious city as he see it in his head. Whether it be distant views of the whole city or views from a top a particular building, this book is amazing no matter how you slice it.

5.0 out of 5 stars simply amazing...., October 19, 2008

By 

Terry Mcguire "Tlee" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Urville (Paperback)

to think this was all created by a savant! It requires many 'looks'....to comprehend the imagination....the mind which created this amzaing masterpiece!