To share your reaction on this item, open the Amazon app from the App Store or Google Play on your phone.

Add Prime to get Fast, Free delivery

Kindle
$0.00
or $7.99 to buy

Hardcover
$34.99

Paperback
$12.59

$12.59 with 30 percent savings

List Price: $17.99

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Tuesday, January 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or fastest delivery Monday, January 13. Order within 10 hrs 52 mins

In Stock

$$12.59 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

30-day refund/replacement

Payment

Secure transaction

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

$8.91

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Friday, January 17 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$12.59 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Sold by Relaxing Shop and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (115) from $6.19 & FREE Shipping

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

David MacAulay

Follow

Motel of the Mysteries Paperback – Illustrated, October 11, 1979

by David Macaulay (Author)

4.6 780 ratings

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$12.59","priceAmount":12.59,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"12","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"59","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"V28WkuXuTta0AvXj94Qb7bUoFhOj9i1E2PSEPXGI3goadlSA4JZEbg%2BLJhutvIqr2X8wR%2Fuj5F28UHyO55Qz43ivi%2F02WdsIv1g3jBG7QGm7iUWppD8yw5dCr22Rq%2BfxzajoMhr3th4%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$8.91","priceAmount":8.91,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"8","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"91","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"V28WkuXuTta0AvXj94Qb7bUoFhOj9i1EaAAFhrQOFtTajjNqgLMD3HB%2FRK749Q7dDaBOyr%2F5s0ttGsvgQKTyGa%2FWa2veX9ehJsMqyTdtgetYAx6CBnl9vHgXogeerrkhPi%2FGVEerb2wb7ukNqVIMSpStDSycLQ%2FKjdMF7oLe3Pc9829GrngvuesTtP67Xj2a","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

It is the year 4022; all of the ancient country of Usa has been buried under many feet of detritus from a catastrophe that occurred back in 1985. Imagine, then, the excitement that Howard Carson, an amateur archeologist at best, experienced when in crossing the perimeter of an abandoned excavation site he felt the ground give way beneath him and found himself at the bottom of a shaft, which, judging from the DO NOT DISTURB sign hanging from an archaic doorknob, was clearly the entrance to a still-sealed burial chamber. Carson's incredible discoveries, including the remains of two bodies, one of then on a ceremonial bed facing an altar that appeared to be a means of communicating with the Gods and the other lying in a porcelain sarcophagus in the Inner Chamber, permitted him to piece together the whole fabric of that extraordinary civilization.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"David Macaulay . . . is a superb craftsman and an imaginative writer and illustrator . . . His new book is a marvel of imagination and a comfortable satire. He projects a time when our civilization will have been buried . . . As always with Mr. Macaulay's books, wonderfully illustrated." The New York Times —

About the Author

David Macaulay is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books have sold millions of copies in the United States alone, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. Macaulay has garnered numerous awards including the Caldecott Medal and Honor Awards, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Christopher Award, an American Institute of Architects Medal, and the Washington Post–Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award. In 2006, he was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, given “to encourage people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations.” Superb design, magnificent illustrations, and clearly presented information distinguish all of his books. David Macaulay lives with his family in Vermont.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarion Books; Illustrated edition (October 11, 1979)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0395284252
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0395284254
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 years and up
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1270L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 - 9
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.31 x 1.25 x 11 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #46,750 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #37 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Boys' & Men's Issues (Books)
- #99 in Literary Criticism & Theory
- #179 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Girls' & Women's Issues (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 780 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

David MacAulay

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

David Macaulay is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books have sold millions of copies in the United States alone, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. Macaulay has garnered numerous awards including the Caldecott Medal and Honor Awards, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Christopher Award, an American Institute of Architects Medal, and the Washington Post–Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award. In 2006, he was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, given “to encourage people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations.” Superb design, magnificent illustrations, and clearly presented information distinguish all of his books. David Macaulay lives with his family in Vermont.

Customer reviews

780 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Review this product

Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book humorous and entertaining. They describe it as a thought-provoking read with great illustrations. The short story is described as awesome and intriguing. Readers praise the creativity and uniqueness of the book. Opinions are mixed on value for money and authenticity, with some finding it good value while others consider it a waste of money.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

Humor Thought provoking Illustrations Short story Creativity Value for money Authenticity

77 customers mention "Humor"72 positive5 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They appreciate the puns and how it relates to real-world archeology. The illustrations are beautiful, and the satire on Native American culture is great. Readers find the book entertaining with eye-opening truths.

"...Fun illustrations." Read more

"...But it’s short and a quick read to boot, so it’s good for a smile, and possibly a chuckle or two. But not more than that." Read more

"It's humor/satire in the best tradition - something that pokes fun at (some would say skewers) those who tend to take themselves far too seriously...." Read more

"...Still a humorous concept maybe more suited to younger readers." Read more

46 customers mention "Thought provoking"46 positive0 negative

Customers find the book reminiscent of literature on archaeological finds. They find it humorous and thought-provoking, with an eye-opening perspective on archaeology and how we look at and interpret the past. The book provides an inventive view into science and assumptions, and gives a perspective on how history can easily be misinterpreted.

"...seriously it’s a clever comical take on archeology and how we look and interpret the past. I seriously laughed multiple times reading this in my bed...." Read more

"Very clever references to past archaeology people and discoveries, yet would be fun read for even a non-history buff. Fun illustrations." Read more

"Interesting insight's look into science and assumptions." Read more

"If you love history, archeology or other sciences this is a must read." Read more

26 customers mention "Illustrations"26 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the illustrations in the book. They find the writing and illustrations creative, with brilliant details of a Later Nacerima tomb complex. The book is described as fun and imaginative by readers. It's written by an imaginative author who does thorough research.

"Macaulay’s signature spectacularly well-drafted finely detailed illustrations are here placed in service to a one-note gag that never quite outwears..." Read more

"I don’t have much to say besides this book is incredible. The drawings are fascinating and the story is unique...." Read more

"...I was done reading it in about 20 minutes. Mostly illustrations, which are core to the story...." Read more

"...Macaulay's illustrations bring the text to life, allowing the reader to see the humor it what is going on - Macauley is able to reference various..." Read more

15 customers mention "Short story"11 positive4 negative

Customers find the story engaging with its unique perspective. They describe it as a short yet entertaining read with eye-opening truths.

"...But it’s short and a quick read to boot, so it’s good for a smile, and possibly a chuckle or two. But not more than that." Read more

"...The drawings are fascinating and the story is unique...." Read more

"This was a fun story, but I really wanted it (and it could have been!) so much better...." Read more

"A shortie but goodie. Much shorter than I anticipated, it’s more of a picture pamphlet than a book...." Read more

13 customers mention "Creativity"13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's creativity. They find it clever, funny, and thought-provoking. The story is unique, entertaining, and original. Readers say it's a great read for any age and great for kids using the "Story of the World" and learning.

"...book which I have purchased; I think it is one of the funniest and cleverest that I have ever read and I enjoy sharing it with friends who can see..." Read more

"...A great read and rather a creative one. I love how he explains what shower was used for and same goes for the plunger which made me LOL!!" Read more

"This book is a great example of how we can get the purpose and meaning of archeological finds very wrong...." Read more

"...between 3 and 4 stars, because it was definitely entertaining and original, and at times I laughed out loud while reading it...." Read more

10 customers mention "Value for money"6 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's value. Some find it a good buy, while others consider it a waste of money and pointless.

"...the price was reasonable for the condition the book was in and it arrived on time which was very nice...." Read more

"...1 for the page to price ratio, and 1 star because it's a bit lame compared to newer stories." Read more

"...Still good value." Read more

"...However, it reeks of wasted potential. It could have so easily been infinitely better...." Read more

6 customers mention "Authenticity"4 positive2 negative

Customers have different views on the authenticity of the book. Some find it funny and true, stating that artifacts don't lie but people's interpretation does. However, others feel the internal logic is lacking and suffers from some errors.

"...with references to 80's and 90's fashion and trends, it still rings true enough that everyone can enjoy it, particularly history buffs with a good..." Read more

"...as a comedic look at archaeology, although I find its internal logic severely lacking." Read more

"...All the assumptions are valid; just entirely wrong. The illustrations make it all worthwhile." Read more

"Funny, thought provoking. Shows that artifacts don't lie, but people's interpretation of the artifact is influenced by their society's values." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

M S
Clever, funny and lots of great art!
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2024
Verified Purchase
A David Macaulay book, nuff said! But seriously it’s a clever comical take on archeology and how we look and interpret the past. I seriously laughed multiple times reading this in my bed. And the art is what you expect from Macaulay, superb!
Mine included a 1985 Macaulay signature which pleased me and surprised me!

Read more

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Report
BCC
Too funny - if you enjoy archaeology, this will be a hoot!
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2024
Verified Purchase
Very clever references to past archaeology people and discoveries, yet would be fun read for even a non-history buff. Fun illustrations.

Read more

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Kvetchy Kvaddle
Magnificent Execution of a One-Note Gag
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2022
Verified Purchase
Macaulay’s signature spectacularly well-drafted finely detailed illustrations are here placed in service to a one-note gag that never quite outwears its welcome, but is not nearly as witty as it might once have seemed.

As the book is a parody of the Tut Mania that gripped the US in the late 70s when a major King Tut exhibition made its way across the States, the specifics of the high concept have long since faded from our collective cultural memory, significantly blunting the humor and the impact of the concept. But it’s short and a quick read to boot, so it’s good for a smile, and possibly a chuckle or two. But not more than that.

Read more

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
William Terry
The illustrations are worth the price.
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2025
Verified Purchase
Great condition and pleasant surprise in the format. Looking forward to reading nexr.

Read more

Helpful

Report
Mia Mountain
Really makes you think and has incredible pictures
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2023
Verified Purchase
I don’t have much to say besides this book is incredible. The drawings are fascinating and the story is unique. It really makes you think about how our world will be seen to archeologists a thousand years in the future. It also makes you think if we are also mischaracterizing the objects of the past.

Read more

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
J. Tant
A Fun Parody
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2017
Verified Purchase
It's humor/satire in the best tradition - something that pokes fun at (some would say skewers) those who tend to take themselves far too seriously. In this case we're talking about archeologists, but even at that it's limited to those who make too many intellectual leaps from the available evidence. By that I mean those scientists who tend to input too much in the way of fiction or story telling to artifacts.

It's done so gently, but the tone is spot on - the same pronouncements done with no doubt whatsoever and yet objectively wrong. We have the benefit here of knowing what the actual truth is, which is where the humor is grounded. Macaulay really has done a good job in this parody of a serious scientific work, so much so that one kind of wonders what the *real* story is when reading, oh, the latest paleontological findings or other similar papers. This isn't to say that all science is wrong - not at all - but only to wonder what if science doesn't necessarily know what it thinks it knows And again, I'm talking about scientists who go a bit too far in their theorizing.

I like this book - a lot. It's a fun parody.

Read more

33 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
S. Schmidt
Funny and interesting... up to a point
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2024
Verified Purchase
I heard about this book from a podcast interviewing an archaeologist, so I was intrigued and bought a copy. I was done reading it in about 20 minutes. Mostly illustrations, which are core to the story. In my review, the "novelty" wore off after the first few pages. Still a humorous concept maybe more suited to younger readers.

Read more

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Report
William R Rives
I like it
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2024
Verified Purchase
Interesting insight's look into science and assumptions.

Read more

Helpful

Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

AZS
Read this as a kid in 8th grade and got it for my son
Reviewed in Canada on December 27, 2018
Verified Purchase
I read this book as an 8th grader and bought it for my son who loves history and archaeology. Very interesting.

Read more
Report
Siegfried Lenz
A hilarious archeological satire
Reviewed in Germany on October 21, 2019
Verified Purchase
I have liked David Macauley's drawings since childhood and stumbled over this while looking for one of his other books. This is an excellent and hilarious satirical take on the interpretation of archeological artefacts. The tone of the prose is just right and on top of the obvious disparity between ordinary items (mis-)interpreted as parts of a funeral cult by future historians, there are lots of a little more subtle jokes spread throughout the text. Never again will I look at an ancient museum exhibit without thinking of this book. This should be well accessible to teenagers, younger children might need some of the vocabulary explained.

Read more
Report
CDZ
Adorabile racconto
Reviewed in Italy on July 17, 2019
Verified Purchase
Rispetto alle altre sue storie, è meno pulito e lineare. In cambio è molto più divertente e intelligente.

Read more
Report
Translate review to English
Wand
Amusing look at modern interpretation of historical events
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2014
Verified Purchase
As I tutor I use this book regularly with my classes to illustrate how, when we look at history, we can never know the facts for certain as we can only make assumptions based on our current knowledge. This humourous book shows how easy it could be to misinterpret historical findings to make them fit our current way of thinking or meet a personal agenda. As the saying goes 'history is written by the survivors/victors' so the 'truth' may not be all it seems.

Read more
Report
Elizabeth
Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on July 31, 2018
Verified Purchase
came fast and in super condition. Will definitely recommend this to friends and family. Thank you so much

Read more
Report

See more reviews

Amazon Prime Free Trial

Return this item for free

Return this item for free

Image Unavailable

Follow the author